What Makes People Happy?

So what makes people happy? Will more money do it? We have all heard people who a fortune but ended up committing suicide. Will fame do it? How many celebrities have you heard turning to drugs and going in and out of rehab all the time? How about having the perfect body? Having the perfect job? If you ask people what makes them happy, you will probably get a ton of different answers but there are two fundamental things that will ensure happiness. The first is knowing that they are growing mentally, spiritually, etc. The second is feeling that they are making a difference.

Many people will make the mistake that happiness comes from something external. They think that new sports car will make them happy or that raise or getting a new house. Although these things can give you temporary feelings of happiness, they are short-lived. Think about the time you bought your first home or car. You were probably excited. How did you feel several years later? Probably not as excited since you got used to it right? Many people would be overjoyed if they can make a $100k a year. People who made that income for the first time were thrilled but after doing it for so long, year after year, it just becomes the norm, another paycheck.

So the first part of what makes people happy, as mentioned earlier, is growth. When you feel like you are improving your life, that's when you are happy. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to constantly buy bigger and better things. It's much deeper than that. You need to feel like you are growing on a personal level. You need to know that the essence of who you are is continually improving in some way. If you want to know how to find happiness, look within. Work on yourself, your goals, and your dreams. Keep looking for ways to make yourself better today than you were last year. This can mean different things to different people but the point is that you have to feel like you are improving and getting better as a human being as time goes by.

The second part of what makes people happy is that sense of contribution. Everyone wants to believe that they were put here to do something great. You don’t have to do something that will change the world though. As long as you know that by you being here, by doing what you are doing, you are helping someone somewhere, it will bring you happiness. For some people, being a parent is happiness because they brought a new life into their world and they are responsible for its happiness.

What makes people happy at work? Not a paycheck, as mentioned before, after a while, the excitement goes away. It's that sense of making a difference. It's that sense that you are a part of something much larger than yourself. This is what makes people happy in life. Being a part of or creating something that will outlast them. It's doing something that will make some sort of a difference in other people's lives. This is why you will often see people who have all the money in the world want to give it away. They realize that money alone doesn't bring happiness. Contribution does.

These are two ways of how to find happiness. Are these the only answers to what makes people happy? That depends on how you define happiness. You can be happy just to be alive. You can be happy just to be able to see. You will be happier the moment you stop making being happy so hard. It's a feeling that you create. That being said, personal growth and contribution is two strong reasons to be happy.

Valentine's Day in the Philippines : by Mars Mosqueda Jr

Valentine's Day in the Philippines is synonymous with red roses (usually at a higher price than the usual), red shirts (for those who are looking for partners), fully-booked motels (yes!), crowded movie houses and restuarants, and of course, public plazas turned into lovers lane.

Filipinos have always been known as romantic people. And it is mirrored during this special day of the Hearts. Lovers are seen holding hands in malls, public plazas, and other places they choose to have a date. Flower stores will be raided by men who will buy roses, tulips, and other types of floras even at a price that is higher than the normal (of course, businessmen are jumping into the opportunity of high demand during this day).

Schools usually don't have regular classes on Valentine's day. When I was a high school student, I remember excitingly anticipating Valentine's Day so I can say I love you to my crush on a public address system, which comes free during this day. English teachers will be organizing a Valentine's Day program where students can publicly announced their affection to their long time crushes or even to their wonderful teachers.

The most wonderful part of Valentine's Day in the Philippines is the fact that whether or not there is economic crisis in the country or impending increase in basic commodities or ongoing war in Mindanao, Filipinos always take time to hand out red roses or sweet stuff to the people they care so much, it could be their loved ones, office mates, friends, or even those who have hurt their feelings.

How to Get Over a Friend's Betrayal

It can be hard making friends, and even harder to trust them. It's very hard to find someone who really loves you and cares about you. Ideally a friend is a person who offers love and respect and will never leave or betray you. Don't lose a good friend. It's very hard to find a friend who will stay and they can be easy to lose. If you find yourself in a situation where a friend has seemingly betrayed you, follow these steps.



STEPS:

1. Determine if the whole thing was a misunderstanding. It's easy to get emotional (positive or negative) with friends and you may have rushed to conclusions. Make sure they really have done something wrong, and, if they have, find if they are apologetic.


2. Keep things in perspective. The whole situation may not be as bad as you think. This will make apologies and forgiveness easier to obtain.


3. Be willing to forgive despite your anger. Forgive them for not keeping your trust and not knowing how to treat friends. You may need to forgive them, even if they are not sorry for what they did. This is key to getting past your anger towards them and not harboring grudges.


4.Consider whether or not you want to maintain a friendly relationship with the person. Many times, a friend that betrays once will do it again. But this is also dependent on the situation and the person.

• If you find that you no longer want to be friends with this person, sever all ties with them. You don't have to be mean about it. Assuming you followed step 1, they already probably know that you are upset with them. This will make ending your friendship easier.

• If you find that you want to maintain your friendship, make sure the other person understand that you feel they did something wrong and you have forgiven them and want to continue being friends -- even if they aren't remorseful.

5. Try to relax and take some time alone. Meditate, shop, dance, do whatever you have to do to make yourself happy. You are more likely to find a worthwhile solution while doing something you enjoy.


TIPS:

Follow your instincts and past experiences when it comes to trusting people. There are, obviously, some people you can never trust and some people you can.

STAY POSITIVE

heghThe ability to stay positive is one of the most important skills that you can develop. Why is this? The reason is because we will spend most of our lives setting and trying to achieve goals. Everyone has dreams. Everyone wants to know deep down inside that they were put here to do something great. The problem is that life is tough. The second you set a goal, obstacles will begin to appear to stand in your way. Most people let these challenges rob them from the life they really want. Most people will never be able to realize their dreams.

It's sort of hard to think positively after reading that isn't it? Sometimes the truth can sting a bit but it's also necessary to know. If you want to achieve greatness, if you want to experience the best life possible, then be prepared to get knocked down over and over. Staying positive during situations like this, is not easy. This explains why there are so many people who have stopped trying to reach their dreams.

So how do you stay positive regardless of what type of challenge you are facing? It all comes down to how you choose to respond to any situation as well as what you decide to focus on. No matter how bad your situation is, you can always find something good in it. So what you can do is start focusing on what is good. Even if you lost your job and you're about to be evicted from your home, you can still stay positive. I'm not saying it's going to be easy though but think about the reason for taking this approach.

If you keep focusing on how bad you have it, how life is so hard, how you never get a break, how are things suppose to get any better? Is it possible to be positive and still have your circumstances get even worse? Of course it is. If this is true, why even bother thinking positively? The reason is because if you do, you have a chance to make things better. If you don't, things will usually get a lot worse.

Knowing how to stay positive can help you overcome a lot of challenges that causes many others to fail. So what can you do? You can do things like read positive books or listen to songs with stay positive lyrics. You can even wear a stay positive shirt if it will help remind you to do just that.

Realize that challenges are a part of life. Everyone will have to go through them. It's what makes reaching a goal worth it. If you were able to get everything you wanted without even trying, the victory wouldn't taste as sweet. Imagine playing a sport where you're going up against no one. You will win without even lifting a finger. How would winning feel? Now imagine going up against an extremely difficult opponent who pushes you to your limit. How would winning feel now?

When it comes down to it, being able to stay positive is a mindset. It's also a habit that you can develop. Instead of thinking, "Why me" when a challenge arises, say things like, "This just got interesting." Life is about overcoming obstacles. Learn to accept that fact. Once you do, staying positive in the face of great challenges will be a whole lot easier.