Joy is Job

Hello God!

Thank You for our Sundays. We are enjoying our lives and the world around us together. Last Sunday we were preparing our kite to the first flight. The flight was superb. We were seeing in the sky together, our eyes were flying with our kite, we were walking hand in hand, joking and laughing – these moments were perfect and miraculous!

We are the happiest family in the world … because we have a discipline to keep ourselves happy. We are working on and building our happiness together. Joy is a job and William Glasser confirms this statement.

In “Positive Addiction” by William Glasser I am reading: “Each individual finds them (happiness) in his or her own way, but in general everyone finds them through: 1. love – that is,through loving and being loved, and 2. by doing something one believes is worthwhile.

To find the happiness we all desire we have to figure out: 1. what to do, 2. how to do it, and 3. where to get the strength to get it done.”

Where to get the strength to get finding happiness done? That is the question. “Positive addictions strengthen us and make our lives more satisfying”, William answers.

“It seemed that a positive addiction was something a person chose to do, did by himself\herself, took some discipline to do it, believed in what he/she did, and did it on a regular basis.

I was now convinced that positive addiction is a valid idea, that it is open to anyone who has the discipline to try it, that somehow or other it can help people to become a great deal stronger, and this strength can be used in any facet of their lives.

As I gathered data, I established the criteria for a positive addiction. It had to be something that definitely benefited you, that you did at least a half hour to an hour a day regularly that you became good at, that you believed in, and that you suffered withdrawal pain from if you tried to quit it.”

“The implication of positive addiction are wide. You can try to get involved in an activity that you believe in. If you get involved in it on a regular basis, are non-self-critical in the process, and your mind begins to spin out or transcend, you’ll eventually became addicted to the activity. Once addicted, you’ll grow stronger, and this strength will be available to be used in any way you wish to make your life better,” William Glasser wrote in 1976.

I am addicted to make my family happy by keeping myself in good state of body, mind and soul. I am positively addicted to playing the piano, learning French, reading, blogging, swimming, meditating, writing affirmations, baking with my daughter, cooking our favorite dishes. I honestly tell you that to keep myself in happy state demands on strong discipline. Even to laugh is a job sometimes it is hard especially when I am immersed in my ego. 🙂

“What they always seem to have that makes them strong is that no matter how many problems they face they rarely run out of options. Unlike the weak, who tend to give up and then choose symptoms to reduce their pain and perhaps later become addicted to get some pleasure in their lives, strong people never seem to be at the end of their rope. They almost never lock themselves into one pattern of thinking and behavior.”

I love that “never lock themselves into one pattern of thinking and behavior”. I am trying to think out of the box when I deal with my pessimism. I am strong enough to smile and meet my experience with grateful heart. The last sentence is from my affirmations I write every day, in reality I am not so perfect.

And, as Glasser says: “Unlike the weak, the strong neither give up nor are driven by pain into rash or stupid behavior. They don’t like pain any more than anyone else, but they are not willing to settle for short-term relief if it means reducing their options later. They don’t rob Peter to pay Paul, they face reality now.” That’s what strength is all about. The belief in ourselves and the strength to stand in the face of a challenge and not choose to give up.

Thank You for this possibility to share with you some wisdom from great person. Thank You for reading and being with me at this very moment. I do hope You are smiling now and with this easiness and light I am saying you “Good Night! I wish You to fly tonight!”

Below I am sharing some photos of our happy Sunday!