Focus on happiness

I’m a firm believer that if we don’t deal with things mentally, eventually they attack us physically. Of course, I’m referring to our mental attitude in the aftermath of this November’s election. My address to meet this challenge is to multiply genuine happy experiences in my life script. My reason that I feel optimistic in this regard is that I consistently focus on and succeed in seeking like-minded happy people and their complementary resources.

Awhile back, I read that when a young John Lennon was asked to write down what he wanted to be when he grew up, he answered: Happy. To be happy is a most noble and purposeful end product. Happiness is good for you. It’s linked to your immune system and also promises a longer life span.

Pharrell Williams lyrically delivered these lines in his hit song, “Happiness”: “Happiness is a room without a roof. Feel like happiness is the truth.” In turn, Bernard de Fontenello humorously distinguished it by offering: “To be happy, one must have a good stomach and a bad heart.” In other words, both pleasant and unpleasant experiences influence this emotional state.

A favorite author of mine, whenever I traveled, was John Gunther. He was famous for his socio-political INSIDE books describing regions of the world. Beside his belief that happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast, I enjoyed the following quote: “Which of the following makes one happier? Pleasure, purpose or prayer. I cannot select only one. I need all three: Having, Doing, Being.”

With the election behind us, I call your attention to this Mark Twain coping mechanism and stress antidote: “Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself.”

Bob Simmons

Arlington Heights