For centuries, people have tried to reach the concept of happiness, which has remained popular since the beginning of civilization, by thinking, researching, traveling, reading, speaking, writing and believing. It contains an existential judgment based on "happiness", which has a different definition for everyone. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud described happiness as "Loving and working, working and loving. That's what life is all about." Psychoanalyst Jean-Pierre Winter says that happiness is "The joy of life is a victory over boredom and hatred, even the smallest ones, standing against the morbid." Philosophers have very different perspectives on this issue. While some views doubt happiness, others, with their expressionist views, may view happiness as the joyful release of emotion. Happiness, which is deceptive for the Epicureans, is for Spinoza a manifestation of perfection, an act of existence, an emotion nourished by movement, desire, knowledge and freedom.
Happiness, which is based on positive emotions, is more commonly seen as accepting oneself as a whole and enjoying the present moment. Happiness, which runs parallel to the joy of life, is seen as developable and preferable today. In other words, while we have negative emotions, anxiety and stress about the present and the future, it is possible to turn these into optimistic emotions with a little effort. Instead of expecting happiness as a miracle coming from outside, happiness can be achieved by correcting a structure that is actually very close to us, within us. Of course, change does not happen suddenly. It takes time to implement daily practices and change established patterns.
Cognitive therapies and personal development methods offer many methods to help us look at life more optimistically. Michel Lacroix, a thinker who works on mental programming, emphasizes the importance of making more optimistic and creative decisions about our future by saying, "We cannot control the course of the world, but our own future is under our control."
So, try to smile and move forward despite the ups and downs of life. How can we continue? Positive psychology fields offer exercises on how we look at life more positively today, appreciate and live in the moment.
1. Start by loving yourself:
'Peace' Search within yourself.'' Buddha
''Compassion is the heart's trembling response to someone else's pain and wanting to alleviate this pain. "Recognizing our pain with kindness when we are suffering and turning to relieve it is self-compassion." Christopher K. Germen defines compassion in this way. The concepts of meditation, yoga and conscious awareness used by Eastern philosophers are becoming increasingly popular. Showing empathy to ourselves before reflecting it outside and being able to identify the pain in our inner world before dealing with the pain in the outside world is considered the beginning of personality integrity. ''In the beginning there was emotion. Then the verb came to replace the emotion,” says the writer L. Ferdinand Celine. Recognizing our own emotions is the first door to getting back to the heart of the matter. When defining these emotions, it is necessary to accept that negative emotions, like positive ones, belong to us. It is necessary to approach negative emotions with compassion and remember that these emotions are temporary. We must show the same understanding towards ourselves as we do towards our relatives, friends, nature and animals. We must make peace with the personal aspects that we sometimes criticize harshly. We should appreciate the effort we have made so far by being ourselves and encourage ourselves to hold our own and look at it more positively. In this way, we can adapt to society happily by moving our perceptions to a more positive point.
2. Spend time alone with nature:
''And I go to the forest, to lose my mind and find my soul.'' John Muir
The effect of the environment we live in on human psychology is supported by research conducted in the last century. In social psychology, studies by Ulrich, Kim, and Cervinka show that time spent in nature is associated with a positive mood and psychological well-being, meaningfulness, and vitality. Although the number of studies is increasing today, actually spending time in nature and integrating with it is included in most of the ancient teachings. "The person who enjoys the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth and the sea is neither lonely nor helpless." This sentence of Epictetus, who rose from a Phrygian slave to the Roman Empire, shows that the most basic need of humanity is to integrate with nature. Nature renews self-belief and confidence. Therefore nature People who spend time there can make more peaceful and productive decisions. Spending time in natural environments is recommended because it increases our feeling of happiness. However, with today's urbanization rate, decreasing natural areas and building obstacles that prevent us from returning to our essence reduce the effect of reinforcing this positive feeling. For this reason, including plants and landscape images in our homes helps us reduce the negative effects of concreting. Studies prove that looking at a landscape painting brings out emotions similar to those we experience in nature.
3.Rewrite Your Personal History:
''Yesterday I was smart, I wanted to change the world. Today I am smart, I am changing myself.'' Mevlana
What makes us who we are is what we learn from our experiences. Well, if our perception only learns as much as our current emotions, can we still say that the decisions you made in the past fully reflect you? What does it teach us when we evaluate our own past, being stuck in the labels or meanings we give ourselves and criticizing our structure in times of suffering? Sociologist David Le Breton explains the answer to these questions as follows: “We often see ourselves as victims of our old traumas, and we build ourselves on these events. We constantly repeat the same thing and imprison it within ourselves. On the contrary, every sadness, whether small or big, is an opportunity to discover and redefine ourselves. “We all have the power to forgive, to build a new world, to change the meaning of the world.” It is possible to build a new future with the creative power within us. No matter what happened in the past, the decisions you made at that moment remain in that moment. Discovering that life is a constant state of flux, that every new day is a new beginning, and that we have the chance to act according to who we aim to be, supports us in the emergence of self-confidence. A person who is more free and at peace with his past can enjoy the joy of life.
4.Enjoy the moment:
“The clock itself is the place, its walk is time, its setting is human. This shows that time and space exist with humans!” Time Regulation Institute, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar
Our coming to the world is a success story It should not be forgotten. Every individual who comes to life is a miracle in itself. Being a slave to daily worries instead of enjoying the miracle reinforces negative emotions. Negative emotions bring not only psychological disorders but also physical diseases. Adapting to the popular trends that come with the modern world and trying to subject ourselves to a model takes us away from ourselves. Especially recently, increasing working hours, spending more time at home, staying away from our loved ones, economic concerns, health concerns and anxiety about the future dominate our lives. While we struggle with the difficulties that life brings, passive hobbies reduce our joy of life. Instead, it is necessary to acquire high-quality, productive hobbies that make you happy, stay in touch with your loved ones, and connect with life. Thinking about the things that make you happy before getting out of bed in the morning helps you start the day more optimistically. We can say that time is a personal concept and whatever you fill it with, it will be nourished, stretched and developed. It is up to you to determine your time according to activities that make you happy. By increasing your awareness with meditation exercises, you can focus on staying in the moment for a real, deep, sustainable life. Remember that living is a miracle and you can accumulate happy memories by staying in the moment.
“In fact, everyone wants to be happy, no one wants to suffer, and happiness comes not from external factors, but from our own habits. If your own mental attitudes are correct, you will feel happy even if you are in a hostile atmosphere.” Dalai Lama
Apart from all this, I would like to point out that happiness is a skill that can be developed and we can achieve it with the exercises we do every day. Our personality structures are our comfort zones. No matter how much negative emotion we have in our comfort zone, it is often very difficult to leave it. But remember that once you start, happiness will accompany you, your joy of living will rise again and life is a chance every day. Happiness is in your hands, in your smallest smiles…
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