Since it is so much easier for me to present my thoughts eloquently on paper, I have decided to use Medium and my personal website to present these more serious thoughts. It might be a little easier to take me seriously since it won’t feel like I am just reading my thoughts from a script. It will also allow me to have my vlog as a light and fun place to be. Though I will attempt to keep all of my material fairly up beat. By all means follow my TangleBug vlog on Youtube since I plan to show you how I am progressing there, but if you want the more “meaty” content, come to tanglebug.com or medium. Here I will talk about what I am calling the “Handbook for Happiness” and how it can help us achieve genuine contentment in this life. I will also discuss the many difficulties life presents, and how this “handbook” has helped guide me through them.
Real Happiness is Attainable
Please know that we are not the authors of this life, and therefore, we are subject to a greater law than those we are taught at school and often even in our own homes. There is a true and real handbook for happiness that can be accessed quite easily.
Our prayers for hope in our sorrows do not have to go unanswered if we know where and how to look at them. We do not have to carry those heavy burdens of mortality on our own, nor does God, our very creator, expect us to. He has provided for us models and parables, instruction, guidelines and commandments. He has a grand design and we are all a part of it. Why wouldn’t he want us to experience true inexpressible joy? After all, did he not create us in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26–27)?
Considering the fact that we are created after his likeness, I would assume our deep attraction to the concept of joy is an attribute we have inherited from God; an attribute that can ultimately be attained. Now, I don’t expect that he would just hand this out for free, it is ingrained in us from the start, to encourage us to seek it out. We are intended to see it as something to strive for; something to achieve.
We are constantly seeking out happiness as if it is a built-in need for survival. If we could achieve it without any effort, it might not be as appreciated or as deeply understood as it would be if we had to work for it. I think this is why happiness isn’t just an automatic for some of us. I think there are probably plenty of us who would never truly understand or appreciate real happiness unless we had to work for it; I think some of us would take it for granted. I also believe that happiness is probably deeply rooted in our connection to heaven, and is quite possibly deepened as we come to love and respect more heavenly attributes and behaviors.
Happiness seems to be built in to our ‘being’ to help us recognize who we are and who we are to become. It is provided as somewhat of a “homing beacon” leading us home. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church spoke of such a homing beacon in the October 2017 General Conference, and my mind automatically tied it to our built-in need to achieve happiness. (Here is a link to that talk). Our need for happiness is what is ultimately driving us home (at least that is how I view it).
I’m not saying that I have it all figured out, or that I have achieved perfect happiness, but I will say that I have been able to experience a greater level of joy when I am living according to these principles than when I am not. When I am struggling with depression, anxiety or any other mental or emotional issue, I often find that something in my life is not in harmony with these teachings. I can also say that I have plenty to work on, and will encourage you to work on those things that you may struggle with along next to me.
Don’t plan or expect to perfect any of these skills or attributes in lightning speed. Some of these things may not even be an issue, but some could be an incredible challenge. These changes will often take time and commitment, so don’t give up. Mark any small achievements that you are able to make as a success. Make sure to also keep track of how these changes happen to improve your life, so you can look back and determine whether your general contentment has improved or not on this journey. I will keep you updated on my vlog (on Youtube) on occasion as to how things are going for me, and what I am doing to improve those things I struggle with.
Give it a Try
In closing, don’t give up! It will take time to really get into the swing of things, but I promise that your Heavenly Father has not given up on you. There is Happiness ahead, and you are not the only one in search of it. Give it some time to adapt and change, God didn’t create the world in a day, he doesn’t expect you to change in a day either. He is not going to leave you hanging, and he will be there to assist you as you remember him. Stick with it, and let me know how things are going in your journey as well.
This is obviously not a quick fix. If you are in need of immediate help, please don’t hesitate to call a local hotline, emergency line, or check yourself into an emergency room. There are medical professionals who are there to help.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical or mental health professional of any sort and am not speaking from a professional standpoint. I am sharing my personal experiences and the things that have helped improve my own life.
