“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” - Mahatma Gandhi
How happy are you? Have you ever stopped to really consider your own happiness? Most people don’t. Did you know that people tend to think of themselves as basically happy, even when they are not?
When thinking about happiness, the first thing that comes to mind is all the good times, but that is pleasure, which is different to overall happiness. Pleasure no matter how long-lasting is still short term. What then is happiness?
According to the Word-net dictionary, happiness is “a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”
So happiness goes hand in hand with wellbeing. It is a state of being, where people are resilient, confident, optimistic and joyful. Because it is such a positive and important part of wellbeing, happiness is a topic we will return to often in Moments of Clarity
So, are you as happy as you could be? Do you do something for the community every week? It seems like those two questions are unrelated, but actually, research shows that one way to be happier is to volunteer your time to benefit others. There are many opportunities to volunteer on the Tablelands; Lifeline, St. Vinnies, the Atherton Neighbourhood Centre, Mareeba Information and Support Centre, TREAT (Trees for the Atherton and Evelyn Tablelands), and Friends of the Animals, just to name a few.
Recently, I learnt of a great new way to benefit the community and save the environment at the same time. It’s called Morsbags and what the group does is get together and sew shopping bags. Then they turn up at shops during the Christmas shopping rush (or any other time throughout the year) and pass out free bags to shoppers. What a great way to reduce plastic bags and spread good cheer. Best of all, if you get involved, you’re likely to increase your overall happiness!
To learn more about morsbags, go to http://www.morsbags.com/ or visit www.clearwatercentre.com.au to get details on the Tablelands local group and how to get involved.
