Page 17 - Mid Valley Times 4-1-21 E-edition

Thursday, April 1, 2021 | A17 | Mid Valley TiMes
He
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How Do
I Find Happiness?
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By Ro Linscheid
Happy, happy, happy was a phrase our old- est son would often use when he was young. It has stuck with our family through the years. You still can hear the phrase pop up from someone in the family. Children seem to be full of happiness and cheer. Who does not smile when you watch young children at play?
On the adult side, I find it is more of a chal- lenge to be “happy.” I find many people are frequently looking for ways to produce “hap- py.” Often we expect to
be the receiver of hap- piness from others or things. We want hap- piness to be one-sided coming towards us rather than the spend- ing time to make oth- ers happy.
So, what makes you happy? How do you know you are hap- py? Are there certain things that happen to tell us we are happy? Many of us think if I just get to retirement I will be happy, or if I win the lottery then surely I would be hap- py. Maybe, this very expensive corvette will do the trick to give me happiness. I could mention many scenar- ios. “He/she is having a midlife crisis, “is of- ten said of people who make large life choices or make large pur- chases in an effort to increase the excitement and happiness of their lives. How many of us got something we have
longed for only to find it did not give us lasting happiness? I have often heard “it’s the jour- ney not the destination that brings interest and happiness.”
Many of us look for things or events that provide moments of happiness, yet we find these moments do not last very long and our thought process shifts to the less than posi- tive. We have to look for the next big thing to give that lift again. Studies show being happy is a conscious decision to look at life positively and enjoy the moment.
So, you may ask,”is there a secret formula for finding happiness?” As I looked for infor- mation on this topic, I came across a num- ber of ideas on how to make your life hap- pier. Here are a few of my favorites. There are
people who are natu- rally joyful and jovial. These folks keep every- one around them smil- ing. It is good to have some friends like this. Enjoy the simple plea- sures such as watch- ing a beautiful sunset or admiring a rainbow. Maybe a simple cup of coffee with a friend is reason to be happy. Do the things you love and that have purpose for you. Doing something that makes a difference in someone else’s life can bring pure joy to yours. Practice grati- tude and you will be surprised how good you feel. My mother was insistent my sister and I wrote thank you notes whenever we got a gift from anyone. To this day, I enjoy writ- ing a thank you note to people who have touched my life in some special way. The act of showing gratitude not only lifts the sender’s spirits but also lifts the
receiver’s spirit. I have kept many a thank you card, which came my way, relishing in the thoughtfulness.
Happiness can be dif- ficult to maintain. It is easy to get into nega- tive thinking. Scien- tists say there is a neu- rological reason for the strong emotions such as happiness and sad- ness. When the part of the brain that plays a key role in emotions becomes stimulated it remains that way for a long time. This then causes the brain to im- print a memory. The more emotional the sit- uation, the stronger the memory will be.
This emotional mem- ory is the reason the Music and Memory program at Sierra View Homes works so well. Music creates a strong emotion and these emotions have memo- ries tied to them. We
get the specific music that a person listened to when they were much younger. We work hard to put together their most favorite songs and artists. Watching resi- dents, with dementia, light up as they listen to music of their youth is a wonderful way to bring out their happi- ness memories.
It does not take a lot of money, fame or social position to be a happy person. It takes dedica- tion to be aware of the little pleasures in life; it takes being grateful, having a sense of pur- pose and celebrating your decisions. Spend time with a friend re- membering to be safe, write a thank you note, give someone a word of encouragement and see how it makes you feel. You might find you are happy.
Dr. Amu, M.D. Candice Brantley Pediatrician F.N.P.-C
Magdalena Ruiz F.N.P.-C
Nicole Gonzalez F.N.P.
Gadiel Escobedo F.N.P.
Aurora Florez F.N.P.
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