How to be Happy

Hi. 

It's been a few months since I've actually posted non-school happiness.  I want to chat about happiness today.  Let's be honest, I of all people have every "right" to be miserable and sad. I was hit by a car, I lost my memory, I fail every test I take, I can't remember people's names (that makes finding friends difficult), and  I feel like an overall failure 6 out of the 7 days. 

I am miserable and sad. The end. 

FALSE. 

I can honestly say I have never been happier in my whole entire life (No. Do not bring up I don't remember a lot of my life. I promise I have never been this happy.)

Victor Franki, author of the oh, so famous Man's Search for Meaning, reminded us, "Even the helpless victim of a hopeless situation, facing a fate he cannot change, may rise above himself, may grow beyond himself. He may turn personal tragedy into triumph."

Look at how far I've come. Basically, I am super woman. I got an A in my writing class this summer, I'm not failing every single quiz in my art history class, only about 25% of them, I can remember my friend's names, I have friends, I love my jobs, and I have found a way to learn the information I need for my classes.  It has been a pretty fantastic semester. 

The world lost a great man in July, but President Boyd K. Packer reminded us, "It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life." 

Nothing in our life is without purpose. I am able to choose how to handle every situation and what I want to make with my own life. David O. McKay has given me some pretty spiffy guidelines to keep my happiness in check everyday. I am not wasting a single day being upset, sad, lonely, or mopey. President McKay has 10 Rules for Happiness

1. Develop yourself by self discipline.  Yeah.... it's time to be a big girl, eat my veggies, and clean my room.

2. Joy comes through creation -- sorrow through destruction. Every living thing can grow; use the world wisely to realize soul growth.  If I want to be happy, I need to create something. Hence this blog post and my glorious paintings filling my tiny room. Today I was able to sit down and chat with a DC and Marvel comic illustrator Steve Rude  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Rude . He still works at perfecting his art, trying to grow and perfect his trade.

3.  Do things that are hard to do.  School. School is so utterly hard for me I want to cry thinking about it. I do hard things. Nothing is going to stop me.

4. Entertain up building thoughts. What you think about when you do not have to think shows what you really are. Seriously though. In French we says Le Vouloir C'est Le Pouvoir - The want/desire is the power. We can do anything we want to do. Nothing can stop us, no disability can stop us, fear cannot stop us, we are able to everything we will ever want to do as long as we work for it.

5. Do your best this hour, and you will do better the next. No words needed.

6. Be true to those who trust you. Do not lose anyone's trust. I've found more and more people are throwing away friendships. There is nothing more valuable than a good friend.

7. Pray for wisdom, courage, and a kind heart. Just pray. Pray always. Keep yourself close to God and He will keep himself even closer to you.

8. Give heed to God’s messages through inspiration. If self-indulgence, jealousy, avarice, or worry have deadened your response, pray to the Lord to wipe out these impediments. Act on the inspiration you receive! The best way to recieve more inspiration is to act on the bits of inspiration you are currently recieving. When we do this we are more susceptible to understanding and receiving promptings/inspiration.

9. True friends enrich life. If you would have a friend, be one. We reap what we sow. If I'm being the ultimate friend, when I need someone to bring me a can of soup, cookies, and a good movie a magical person will appear on my door step.

10. Faith is the foundation of all things—including happiness. 

I love y'all! Have a fantastic night. Join me in my "Happiness Challenge." I'm going to focus on one of the ten steps for happiness every week. This week I really need to work on #4. 

XXo, 

Mo