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