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My good friend Angel posted this on Facebook and I wanted to share it to whoever wants to read it.

5 Strategies for Real Happiness by Patrick Moore:

When I talk about using The Principles to achieve happiness and a life of integrity, I am really talking about strategies for living. Happiness means different things to different people but I firmly believe that The Principles can work for all of us. Here's an overview of the first 5 of these strategies. (And, if you want to dive into this work in-depth, The Principles is now available in book form to help you.)

Give it up!
We have often discussed surrender here as a counter-intuitive way to face any problem and begin the process of changing - not changing the outside world, but our reactions to it. In American culture, we associate "surrender" with defeat and, in some ways, that is correct. But just because I have been defeated by a problem (a stressful job or a failed marriage or a rebellious child) does not mean that I can't change by accepting the problem and resolving to look at my part in creating it. This is the beginning of moving toward happiness.


Turn It Over!
Because organized religion has left a bad taste in many mouths, people are loath to turn to god or a higher power for help with their problems. But if I have surrendered to the fact that I cannot change the world, then some kind of divine help is really my only hope. I think spiritual faith brings us through the bad times and enriches the good times. Faith is the cornerstone of happiness.

Own It!
As long as you play the victim in life, you will never be happy. How can you be happy if the world is so clearly out to get you? I can find my responsibility in creating each and every one of my problems, even those where I have been treated badly. So often, my responsibility is that I carry around a big bag of my past hurts on my shoulder, just waiting to be hurt again. That doesn't sound like a very happy existence, does it? I am not a victim.

Be An Open Book!
We don't live in a very honest world. It is very easy to give in to the idea that, in a culture where lying is commonplace, I need to do the same. But if I am completely honest about my life, then I have nothing to hide and nothing to protect. The freedom of honesty creates happiness.

Stay Right-Sized!
Humility is often confused with humiliation. Humility really means that I stay right-sized in this world. I acknowledge my faults as a human being and try to be a better person. I look at how my ego drags me down and how my arrogance hurts those I love. We all have faults, or broken behaviors as I call them. Happiness comes when we try to do better.