Page 28 - Seniors Today - December 2024
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dwell on it anymore, except to emphasise ignoring reality if we failed to acknowledge
that if you fully entertain alternative - and the downstream negative consequences.
more positive - interpretations of others’ I am not recommending ignoring reality;
behaviors and outcomes, your future will rather, I am advocating developing the
have a greater number of more positive attitude of focusing on the plausible
outcomes. This is guaranteed, statistically positive possibilities.
speaking. We can now return to the original
question: “Is happiness an attitude?” The
answer clearly appears to be “No!” but
we can say that “Happiness results from
the adoption of the Four Attitudes.” We
can also say that the Four Attitudes are
available for anyone who wants to adopt
them - anyone who is open-minded enough
to give it a try for a few days or weeks and
It is important to recognise - adopting the see whether life does, in fact, take a turn for
Four Attitudes is not the same as ignoring the better.
reality. In the context of interpreting other A number of happiness factors are within
people’s actions, we would be ignoring your control. On your next “rainy day,”
reality if we always attributed only positive take a minute to count your blessings. With
motives to others’ actions even when all a change in attitude, you may enhance your
the evidence were to the contrary. In the own happiness and end up smiling, after
context of judging outcomes, we would be all.
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