Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, The Law of Happiness: How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life (The Secret Things of God) (p. 47). Howard Books. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Yes, there are activities in our today that will make a difference in how we live tomorrow but this moment is all we really have. Henry says, “Research has shown that people’s ability to focus on the moments they are experiencing right now, the joys and pleasures of the present, actually make them happier and less stressed and depressed. Happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, one of the leading happiness scientists, puts it this way: ‘People who are inclined to savor were found to be more self-confident, extraverted, and gratified and less hopeless and neurotic. . . . Those skilled at capturing the joy of the present moment—hanging on to good feelings, appreciating good things—are less likely to experience depression, stres...

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, The Law of Happiness: How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life (The Secret Things of God) (p. 46). Howard Books. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Is that true of you or are you looking to be happy “when”? Henry says, “. . . some people feel that happiness is on some sort of timeline and depends on a later event. It cannot happen now, because there is a missing piece that has not occurred yet. But in reality, people who think this way do not magically become happy ‘when’ the ‘whatever’ it is happens. They just transfer that mindset to the next ‘when.’” He goes on, “Happy people are happy ‘now.’ Because they practice all the ingredients we are looking at, they are never dependent on a someday or a tomorrow to be the key to their well-being. They are fulfilled before that upcoming event ever takes place. They are happy ‘now.’ “What gives them this ability? Sev...

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, The Law of Happiness: How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life (The Secret Things of God) (p. 40). Howard Books. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Look at this verse from Hebrews 6:12, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Henry says, “I love this verse. It gives one more example of the created order, the way God set up the universe. He makes promises about life, and then he expects us to do our part and not be lazy. He promised the children of Israel a ‘promised land,’ but they had to go and possess it. They had to fight a lot of battles to get there. And, little by little, they did. ‘Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.’ God has promised you abundant life, but he has not promised you an abundant life with no effort. Work on your happiness, take ...

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, The Law of Happiness: How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life (The Secret Things of God) (p. 37). Howard Books. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is so true! Henry says, “My experience has been that when people get a wake-up call about their level of happiness in life, their first realization is that they are responsible for their own happiness, and their second realization is that they will need to pursue certain activities. I have seen many people who, having been stuck for years, finally ‘get it,’ wake up and say, ‘I do not have to live like this. I am going to do something about my life.’ Then they get busy, and a year later, I hardly recognize them. “But for that to happen, you have to find the ‘push.’ You have to overcome the entropy and lack of movement that has dominated you for so long. You have to ‘do something.’ So how will you do that?” He goe...