by Jason Starr
No, really - I AM!!! That wasn’t always true, though. And you might look at some areas of my life today and say, "Are you serious, man?" because life still presents me with challenges—and always will; but, happiness is not about life being easy! It’s about knowing that, no matter what’s going on in the outer world, you choose whether or not to be happy. "But, how can you be happy when your world is falling apart?" You say, "What gets you through? How do you stay happy even in the midst of pain and sorrow?" you want to know. I’m glad you asked. I choose it!!! Let me tell you a story and give you just one of the ways I choose.
In 1993, I had it all, or so it seemed. I was debt-free, making great money, living in a beautiful, spacious home near the beach in Clearwater, Florida, traveling a lot-a dream come true. The problem was, I was miserable. No matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t find happiness in my relationship!
We lived and worked together, my partner and I, doing spiritual counseling and presenting workshops all over the country. But, something was missing. Inside, I felt I wasn’t fulfilling my Life’s Purpose. I began asking Spirit just how my Life’s Purpose was supposed to look. In fact, I asked if I really even had a Life’s Purpose! An angel answered, "My will for you is that you should be happy! There’s only one thing in the world you can do-find happiness. Do whatever you are able to secure this happiness for yourself and everyone you meet. Go forward in the world finding and sharing love, joy, peace, and happiness."
‘Great,’ I thought, ‘like I have a clue what happiness is!’ The angel then gave me information which became the book, 10 Secrets of Happiness. These ten secrets are actually centered around one "secret." Know that you are innocent. The other nine secrets are ideas and actions that support the experience of innocence. As in all things, though, having these 10 Secrets of Happiness and making them a habitual part of daily life are not necessarily the same thing! To assist in forming the habit of happiness, The Voice gave me a 40-day plan for integration, and it is detailed in the book.
In the book I also share a technique called the Process to Joy. By using this 5-step process during stressful or emotionally traumatic circumstances, one can return to calm, peace, and joy. It consists of four principles and one action step.
1. Everything in life happens for a purpose...and that purpose is self-knowledge, self-healing, and growth. This means that everything in your life showed up because something in you attracted it. So, if you look at the unpleasant things as opportunities to see what’s true about yourself at really deep levels, then you can do forgiveness work, release work, clearing work, or whatever’s appropriate for you. And, having done this work, you release that which attracted the unpleasant circumstance, and you express more light, love, etc. You grow!
2. You are protected and provided for. The first idea here is that you are an eternal being. Your body might change forms, you might transition and leave it behind altogether. But YOU, the spirit within, are unchangeable and can never be harmed in any way. The second idea is that this is an abundant
universe. And, it’s set up for you to win. All you have to do is remember this, and everything that you need is provided for you in the moment it’s needed.
3. Everything is perfect. Even though you might not see the perfection in such things as floods or earthquakes or seemingly senseless killings, there definitely is a higher plan in effect. Our greatest challenge is to accept this and act upon that knowledge. A Course In Miracles says, "Everything anyone does is done either because the person is asking for love or giving love." And when you accept this idea, it helps you remain nonjudgmental about peoples’ actions and leaves you free to see the perfection.
4. Love is all there is. This is another word for God. And if you think about the fact that God is IN all things, KNOWS all things, and is the POWER in all things, then you know that love is the only power, matter, energy, light, life, etc., that exists. Therefore, two things: One, there is never a
moment or situation where God is not present and in creative control of the largest scheme and the smallest detail; and Two, you are connected directly to all that is and to everyone that lives. So, this too can help you stay nonjudgmental and even loving toward others, even when their actions might push you to want to do otherwise.
5. Finally, choose joy. Once you’ve remembered all the above truths and your mind accepts that you intend to act in accordance with them, you can let go of the emotional trauma you were feeling. You can move easily and quickly back into your natural state of joy.
So, is it any wonder, with these incredible tools at my disposal, I say, I’M THE HAPPIEST MAN ALIVE!!! No, really - I AM!!!
Home | Archives | Contact
Us | Advertising Rates | Writers
Guidelines | Mission Statement
Index by Author | Index by Topic | Service Directory | Calendar of Events | Horoscopes
Email: Phone: 713.526.8822 or 1.800.640.5191
Mail: P. O. Box 540444, Houston, TX 77254