Keys to Happiness

I have one more bit from the Dalai Lama’s books for you.  This post will be a simple and short listing of thoughts and comments from him, thoughts that can be uplifting and supportive of your happiness and that you can easily and quickly review and share with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends.

1. Empathy and altruism raises you up.
2. Science backs up claims about the physical and emotional benefits of a compassionate state of mind.
3. Reaching out and helping others lifts your happiness level.
4. Freedom from suffering starts with accepting suffering as a natural fact of human existence.
5. Studies show that reaching out to help others induces feeling of a calmer mind and less depression.
6. For a better life, confront your problems, fears, and bad habits. Don’t avoid them…then put your brain to work to change them.
7. Ingredients that cement relationships: Affection, compassion, and mutual respect.
8. The cause of suffering which one should seek to remove: ignorance, craving, and hatred.
9. Unhappiness comes to each of us when we think ourselves at the center of the world.
10. Remember, it takes time to train your mind.
11. Necessary ingredients to happiness:
    1. Affection
    2. Warmth
    3. Friendship
    4. Compassion
    5. State of mind
    6. Calmness of mind
    7. Peace of mind

12. Remember this … if you have real peace of mind you can be happy even with poor health.
13. If you believe the purpose of life is happiness, then work on discarding the things that lead to unhappiness.
14. If you want to have a deeper connection to others then reach out and help others.
15. Empathy is critical to build compassion.
16. Understand people by knowing and appreciating their background.

And I will add one of my own … if you want to raise you happiness level quickly, just walk outside. There is something magical about the great outdoors and what it does to the human mind