How to be happy and where do I start?

Malaysia
June 23, 2010 10:32pm CST
I read somewhere in the internet that to be happy you need to determine what value is the first priority in your life. It could be love, money, family, friends, a new car, a new house, etc. Different people has different set of values. I value money the most because I am really in a bad debt. So, my priority is money. When I have enough money I can pay off my debt, then I will be happy, in other words when your behavior is in harmony with the set values that you have determined, the happier you are. Now the tricky part is how do you work your behavior to be in harmony with your set values(My behavior and money)? Simple, you really need to work hard to earn the cash - get a real job, a part-time job, an online job, sell something, etc. It could be a multiple income streams, as long as you can fulfill the requirement of your behavior and values. Well, this is not easy after all but it is not impossible either. Perseverance is the key. Do you agree with these ideas? Does the strategy really work? Your response is much appreciated. Cheers!
16 responses
• India
24 Jun 10
Hi, I see a confusion here. A confusion between happiness and pleasure. Yeah, you can have pleasure by focusing on earning money, you can mistake that pleasure as happiness too, and be happy for some indefinite period of time. But let me tell you this, the things that are not permanent will never be able to make your happiness permanent. Internet is a stage for placing opinions. You have to decide what is best for you. I come to know that you are in debt. So am I. But I still believe that earning money is not the most important thing in my life. If you focus on these things, there is as much possibility to be sad as there is to be happy. This is because the thing you are depending on is quite volatile in nature. Why don't you take a different approach to it? You earn money because its your duty and not because you want to. Please don't try to look for happiness in money. You will only be cheated again and again. Thanks. God bless you
• India
24 Jun 10
and that you surely will. May god always be with you..
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
I do agree with you that money cannot buy happiness. There is much more in life than money. Still, I need money to pay off my debt. :)
@eurekafemme (5877)
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
That is true. Happiness is a choice, indeed. You set your goals for the things that can make you happy. Focus your mind to eat and reap the fruits of your labor with great satisfaction. Well, it is not just money that needs hard work and a little elbow grease, almost everything does. You can't achieve happiness when you are just there staring at the blank wall hoping that you fairy godmother will whiz up her magic wand to send you your happiness. Life is not an illusion,it is for real. So be realistic when setting a goal towards happiness.:-)
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Happiness cannot be measured by money alone. Yes, I agree with you.
• Philippines
25 Jun 10
There's no amount of money that can buy happiness. And if it is only money that you have, you will soon lost everything...
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
24 Jun 10
Family and love are the first places to look for happiness in your life. Anything else you achieve is just icing on the cake. If we don't have love in our hearts and families to share our lives with, how could we ever truly be happy with ourselves?
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Yes,I do agree with you. When you have love, happiness will come automatically.
@mspitot (3824)
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
i think, the first step to that is to know how to value the things around you. you can ever be happy if you don't know the things that you should be happy about cause you don't know their value. next is to patience to get your goals. you should also have peace of mind.
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Identify your goal, work toward it and ask blessing from God. Yes, I do agree with you.
@jennyze (7029)
• Indonesia
24 Jun 10
Ah, do you need to ask? Happiness is individualistic. One person perceive it differently from the others, even when the reason is the same: to have money to pay the bills and more, so they can get comfortable in life.
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Happiness is when you are comfortable and less worries.
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
before i have a job that gives me a fair amount of money that is enough for me to buy things that i need and go to places where i want to go. i also got to eat the food that i like because of that job before. but then i realized that something was missing that time and i don't feel really happy. then i have read a book that says that it wasn't money or any material things that would make a person happy but it is the way that he/she uses those things for the benefit of others. i started sharing the things that i have to people and then i felt relieved. happiness is a state of mind. if you do things that would give you peace of mind then that would result to happiness.. :)
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Sharing and loving, yes the key words.
@miaka05 (16)
• Philippines
28 Jun 10
Yes I agree.. It also depends on the outlook of the person. Maybe it also depends on how a person was raised. Of course, if one was raised in a loving family, his or her view of happiness is based on LOVE; the person will tend to live happily if he or she find a loving atmosphere just the same tow where he grew up. It could also make him or her remember wonderful memories. One should know how to find happiness even at the saddest part of his or her life...happiness could also different forms and reasons. Some are shallow and some are so deep. If you know how to live your life meaningfully then being happy would not be a problem.
• China
24 Jun 10
I think if one wants to be happy, what he needs to do first is to be satisfied with his current situation. No matter he is poor or rich, sick or healthy. Stay in the present moment and enjoy the little things like a cup of tea, then you will be happy. Do not always think about future or think about to improve yourselves. When one is not satisfied with himself, he is seperated with his presence, and he will not feel happy. Good luck
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
If you have a problem and you decided to comfort it with a cup of coffee or a night in the pub, it will still be there the next day. You need to confront it head to head until you get the over it, then you will be happy, the next day will be even happier. :)
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
Hello there Gunsirit, With reference to your question, you have a point in what you have shared. However, maybe this could be an added factor in order to be happy, and that is prayer. Since, you have all the key that stands as your ingredients for a happy life, it could be helpful if you have the major ingredient - which is prayer. If you start your life with a prayer, you will be sure of a happy life. From prayer, everything will follow, you will be able to think of a good strategy, better ideas, good attitude, nice approach and a lot more of positive results. Cheers!
@dian21 (606)
• Philippines
1 Jul 10
It is really important that we have to know our priorities and what to value. In your case since you are in big debt, you should really set your behaviors or your actions on to how to achieve your value or priority right now. As long as you have the perseverance you can really achieve evrything. But for me, I think it would be happier if I will be able to balance everything in my life, like my family, love, money. Because I think I cannot be happy with just money alone. So it should be balanced.
@braiym3 (135)
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
That is so great! Really! This post gives me motivation and ways on how to find happiness. Priority and perseverance. Actually, sometimes I am having difficulty in finding it or to be happy. Sometimes, I feel happy but suddenly it will fade. I cant understand myself, but now I will definitely consider your strategy. Thanks a lot!
• United States
24 Jun 10
i feel in today's society with the whole recession thing going i believe people will feel like being rich will make them happy.money can solve your problems you will always have problems whether you're rich or poor. money can be a stress though so peeps is at a point that they would probably sell they soul to the devil just to live that life style. people have to realize everything is temporary on this earth n you just have to live yo life to the fullest
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
I do agree with you. Being happy is when you don't have any debt to worry about. LOL!
• Philippines
24 Jun 10
Happiness starts on being satisfied with everything you have, focusing on how to accomplish all your dreams and goals in life and of course Happiness is being acquired when you have close relation with God. For He is the one gives us everything we what, He is the one who satisfies with all our needs and wants. The closer relationship you have with Him the Happier your life will be.;p
• Malaysia
24 Jun 10
Even if you have a lot of money, and a loving family and friends, life won't be complete if God is not there.
• China
26 Jun 10
"Happiness is do what you love and love what you do"the values of happiness is diffrence in our life.someone want to be sucssfull or want to be enough money.understand for me very important.find the way that we need,we will be happy.
24 Jun 10
I agree with what you say, the key is to find out what is making you unhappy/ or making your life difficult at the moment, money seems to be most common today, and find a way to better the situation. Having said that some issues are harder to deal with than others. Some may not even have a solution, so you have to work a way around to deal with it the best you can. To me money isn't an important thing, because that is all it is, a thing. It is only paper and coins, we need it, but it's still quite meaningless. I value the things that I have today and that I could lose tomorrow, family, friends, my home etc. They are what is really important, when I know I have them I am happy:)
• China
24 Jun 10
I'm agree with you ,in my opinion , we can't live in this world without money now ,always we paid much more than we get.so we have delt ,and we have to work hard or get a part-time job for more money