Thursday, August 11, 2011

Rock Solid Joy

The famous psychologist that pioneered the psychology of happiness, Martin E. Seligman, points out that the “skills of becoming happy turn out to be almost entirely different from the skills of not being sad, not being anxious, or not being angry.” When we look at this in the context of Living in Truth, we realize that the Truth Tools are a help to neutralize vexation and lift us out of the Pit of Illusion, but at that point we need to accept the direction of the Spirit to help us move into the realms of Truth where happiness and joy reside.

If all we do is stay out of the Pit, we can find ourselves living in a kind of emotional vacuum where we feel numb and empty. But after we using the Tools to climb out of the Pit we need to pay attention to what we are being directed by the Spirit to do. If we stay in the numb and empty place it is inevitable that we will fall back down the slippery slope of the Pit. The further we get away from the side of that Pit, the safer we are. 

So once out of the Pit, we need to do all the good positive things that lead to us to rock solid joy. We need to pray, study our scriptures, serve others and do whatever the Spirit guides us to do in order to live in a state of happiness.

Living in Truth isn’t just about staying away from vexation; it is about living in a constant state of joy.

3 comments:

Camille said...

I have been consistent with my scripture study within the last month. I've seen little miracles and I recognize that I am more joyful! Thanks for your posts.

Wendi said...

This is a good reminder. Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

I find also that it is easier to stay out of the Pit when I am loving someone or working on being a better teacher, etc...rather than focused on what I am not going to do. I focus on what I am going to do.