How to Get Happy

Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote, “It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.” Mobilizing our giftedness and reaching a state of flow involves a unique combination of adventure, victory, and creative action.
The definitions of flow and joy are closely related. The authors of The Power of Flow write, “Flow is the natural, effortless unfolding of our lives in a way that moves us toward wholeness and harmony. When we are in flow, occurrences line up, events fall into place, and obstacles melt away. Rather than life being a meaningless struggle, it is permeated with a deep sense of purposefulness and order. Flow has a tremendous power to transform our lives, for it is dynamic and moves us unerringly toward joy and aliveness.
            Most of us have had experiences of being in flow. In those times, we know we’re in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. We feel both exhilarated and at peace, somehow connected to something larger and greater than ourselves. Life is rich with meaning, magic, and purpose. We feel vital, alive, joyful. But for most of us, it doesn’t happen often enough or for long enough. We feel glimmerings of flow, and then they fade away.”
            Now, what is joy? I’ve always thought of joy as a more “watered down” or “spiritualized” version of happiness, so I was surprised to find that joy is actually a feeling of greater intensity than mere happiness itself. One source defines joy as “intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness; the expression or manifestation of such feeling.”
What makes people experience this type of joy? I believe that having a fulfilling relationship with God plays a vital role. Knowing and loving the Lord offers us a kind of deep joy that transcends circumstances. It goes hand-in-hand with what the Bible calls “the peace that passes all understanding.”
The gifted composer Richard Wagner wrote, “Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
Dr. Dan Baker lists the following ten qualities of happy people. They: 
 
1.      Believe in themselves.
2.      Know their true North. (In our case, that’s God!)
3.      Take personal responsibility.
4.      Have courage.
5.      Are altruistic.
6.      Embrace optimism.
7.      Are proactive.
8.      Appreciate life.
9.      Are wise and share their wisdom.
10.  Persevere.
 
Joy is not contingent on “what happens to you”; you can choose to be a happy, positive person. When you do, your art, as well as your spiritual life, will benefit.