How Good Are You?

The demands of being a good person can sometimes mean sacrificing your own happiness.

You may have been raised to be a good boy or girl; encouraged to be a good worker, to be a good parent; to be a good friend; to be a good citizen? And I'm not saying that this is wrong; what questioning the effects of this on our individual happiness and the impact on our country.

Are we becoming happier more fulfilled people by being "good" or are we just a group of people heading nowhere but where we're told?

If we continue to be good workers, will this ever allow us to achieve our full potential as human beings? If we continue to be good-parents, protecting our children when it is safe to empower them, will they grow to be all they can be? If we continued to be good friends, by sheltering our companions from the truth, will they ever get the information that is vital to their well-being? And if we continue to be good citizens who go along with what were told and are happy to leave the issues in the hands of the 'higher' authorities will we ever live alongside one another, full of love and accepting of our differences?

What does "good" mean anyway? In the "good old days," good literally meant, "good!" But today good often means "average" or "normal": about half-way between everything and nothing ? on the pivotal point between life and death? one thing miss judged and out of kilter and suddenly we're on the wrong side of life.

"Good" is also often about fitting in with the set of parameters set up by the people we associate with. This often involves giving pre-programmed responses to requests or behaving in an expected way ? like telling your children not to do something at your parents home when you would allow them to do it at home or staying behind an extra hour or two at work because of the targets set by the boss. But the issue goes deeper?

Being good, or average or normal, involves following the pack. Buying the food advertisers tell us is good for us, even when it is laced with sugar, salt and hydrogenated oils that we know are bad for us. Being normal involves taking drugs for minor illnesses when our bodies break down even when we know our body often takes longer to deal with the drugs side-effects than the initial symptoms. We believe what we are told in the press without bothering to question the validity of a statement and the motivation of the people telling us. Blindly we follow.

We call people strange and odd when they try to escape the pack. My son recently asked, 'Why do we have to be weird?' The question comes out of feeling different to others and for a moment it hit me with a tinge of sadness until I remembered why we are "weird":

We're weird because we follow our dreams. We're weird because we eat well, exercise regularly, hardly get ill and research as much as we can about things that affect our lives.

I ask you this: which is weirder ? following the pack of "good" even when it is killing you or doing what gives you life and hope?

Neil Millar, formally medically obese, caught up in the rat-race and suffering from depression would love to share his experiences with you in the hope they help you make your life better.

Go to his website now, sign-up for his free, fast-growing newsletter with Unstoppable Life, get a free e-book as a thank you for joining and discover other enlightening reading material.

http://www.neilmillar.net

---

What The Bleep Are You So Happy About?

Could you stand to have a lot more happiness in your life? I've tried all kinds of self-help techniques and have suddenly found much more happiness and... Read More

Follow Your Bliss

Gail was a quiet, shy, young lady. She has been quiet and shy for as long as she could remember. As a child, every time her mother... Read More

Stop Sickies and Make People Happy At Work

If you're an employer or a manager then work place absence is costing you money, inconvenience, and upsetting your customers. And as we all know, not all... Read More

Happiness Versus Pleasure

We are a pleasure seeking society. Most of us spend our energy seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. We hope that by doing this, we will feel happy.... Read More

Quick Steps On Being Happier

Want to be happier?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster,... Read More

Divining your Number of Destiny

Your Destiny Number, which describes all of the talents and potentials that are at your disposal in this lifetime, is calculated from the letters that compose your... Read More

Growing Up Backwards

It seems like I set out in this life to do things my own way and in my own time - no matter what was wise or... Read More

How To Focus On The Positive Qualities Of Your Relationship

The quality of your life has a strong connection with how healthy your relationship with other people is. Do you struggle to make other people see things... Read More

Self Confidence, Happiness, and Posture

Our use of body posture plays a key role in how we feel. When we are feeling "down", our bodies show this by hunching the shoulders, we... Read More

Happiest Person In America: Whats Sex Got To Do With It?

Who is the happiest person in America? USA Today featured Happiest Person in a cover story in its USA Weekend magazine. Bad news: it's not you. Nor... Read More

Keeping You Confident!

We can all be confident when we are sure of ourselves and knowledgeable about the situation in which we find ourselves. But what happens when we are... Read More

Increase Your Happiness - Look Forward With Hindsight

Six months ago you had trouble finding your keys and were late for work. At the time, you felt agitated and upset. Chances are, you don't even... Read More

Three Inspirations for Happiness

The following three inspirations were adapted from A Daily Dose of Happiness, and they represent three key ways to increase our happiness.1. FORGIVING FOR HAPPINESSWe like to... Read More

King Solomons Mind

"Don't you understand, everything in this life is meaningless," cautioned the old man."Meaningless? Everything? Surely not!" responded the young man in disbelief.Smiling the old man continued, "I... Read More

Who Controls YOUR Happiness?

Where does happiness fit on a scale of 1 to 10 in your life?Is that a silly question? Who's in control of your happiness??Well, if you want... Read More

Acts of Kindness Benefit Everyone

Do you really want to be happy? Everyone says yes, but the gateway to happiness makes some of us frown. The gateway to happiness, is giving to... Read More

It Costs Nothing To Smile

I like to be around positive people, people who tend to be happy, who look on the bright side of life. Far too many people walk around... Read More

Its All About Me: Why Its Good to Be Selfish

I started thinking about this topic during a discussion of "What You Wish You Knew Then". People were talking about the differences in their lives once they... Read More

Breaking the Cycle

Breaking the cycle is a term we have all heard. Especially if we come from a family (and these days who doesn't) that has a history of... Read More

Can Existential Therapy Give You a Sense of Wellbeing?

My journey to becoming a therapist began with a desire to develop greater significance in my life and improve the quality of my relationships. Having worked as... Read More

The Key To A Problem-Free Life

What comes to your mind when you see someone who has a perpetual smile on her face and always looks at things on the bright side? Do... Read More

You are Where You are Because You Decided to be There

The decisions we make everyday have a big impact on where we are in life, both spiritually and physically. Often these decisions are the 'safe' choices. People... Read More

What Is Happiness?

What is it that everyone is seeking? Happiness with no sorrow. A continuous happiness with no taint whatsoever of sorrow.~Lester LevensonHappiness is our basic nature.We rarely find... Read More

Happiness

What is happiness? If we mean by it a state of fulfillment, when everything is going our way, in terms of results as well as efforts (which... Read More

The Science of Laughter

The title I chose for this article makes me smile. The science of laughter? Laughter, one of the things we used to take for granted, is now... Read More

Who Is More Likely To Be Happy?

Here's a multiple choice question for you. Who is more likely to be happy?(a) Someone who lays awake for an hour or so at night, replaying the... Read More