"The Happiness Principle" by Randy and Elise Petersen:
Do you remember when you were a child and you had a bad dream in the night? You woke up crying and your mom or dad would come to check on you. Once you told them what was wrong, they would comfort and reassure you. They might hold you and tell you that everything was going to be OK. Eventually because of their reassurance and love, you would relax and go back to sleep. Why did their mere presence and soothing words make you feel better? Why did you trust that they could make things alright? You trusted them because they had been your loving guardians since birth. Even if they were not perfect, they gave you a level of love and care that no one else could provide, and they gave you something in which to believe. They gave you a reason to have hope. If on the other hand, you awoke in the night crying out but there was never anyone there to comfort you, how could you ever believe that things would work out or be alright?
I find a similar dynamic in adulthood. Often I’ll work with people that do not have defined spiritual beliefs or do not have a belief in God. Sometimes when they express concerns about their lives and the future, I'll try to comfort them and tell them that “everything will be alright”. When I make such statements, they often look at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears. How could I possibly know that everything will be alright? After all, most of them believe that life is just a random series of events. Sure, you can plan and prepare, but then the rest is up to chance. If this is true, they have a valid point. It would make life nothing more than a game of chance. Some will have good fortune and happiness, and some will just plain lose. If this is the case, then being positive and hopeful about life and the future is unfounded, without grounds or justification.On the other hand, just as the uncertain child in the night relies upon their parent for reassurance and comfort, those that connect with God have a similar perspective. They realize that there is a higher power watching over them and that good will come from whatever happens to them. They know that they are here to face challenges and grow, and that if they stick with it, things will work out. They are also aware that there is a spiritual plan for them, and if they get on board with that program, life will improve. While to the skeptic this may not seem like concrete reason, these individuals believe they have real cause to be positive and hopeful.
So the first step to living a more positive and hopeful life is developing a belief in God, and then through that belief, establishing a connection through which you build trust in him and his plan for your life. Without trust in God, any hope or positivity that you may develop is founded on an always fallible and changing temporal world.
www.happinessprinciple.net
