If you always think what you've always thought....

[Rick Abelson]

You will always get what you have always thought.

I am curious as to what thought changes you have made on your journey of life that are now guiding you on your path to joy and happiness?

[Zoey Jordan]

I agree that to get different results you have to do things differently. So many times we react to situations in our lives as if on auto-pilot. We have to make a conscious choice to tap into our possibilities, get out of our egos (which I mean strictly in the sense that our egos try to protect us and operate on our past experiences or perceived limitations), and take conscious inspired action to create our lives.

When I started to really pay attention to the way I responded to things, or the actions I was taking (or not taking), I realized that I had habitual behaviors that actually led me away from my goals. I started to focus on the steps I could take, no matter how small they seemed, to lead me toward my goals.

[Jennihul]

I have no doubt that I am always on the path of joy and happiness even if along the way I am joined by events and people that aren't necessarily pleasing.

Your wording intrigues me. "...that are now guiding you on your path to joy and happiness." As if they are a destination rather than an inherent part of the journey itself. Important distinction. In fact, life changing.

Some of the things that I do to make my journey even more pleasing are:

---Realize that there is no good or bad, good or evil and that every happening and everyone is "of the creator/source" and therefore must be perfection. Sounds really religious-ish. Not my style, for sure. But there is really no other way to describe it. That includes criminals, terrorists, tyrants and other "devils."

---Assume that every single thing that happens to you is a lesson to be learned and the result of karmic checks and balances whether from this life or a previous incarnation. Don't waste time wallowing in misery or mega-drama. Just analyze and learn from it. Get over it. Move on. Become the better person the lesson is helping you to become.

---There is no "us" and "them."

---Our ability to think and reason and feel is more than just an evolutionary quirk. They are the tools of a powerful technology and must not be allowed to wander into the realms of things that are destructive, damaging, hateful, competitive, jealous, cheating and angry. We suffer because we have yet to take this technology seriously.




Jennifer

[Plato]

Jenni makes a good point that happiness is not a goal but a process.

For me the path of happiness is twofold:

1- performing "right action" i.e., doing the right thing no matter the effort required and no matter what my emotions may be telling me.
2- enjoying a calm mind by practicing mediatation and regular exercise.

I consider myself to be a darkworker because although I take pleasure in compassion, every action is performed as service to myself and all socialising is for my own amusement. It's a simple but joyful philosophy of living life.

[zdomerr]

Originally Posted by Rick Abelson

I am curious as to what thought changes you have made on your journey of life that are now guiding you on your path to joy and happiness?

I have had two essential thought changes in my life so far.

1. Concentrating on the here and now. It's not a good thing to worry about the future. Mistakes are mistakes, we all make them. Without them we would not be where we are today. Becoming anxious for the future also ruins the present moment.

2. Believing that what I have now is amazing. If I have a 5 dollar bill in my pocket, I could bring myself down by saying I could have more. I could always have more though. So thinking that the 5 dollar bill is great, I am satisfied. By looking at what I have and being grateful for it all, I become extremely happy with life, because I am deeply satisfied with everything I have.

[Jennihul]

Originally Posted by Plato

Jenni makes a good point that happiness is not a goal but a process.

For me the path of happiness is twofold:

1- performing "right action" i.e., doing the right thing no matter the effort required and no matter what my emotions may be telling me.
2- enjoying a calm mind by practicing mediatation and regular exercise.

I consider myself to be a darkworker because although I take pleasure in compassion, every action is performed as service to myself and all socialising is for my own amusement. It's a simple but joyful philosophy of living life.

It's a shame that is a criteria for something called a "darkworker." Why would anyone socialize if it wasn't for their own amusement? Experiencing pleasure in our lives is our highest glorification of God. Choosing the kind of pleasure that is ultimately destructive only hurts the self in the long run.

Jennifer

[Old Soul]

Having an attitude of gratitude elevates your thinking process , lifts your thoughts to a higher plane where defeat and despair do not reside

[Plato]

Originally Posted by Jennihul

It's a shame that is a criteria for something called a "darkworker." Why would anyone socialize if it wasn't for their own amusement? Experiencing pleasure in our lives is our highest glorification of God. Choosing the kind of pleasure that is ultimately destructive only hurts the self in the long run.

Jennifer

For a darkworker God is the self.

I don't know about pleasure being the highest glorification of God. I don't think you can define it in substantive terms. Any attempts can easily be knocked down by a person skilled in logic.

[Jennihul]

Originally Posted by Plato

For a darkworker God is the self.

I don't know about pleasure being the highest glorification of God. I don't think you can define it in substantive terms. Any attempts can easily be knocked down by a person skilled in logic.

God is love. Happiness and joy are the highest expressions of love. Love of life. Love of self. Seeking to be happy is the best way to love one's self.

As far as logic...spirituality is immune from logical examination. Always has been. But feel free to try.

In my world, self is God since everything is God. So for lightworkers, like me, God is self too.

Jennifer

[Plato]

Ok, say logic is unpersuasive. Let's stick to pure good ol' rhetoric . To me pleasure is almost background noise. It's not an end or a purpose or anything tangible at all. To me performing right action as sacrifice to God is the highest expression of God because joy is a given. In my value system the good and the great is where it's at. If I happen to love life at the same time, boo ya !

Frankly I think we are just mincing words anyway.

[evelynlim]

Originally Posted by Rick Abelson

You will always get what you have always thought.

I am curious as to what thought changes you have made on your journey of life that are now guiding you on your path to joy and happiness?

Thought changes? Here are some examples:

Old "I never seem to get anything right"
New "It's ok to make mistakes. I just do my best."

Old "There is something wrong with me."
New "I am whole and perfect."

Old "I am perpectually feeling down".
New "I create my own reality and have the power to change my thoughts and beliefs."

Reframing my mind to think more positively has most certainly helped me!

All the best,
Evelyn

[Jennihul]

Originally Posted by Plato

Ok, say logic is unpersuasive. Let's stick to pure good ol' rhetoric . To me pleasure is almost background noise. It's not an end or a purpose or anything tangible at all. To me performing right action as sacrifice to God is the highest expression of God because joy is a given. In my value system the good and the great is where it's at. If I happen to love life at the same time, boo ya !

Frankly I think we are just mincing words anyway.

We are. But I haven't seen a decent definition of lightworker vs darkworker that didn't seem like minced words, too. But I'm a natural label-hater. Some people need labels. But then again, some people need heroin.

Jennifer

[smartile]

.... you will always get what you've always gotten.

I've made thought changes in almost everything I do from working out, to business, to time management, to money and relationships.
You can learn more at my site....

[Jennihul]

Gotta love the ubiquitous sales pitch disguised as advice....

Jennifer