Contributed by Bob Rawlins, consultant to CAIRE Inc.~
For instance: what is your recipe for happiness?
“Happiness consists more in the small conveniences of pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man/woman in the course of life.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
So, who would have thought that old Ben would be so articulate when it comes to the recipe knowledge for happiness? I found this remarkably interesting although, I think everyone’s recipe for happiness may be different.
People define their happiness in many ways. How about you, my friends. What is your recipe for happiness?
I think this recipe can be customed to your own beliefs or you can add ingredients to it.
For Instance:
Prep Time: 1 minute Total Cook Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
- A pinch (a big pinch) of PATIENCE
- A dash of KINDNESS
- A huge spoonful of LAUGHTER, adjust this ingredient accordingly
- A tremendous heap of LOVE
Garnish with HOPE
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients together
- Add garnish
- Serve as often as you like or as needed
Notes:
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Use this recipe as often as possible.
Most Importantly: SHARE WITH OTHERS!
My belief is you need every one of these ingredients to achieve happiness in whatever journey you are on in life.
Definitions state that Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment. While happiness has many different definitions by many different people, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.
What strikes me here is, “positive emotions and life satisfaction.”
My friends, we talk about positive attitudes and staying strong no matter where our life is at that moment in time. Have you included this in your recipe for happiness?
Have we successfully balanced our emotions? Making sure there are more positive than negative emotions. Do we remain as positive as we can with that ”’tude?”
Life satisfaction is a hard reality when we are fighting with chronic lung disease and other disabilities, I understand. Do you think too much about your life in the past — relationships, work, achievements, and other things that used to be more important in terms of achieving your happiness?
I get it, but we can’t change the past and when we got sick, we must change our goals, the way we think in the present.
What is my recipe for your happiness now? Remember, I said you can add new ingredients to make any entrée taste and feel better through your own individual experiences and where you are in the moment and into the future.
Many people who are happy still feel the full range of adverse emotions — anger, frustration, boredom, loneliness and sadness. However, they have that underlying characteristic of being powerfully optimistic and can have a clearer way in which to deal with these adverse emotions. So Important. Turn a negative into a positive.
Personally, I decided a long time ago that I am not going to let negative vibes creep into my optimistic attitude in dealing with my chronic lung disease journey. Is it easy? No way! And I don’t want to appear that way, but I know what makes me happy, so I get to that place.
I meditate often and try to keep things in the proper perspective. Also, I add to this the list of ingredients above in my approach to staying happy. Staying diligent in my approach to every day helps me to always be thankful for another day.
Some may add wealth to their ingredients. Can wealth buy you happiness, or just a new set of things to worry about? For some it does enable them to give to charities along with donating their time to others. I know this does make me incredibly happy.
Don’t you like it when people are nice and sincere to you. Want to help, want to share in your journey, understanding it and helping you to achieve your goals? That can be a great ingredient to happiness.
But it starts with you. Will you share with those about your journey and what will make you happy in your current situation in life. You’ll find it’s not materialistic things, it’s the sincere kindness and positive emotions from them and you returning those same emotions — giving back to others.
Happiness is what you make of it my friends when you define and start making your recipe. And be sure to share your recipe with all of us.
Find your happiness my friends. You will live longer, enjoy life better and appreciate its good taste.
Till next time,
#behappy
#kindnessworks
#touchaheart
#laugheveryday
#breatheeasy
Love you all,
Coach Bob
Bob Rawlins, 64, of Medina, Ohio, is a double lung transplant recipient and a patient advocate for those who suffer from respiratory diseases and have been prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy. He is husband to Terese and father to their 17-year-old triplets. He also has two grown twin sons and four grandchildren. He serves as a hospital volunteer, band dad and chaperone, and marketing guru.
If you have been prescribed oxygen therapy, learn more about CAIRE by visiting www.caireinc.com/patients or by calling 1-800-482-2473 to talk to an oxygen advisor.
The contents of this blog post are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice. When using any oxygen therapy device please consult the applicable product instructions for use for product indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and detailed safety information.
Photo credit: Image by Roy Guisinger from Pixabay