“If only there was a cure for unhappiness.”
The other day someone spoke those words to me accompanied by a heartfelt sigh. Unhappiness is a burden we carry at times and it can be debilitating. Is there a cure? It is easier to contemplate the idea that we cause much of our unhappiness by attaching so much energy and attention to the cause—loss, unwelcome change, illness, our own or that of someone we are close to, disappointment and so on—than to change our state of mind about the situation. Yet change our attitude is exactly what we need to do. As Hamlet in the famous Shakespeare play of the same name says, “There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Here are some proven “cures.”
- Be content that 100% of your effort in whatever you undertake is perfect enough. Don’t obsess about how you can achieve 110%. Between you and me, as you grow older and wiser, you learn that 90% will do very well, too.
- Be content in the knowledge that not everyone you desire to help and accommodate to wants or needs your help or accommodation. Some people find your constant attention annoying. Offer yourself and then wait for the other person to step toward you. Don’t feel rejected and unhappy if they don’t, there are many reasons why they are not open to you at that moment, and they almost certainly have nothing to do with you.
- Be content not to always be “doing”: performing, achieving, always being “on” can become burdensome. Be assured that you are also living life if sometimes you can just “be.” In other words be content to be a human being and not a human “doing”.
- Be content with what you have and try not to struggle with envy of what others have or what you can’t have. For instance, if your finances do not allow it, don’t page through high-end glossy catalogs and desire what you see there; those material goods that you never knew you wanted until you opened the pages. If this is a cause of unhappiness, don’t look at those offerings, don’t read the catalog, no one is forcing you to be envious or focus on what is missing in your life.
- Be content with the knowledge you can gather about a topic and relax into the idea of being reasonably knowledgeable. You can’t be an expert on everything. In our information age there is no end to resources and sources of more information. Pursuing this shifting goal obsessively can cause great mental anguish.
- Be content to be present in the moment and drop the “over thinking” habit. Like a drug habit we can become caught up in our stories, memories and judgments and once obsessive thinking kicks in we lose touch with the present and move into doubts, fears, questions of the future and past. We replay scenarios and double-guess ourselves over what we regret or anticipate what is to come. Usually these thoughts can dominate our desire to be balanced and present.
- Be content with your current environment whether at home, work or recreation. You know if you have a short attention span, so practice not losing focus. Don’t let your attention be drawn away by a fly buzzing, or another noise, or an itch. Be especially vigilant with mental activities such as thinking about future plans and options take over. If you find you are somewhere else in your mind than where you are supposed to be, break the chain of mental activity and refocus.
- Be content that the world will continue to spin whether you are there or not to control the axis. In other words take responsibility for what you can control and let go of trying to control what you know is beyond your ambit. This is especially relevant in relationships. Learn how to control yourself so you don’t scare people away with your inner power and desire for control, and let them take care of themselves. Otherwise you make yourself and those around you unhappy.
- Be content with your placidity and ability to feel compassion and empathy for others. People like a non-confrontational presence and energy, and you can help by listening and using your empathy to see their problem as they see it. This is a gift. It is important to feel compassion for yourself as well.
These “cures” all lead back to how we process our life’s experiences. We can choose unhappiness or be content knowing we are coping as best we can. We can never find permanent happiness and contentment in outer objects and activities. We need to recognize that we can choose the peace of mind that is present naturally for us. We simply have to become conscious of its existence.
Hello, Nice work! This is my first time i visit here. I discovered so numerous fascinating stuff in your website.
I wish to express my admiration for your kindness for persons that must have help on this important field. Your very own dedication to passing the solution throughout appeared to be really significant and have without exception allowed folks much like me to get to their targets. This insightful help signifies a whole lot a person like me and even more to my peers. Thanks a ton; from each one of us.
Wow, its so realistic.You really hit the nail on the head.
I ran into this page on accident, surprisingly, this is a great website. The site owner has carried out a superb job of putting it together, the info here is really and helpful when i do research. Now i am going to bookmark this internet site so that I can revisit in the future.
Hey webmaster, commenters and everyone else !!! website was absolutely wonderful!
Thanks so much for providing individuals with an extraordinarily memorable possiblity to read articles and blog posts from this website. It really is very enjoyable and jam-packed with a lot of fun for me and my office colleagues to visit your site a minimum of thrice in a week to find out the newest issues you have got. Of course, I am also certainly astounded with the fabulous tips and hints you give. Some 3 points in this post are truly the simplest we have had.
Nice website. All posts have a process to learn. Your hard work is very good and i enjoy you and wanting for some more informative posts.
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for. Would you offer guest writers to write content for you personally? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome web log!
its fantastic as your other blog posts : D, appreciate it for putting up.
reverence there, just happened state of alert in order to your blog through the Google, and to state, that it is really rich in information. I am to going to think brussels. I want to appreciate if you are continuing it farther. plenty people will be brought benefit from your writing. Shouts!
Would love to incessantly get updated great website ! .
You made some first rate factors there. I looked on the internet for the problem and found most individuals will go together with with your website.
Great piece of writing
Bitmap are interesting to use ill check it out i appreciate sharing its screen shots along with detail with this
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
I sort of found this blog by mistake, but it caught my attention and I thought that I would post to let you know that I really like it. I enjoyed this post and will be subsribing to your RSS feed.
I am glad to be a visitant of this complete site ! , thanks for this rare info ! .
I ACTUALLY appeared to be extremely pleased to find this web-site.I want to thanks for your effort for this wonderful read!! I ACTUALLY certainly enjoying any little bit of it and I had you saved as a favorite to see new stuff you blog post.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
Wonderful blog. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very useful information specially the last part I care for such information much.
Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across this board and I find It really helpful & it helped me out much. I hope to offer one thing back and help others like you aided me.
I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for fantastic info I was looking for this info for my mission.
thank you for starting this up. this website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality.
Fantastic site. All posts have a process to learn. Your hard work is very good and i enjoy you and wanting for some more informative posts.
Merely wanna remark on few general things, The website style and design is perfect, the content is really fantastic : D.
What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely helpful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Good job.
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such fantastic info being shared freely out there.
Wonderful website. All posts have a process to learn. Your hard work is very good and i enjoy you and wanting for some more informative posts.
I have learn a few good stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you put to create this type of wonderful informative web site.
I have read a few good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you put to create such a wonderful informative website.
This is the proper weblog for anybody who desires to find out about this topic. You realize so much its virtually onerous to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You positively put a brand new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply great!
It’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
I simply had to thank you so much once again. I am not sure the things that I could possibly have accomplished without the actual advice revealed by you on that situation. It previously was an absolute scary scenario in my circumstances, but seeing a new professional mode you solved that took me to cry over joy. Now i am thankful for the help as well as have high hopes you realize what a great job your are undertaking instructing the others through the use of your websites. Most likely you have never got to know all of us.
Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
There are definitely quite a lot of details like that to take into consideration. That may be a nice point to carry up. I provide the thoughts above as normal inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you convey up where the most important factor will be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if finest practices have emerged round things like that, but I am sure that your job is clearly recognized as a fair game. Each boys and girls really feel the impact of just a second’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
I like this web blog so much, saved to my bookmarks , Very clean internet site , thankyou for this post. I am incessantly thought about this, thanks for posting , good post. Ne’er knew this, appreciate it for letting me know.
Hello, Great job, I’ve bookmarked this page and have a feeling I’ll be returning to it regularly.
you are really a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterwork. you have done a excellent job on this topic!
Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
Terrific work! This is the kind of information that should be shared across the net. Disgrace on the search engines for no longer positioning this publish higher!
your blog is perfect thanks
Thank you, I have just been looking for information about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
Greetings, super job, if I wasnt so busy with my study I read your full blog. I truly have to give you thanks!
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100% sure. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
Wonderful items from you, man. I have keep in mind your stuff previous to and you are just extremely magnificent. I really like what you have acquired right here, certainly like what you’re saying and the best way in which you are saying it. You are making it enjoyable and you continue to care for to stay it smart. I can not wait to read far more from you. That is actually a terrific site.
I think that what you posted made a ton of sense. But, think about this, what if you wrote a catchier post title? I am not saying your content isn’t good., however suppose you added a post title that makes people desire more? I mean 50How do you Cure Unhappiness? | 50janetlevine.com is a little vanilla. You might peek at Yahoo’s home page and see how they create article headlines to grab people to click. You might try adding a video or a related pic or two to get people interested about everything’ve got to say. Just my opinion, it could bring your posts a little livelier.