| God has given us a plan for happiness. It is the | | | | drink alcohol and to choose the right. Turning this |
| Gospel of Jesus Christ and found in His scriptures. | | | | negative into a positive has brought me great |
| If we follow His plan, we will have happiness in this | | | | happiness. |
| life and we will be worthy to return to Him when | | | | 3. One of the ways to overcome past hurts is to |
| we die. This is called eternal life, which will be the | | | | move on. We must learn the principal of |
| ultimate happiness. His Gospel teaches us the | | | | forgiveness. When we can fully forgive someone |
| commandments we must keep to find this | | | | who has hurt us it sets us free of hatred and |
| happiness. He does not give us His | | | | anger and allows us freedom to get on with our |
| commandments to put us in bondage or make | | | | life. This is a hard principal but with God's help we |
| our life difficult. Obedience to Christ's teachings | | | | can do it. A good way to get on with our life is to |
| gives us freedom from the things, which can | | | | get our thoughts going in positive ways. We can |
| destroy us, which take us away from the | | | | do this by discovering our gifts and talents and |
| happiness He offers. | | | | developing them. When we are growing we are |
| On the other hand, Satan knows who we are and | | | | happy. When we are progressing we don't have |
| what we can become. He knows God and Jesus | | | | time to dwell in the negative. Developing ourselves |
| and all that they have to offer. Satan will do | | | | is what God expects of us. With accomplishment |
| everything he can to frustrate God's plan of | | | | we will start feeling good about our life and |
| happiness. We must be aware of Satan's plan of | | | | ourselves. The people that hurt us don't matter |
| misery and not allow him to take us over. | | | | as much. We like our mates and parents, etc, |
| God's plan for happiness is plain and simple. We | | | | more because we like ourselves more. When we |
| must be obedient to His teachings and not fall for | | | | love ourselves and others we are happier. |
| Satan's temptations. When you are aware of | | | | 4. We must be aware and in control of our |
| Satan's enticing you will have greater power to | | | | thoughts. When our negative thoughts try to take |
| overcome them and to follow God. One of | | | | us over, we must stop them. We must ask God |
| Satan's tools is to teach us to look at the | | | | to help us get rid of the negative, hurtful thoughts |
| negative thing, which comes our way, as | | | | and we must find a way to replace them with |
| punishment, or to believe that God doesn't care | | | | positive thoughts. Our minds can't be negative and |
| for us. A common thought when bad things | | | | positive at the same time. We have the power to |
| happen is "If there really was a God these things | | | | replace negative, damaging thoughts with positive, |
| wouldn't happen." This kind of thinking is a lie and it | | | | uplifting thoughts. We can't let the thoughts of our |
| is how Satan wants us to think. We must look at | | | | past destroy our future, or the thoughts or hurts |
| the negative things of life in a way that helps us | | | | others have caused, to bring us down. Our |
| make sense of them and so they don't destroy | | | | negative thoughts can destroy us if we allow |
| us. We must look for the lesson He is trying to | | | | them. A man who taught in the prisons said, "We |
| teach us. | | | | are what we think." This idea is powerfully true. If |
| The following ideas may help you understand this | | | | you are in control of your thoughts you'll be |
| theory. | | | | happier |
| 1. We must understand the purpose of negative | | | | 5. We must recognize the spiritual truths of life. |
| things in our life and realize that everything | | | | There is good and bad in life. We must look for |
| happens for our development and growth to | | | | the good in life, others and ourselves, but we |
| direct us toward our life's purpose and mission. | | | | must also be aware that there is a negative force |
| God doesn't cause the negative things to happen | | | | in life that wants to destroy us, depress us and |
| in our life but allows us to experience things, which | | | | stop us. This is Satan. This force is always there, |
| we can learn from. When we understand this we | | | | if we allow it. The reality is that God has a plan of |
| will be happier | | | | happiness for us and Satan knows the plan and |
| 2. Once we look at the trails and tragedies of our | | | | will do everything he can to stop it. We must be |
| life in a more positive and healthier way we can | | | | aware of this and live our life accordingly. |
| do the work necessary to overcome them. When | | | | Outsmarting Satan can bring you happiness. God is |
| we do, we can better see their purpose and see | | | | more powerful than Satan. |
| how we can use them for motivation to a better | | | | Happiness and fulfillment come from developing |
| life. This idea will also help you be happier. | | | | the gifts and talents God has blessed us with and |
| Ex: I had an alcoholic father, who literally ruined | | | | striving to reach our potential and overcoming the |
| my childhood and left me with scares that almost | | | | negatives parts of our life - moving past them |
| stopped my progress in life. I had to find a way | | | | and learning from them. We must then use our |
| to look at life differently and then discover the | | | | gifts in the service of others to discover our life's |
| purpose for the hurts in my life. I discovered, and | | | | mission. By giving help, joy and pleasure to others, |
| now understand, that they were the | | | | through the gifts and talents we have been |
| stepping-stones toward discovering my life's | | | | blessed with, we bring personal joy and happiness |
| purpose and mission. I have used what I learned | | | | to ourselves. We then realize that all that happens |
| from my childhood and my Dad's mistakes to | | | | in our life, good and bad, is to given us for |
| help young people look at their lives in a more | | | | experience, so we can reach our own potential |
| positive way and help save then from the same | | | | and help others. If we think properly we can be in |
| pains I had has a child. I have spent year's | | | | the service of our God and we will find happiness. |
| teachings young people, at Juvenile Hall not to | | | | This is God's plan for happiness. |