5 Keys to a Happier Life

5 Keys

There are 5 keys that will make your life flow more serenely if they are applied on a daily basis. In this section of the book, I will reveal and discuss those keys. These keys can be broken down into subsets in which other life components will fit into.

It seems questionable that there are only 5 keys, but 5 is a special number. Numbers have meaning and more than just to quantify “things”. Spiritually the number 5 means balance and that is what we are striving for. There are other examples such as the number 5 being humanity or in Biblical numerology 5 is the number of God's grace given to man. The Chinese believe that the 5 elements make up everything under the heavens (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth). So, one can see that 5 is not a large number but it carries enormous meaning.

The 5 keys to a happier life that flows more serenely are as follows: Gratefulness, Forgiveness, Attitude, Learning, and Discernment. The following chapters will discuss each in more detail and explaining how that specific component key can be used.

Gratefulness

Chapter 1

grate·ful (ness)

/grātf l/

adjective

feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.

Gratefulness makes one appreciative of every aspect of life. We have been afforded the opportunity to live life to the fullest yet we become bogged down with inconsequential issues. In many cases, most do not develop this quality until they become older, more mature. If being grateful could be reached in earlier stages of an individual's life it would work wonders with an individual’s happiness.

You might not believe it, but gratefulness can be used as a great motivator. When you become grateful for the time you have on this plane of existence you use it more productively. When one becomes grateful for life they live life fuller. We witness examples of this when people are given six months to live that is when they began to live...doing all the things they wanted to do and spending time with the people they love. Why not do these things anyway? It is better to die living than to live dead.

Forgiveness

Chapter 2

for·give·ness

/ˌfərˈɡivnəs/

noun

the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven.

Forgiving someone is one of the most powerful things an individual can do. You have the ability to absolve another individual from wrongdoing at your choosing...that's power. The power of forgiveness has changed many perpetrators of wrongdoings lives and the directions their lives were going. They have been given a chance to make good on something not right. Forgiveness also gives the person who is forgiving the ability to release animosity, hostility, and a plethora of hard feelings. Despite what anyone says holding those feelings inside long term only tears that individual down.

Forgiveness lifts the burden of guilt from the shoulders of the wrongdoer. It frees them to do better as well as allowing them to see a better way to handle wrongdoing other than being vindictive or seeking revenge.

Individuals also must understand the true nature of forgiveness as well. It does not mean forgetting. It also does not mean condoning or excusing an offense. Forgiveness loses it's power and turns one into a spiritual doormat if a person continues to offend and is forgiven for continual subsequent similar offenses.

Attitude

Chapter 3

at·ti·tude

/ˈadəˌt(y)o od/

noun

a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.

Attitude will play a great role in your overall happiness. It is a guarantee that if you have a positive attitude you will be happier. Any scientific study you research supports this, but we don't need science to show us that. You can use your own observations and see this to be true.

There are multiple examples that support this summation. Attitude impacts each of us on a daily basis. If you wake up with a bad attitude rest assured the remainder of the day will follow suit if an attitudinal adjustment is not made. This occurs because your mindset is already in a bad place so, you are in tuned to notice every little negative thing that pops into view. These things viewed with a better attitude would just be minor bumps in the road.

The bearer of a bad attitude only creates difficulty for themselves. People don't like being around individuals with bad attitudes. You will only push people away or bring bad attitudes out as a reciprocated behavior. This does not facilitate harmonious living.

Discernment

Chapter 4

dis·cern·ment

/dəˈsərnmənt/

noun

the ability to judge well.

In this life using discernment is important when it comes to the people you surround yourself with, the places you go...your overall life direction. There is a quote by Chaplain Ronnie Melacon that states “ show me your friends and I'll show you your future.” Use discernment regarding those whom you spend time with, places you go and what you do.

Making good choices may at times be difficult because of many factors. The factors range from feeling like there is not enough time to weigh all your options to the best choice does not coincide with your desire at that moment. The older you become the more important good decisions become because a “not so great choice” at age 10 is much easier to correct than a “not so great choice” at 18. Consequences and outcomes become more serious. This by no means is to make anyone afraid to even make a choice for fear of making a mistake or getting it “wrong” because realistically that is how we learn and grow. This primarily is to help you understand how decisions impact our lives.

Though decision making and discernment appear to be closely related, in reality, the two are not that closely related. The difference is decision making deals with making straightforward choices based on options and discernment is the ability to perceive things as they are and moving accordingly. Discernment is more about perception and judgment, so you can perceive and judge something without making a decision.

Learning

Chapter 5

learn·ing

/ˈlərniNG/

noun

the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.

Learning is essential for a happier life. You might ask what is the correlation. Learning facilitates many of the better aspects of life. There have been correlations between education and life expectancy. Individuals with a higher level of education have a longer life expectancy on average. This is usually the result of access to better health care and better diet due to earning more based on

acquired knowledge from education. Learning also puts one in places where more education maybe obtain. This provides opportunities to meet with a more diverse circle of people and the ability to be introduce to a plethora of different ideas, viewpoints, skills, etc. Studies also show that just being in an educational environment is beneficial to the development of personal soft skills like behavioral management, self-regulation, and social and communication skills.

What's even more interesting is that from a health and physical aspect learning can impact one's body. Learning new things and practicing them can change your brain chemistry. It is shown that the myelin, the white matter in the brain, becomes denser as we learn and practice new things. Learning new skills also stimulates neurons in the brain which improves learning speeds over time. Studies also show that constant learning practices could stave off dementia.

You should never stop learning or trying to acquire knowledge. It is said that Albert Einstein stated, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” So, if that should be the case try to learn something new every day, even if it's something small. But know this as long as you are alive you will be learning regardless...with each new day comes new experiences creating new knowledge.