The Secret of Happiness

The above book is an absolutely fantastic read. I am not going to do my typical review like I have done of previous books that I read, but I will say that this book was an easy read and I had a hard time putting it down. It teaches a lot of valuable lessons about faith, Heaven, God, how to treat people, life, and how not to judge people based solely upon their past.

There was one part of the book that really jumped out at me and I wanted to share that little passage because I think it is very important. The book discusses the secret to happiness. I am going to share this with you because I think it is valuable no matter when you read it, but I encourage you to read this book to develop an even deeper appreciation of this secret we all strive to know. Remember this and live by this.

The Secret of Happiness:

"Be satisfied. Be grateful. For what you have.

For the love you receive. And for what God has given you."

-Have a Little Faith

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” -Paul Boese

Forgiveness. Sometimes one of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive someone for something that they did that may have hurt you. Why is it that many people would rather hold something against a person for a very long time rather than just let go and avoid that extra stress in life? It has always confused me that people would rather hold a grudge than forgive someone and move on.

I have never been the type of person that can stay mad at a person for a long time, but I know that not everyone is this way. At some point in life, almost everyone holds a grudge against another person. Personally, I feel that every one's life would be less stressful if people would simply not hold grudges against another person. What bothers me the most about people not be willing to forgive? Let me tell you.

Well, first, I think that it affects relationships with others. For example, if a friend of yours is mad at someone (or holding some sort of grudge against another person), it often seems that your friend expects you to treat this person with little respect too. Now this grudge that you have against someone affects their relationships with others. Personally, I find this to be very immature of both the person who is unable to forgive and his or her friend. Why would people expect their friends to treat others poorly just because they cannot forgive another person? A person who makes a mistake does not deserve to lose other people as friends.

And second, I cannot understand why a person is willing to hold a grudge for so long. It is unhealthy. Think of a time you were really mad at someone. How long did you stay mad at them for? Are you even still friends with this person? Did your unwillingness to forgive a someone later affect your relationship with that person? Chances are, if you are still friends with someone you were really upset with for a long time, it affected your relationship and friendship and it was difficult to move forward after a "bump" in the road. Take a second to think about why you are mad. In three months from now, will it really matter? If the answer is no, forgive immediately.

I understand that people can have a hard time forgiving people when they are let down. Even the person you trust the most is going to let you down one time or another. People are not capable of doing the right thing all the time or keeping others happy with decisions they may make. Next time you find yourself mad at someone, holding a grudge, or being unwilling to forgive...take a step back from the situation. Try to understand why a person did what they did. Maybe there is a reason that may make you understand. Talk to the person and never make assumptions because that only makes a situation worse.

Forgiveness. It is a hard thing to do at times, but when we forgive others, we can move on and keep our relationships in our life healthy. When we forgive others, we are happier and less stressed. Forgive when it is hard, forgive when you do not understand, forgive before it is the last thing you can do, forgive because you know that it will not matter down the road. Do it for others and do it for yourself.

“Let us forgive each other - only then will we live in peace." - Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

40 Days, 40 People, 40 Letters

I have been very anxious to finally be able to write about what I did for Lent this year. Usually, I do something to only benefit myself which results in me giving up chocolate and pop. This year I chose to do something much different. Lent is a time to spend improving the lives of others as well as our own which is why I decided to do something very different. For each of the 40 days of Lent, I wrote one letter a day to someone who has had a positive impact on my life.

40 people. 40 days. 40 letters. This is all it took for me to realize just how lucky and blessed I am.

While doing this, I learned a lot about myself and began to really appreciate the people in my life. These letters were sent to people whom I speak to on a daily basis, people whom I have not spoken to in years, people whom I have not known for very long, and people whom I have not spent more than two weeks with. I realized that I have been incredibly blessed to have these 40 individuals in my life as well as how I have truly become who I am today because they have been a part of my life. These 40 people are absolutely amazing.

Writing one letter a day was rewarding for me, and I learned how disciplined I can be when I truly want to do something. I think we should all strive to tell people in our lives just how much they mean to us on a regular basis because it makes people feel good. The things I have heard from people that I wrote to have been touching, and I did not know how positive a simple letter could turn out to be.

Do not ever miss an opportunity to tell those who mean the most to you just how much they mean to you. Your words, actions, and sincerity can go very far.