2 Steps to Find More Happiness

I love collecting treasures as I walk on the beach. Objects like sea glass, unusual shells, or unique driftwood. Sometimes the treasures I find are right on the surface. Other times they are hidden under a layer of sand or beneath small bits of trash, so I need to clear the junk away before they are revealed. Life is like that.

The first thing you need to do to find more happiness is clear away the junk. Sometimes it’s your emotional or spiritual junk. We all hold on to stuff that isn’t good for us. With some effort, bad habits are one thing we can clean-up. It’s the season of Lent, the 40-day period that leads up to Easter Sunday. Traditionally people give something up during this season: some examples are smoking, alcohol or sugar. This practice is great, and I highly recommend it but there are other things we can do to as spiritual practice to prepare our hearts for Easter.

My husband likes the axiom, “Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking, which can be a challenge for some. This year I’ve decided to donate a piece of clothing for each day of Lent. I’ve calling it, “Let’s Eliminate Needless Threads!” Giving away something I no longer wear helps me see what I do wear, while also helping someone in need.

The second way to find more happiness is to appreciate what you do have. I still wear some of my older clothing because I like it, and its comfortable. Just like those old friends, that spouse of several decades, your health, and anything and everything that occupies your life. My late father-in-law, Dr. Robert H. Schuller used to say, “Never dwell on what you’ve lost, always appreciate what you have left.”