GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) “Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form” Karl Marx, German intellectual (1818–1883) “A misplaced word spoils the most beautiful thought” Voltaire, French philosopher and writer (1694-1778) “The great and truly wise man never says everything he thinks, but always thinks everything he says” Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384-322 B.C.) 50
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) With self-control, we are reaching the vertex of this PPH graph Self-control: It is the ability to solve any situation to get what we want. As we develop emotional self- control, we learn from our own emotions and learn how to control and manage them, achieving greater personal well-being and improved relationships. 51
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) Our mind is saturated with family, work, friends. We want to carry everything at once, All of this causes us to have negative stress symptoms, harming our physical and mental health; however, eustress or positive stress arises naturally in the face of a new or ordinary thing into something extraordinary, whether it’s having breakfast, playing sports, or go to work. Do not give much importance to things, but always be aware of reality, live the present moment with a positive attitude, share, give a smile. Control stress! “Don’t anticipate problems or worry about what hasn’t yet happened” Benjamin Franklin. Founding Father of the USA (1706-1790) 52
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) Some steps to achieve self-control Find stability and balance. Reconcile reason with emotion. Control the ego. Control impulses and desires. Develop healthy habits. How to Increase Self-Control? Focusing on what you can control. It is impossible to control everything. “He who covers a lot does not squeeze much”. La Celestina (1499) Face changes positively. Look inside yourself. Meditate. It will improve your sleep, anxiety and stress. 53
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) Change the way you see things. Sometimes it is necessary to look from Seek support from others. Negative situations are more bearable if you share them with others. Seek support from your family and friends. You will surely feel more relieved. 54
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) “He who is able to dominate himself to the point of smiling in the greatest of his (anonymous author) And as Ralph W. Emerson, an American philosopher, said: “Don’t look for a friend who agrees with you in everything” Most people love to be told that they are fantastic or to have others agree with their views and way of life. However, the reality is that sometimes we need someone who tells us their opinion truthfully, even if we dislike it. We need a sincere friend who is: “A Beautiful Enemy” “No one can hurt you unless you let them” (anonymous author) 55
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) This way we will know: Who we are and what our values are. conditioning them on external goods. We must also, if possible, get along with In this way, we will achieve an optimal energy state of calm-energy. inner peace, more lasting happiness. 56
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) To achieve this level of personal outward growth, we must control the ego, put the mind in silence, remove excessive desires, relax the body, and calm the senses to experience inner peace, lasting happiness and release. 57
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) We all have a treasure inside! Look for yours within you! 58
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) A wise man once said that to contemplate beauty in its purest splendor, we must observe nature and understand its workings. Be amazed by nature. We are part of it, we come from it and we will come return to it! It’s a treasure! 59
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) SELF-REFLECTION Plan your life and change your attitude. Learn to see reality for what it is and not what it appears to be. Acquire the intellectual knowledge and necessary skills for you to compete in the workforce and to cover your basic needs. If you desire it, increase your material well-being, but enjoy it sensibly and in moderation. Acquire a deep understanding of the world around you and develop social skills to interact acceptably with people in your environment; adopt a healthy lifestyle, acquire ethical and moral values, assume your temporality intelligently as a human, practice positive attitudes every day, if you experience negative emotions, let them enjoy your inner world, control your ego and abandon negative habits, fears and concerns. 60
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) PART 2 Once of the Personal Happiness Path graphics that are related to the personal growth: 1) PPH Tree: The trunk represents the Self, the human being in its individual form. The green leaves represent the positive attitudes of a person. The reddish leaves represent PPH. 2) PPH Interaction: This shows the interaction between yourself and the environments around you. 3) Towards Totality: It shows the Path towards the harmonious Unity of all things, on a journey towards our inner world and interacting with the external world around us. 61
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) PPH TREE GET RID OF TOXIC ROOTS AND LEAVESI 62
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) How to do it? You could overcome an extremely emotional situation, such as anger, by acting with the characteristics of the opposite pole, which in this case would be serenity. This would lead both toward balance and regaining control of your behavior. This could be applied in many or all situations because according to the Principle of Polarity (The Kybalion book), everything has its opposite. The key is that both are of the absolute pain. Instead, there are many degrees of pleasure and pain. By acting with the characteristics of the opposite pole, we would reach a midpoint, balancing the situation. 63
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) PPH INTERACTION Everything is interconnected! 64
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) 1) In the center of the graph The Self, the individual human being, is represented by the Central Nervous System (CNS) that forms the network between the brain and the spinal cord, coordinating and Path to Personal Happiness. According to this graph, human beings receive signals central nervous system, interprets these signals and decides which response to make. This graph also indicates that the interaction between the amygdala and the neocortex (prefrontal cortex) generates reasoned and non-impulsive responses. 2) Interaction with the Cosmos a) Interaction with Four Fundamental Forces of Nature known to us as gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force. These determine how all matter existing in the known Universe interact with each other. b) Interaction with the Sun: vitamin D, proper blood circulation, the production of hormones and the strengthening of the autoimmune system; The sun is a source of life, but it can also cause damage, as 65
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) c) Interaction with the Moon: It pulls the oceans creating the tides; it stabilizes the rotational axis of the Earth, and is believed to be related to animal behavior. d) Periodic Table of the Elements: It shows the elements that exist in nature and their chemical properties. Almost 99 percent of the body mass of humans is made up of six elements (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorous) that we share with stars after a stellar explosion, hence, Carl Sagan’s famous phrase “We are . 3) Interaction with nature present in nature. 4) Interaction with natural processes a) Order and Chaos: As George Contopoulos, a Greek astrophysicist, said at the Order and Chaos Conference organized by the BBV Foundation (Madrid,1997) “Chaos is needed as much as order, which is key for galaxies to acquire their form, for life and even for the functioning of the human body”. 66
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) b) Creation and Destruction: According to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher (540-480 and everything changes. c) Birth and Death: Birth, development, reproduction and death apply to all living beings, including humans. d) Light and darkness: The day-night cycle is a natural phenomenon generated by the rotation of the Earth. Cycles of day and night are known as the circadian cycle. 5) Interaction with the world The human being is social and needs to interact with others. Interact with people and the material world surrounding you. Nature is governed by fundamental laws that are constant and unchanging! We are part of nature! 67
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) ROAD to WHOLENESS 68
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) \"Road to Wholeness\" Humanity is becoming more and more intelligent, but every day there are more problems and less happiness as people are seduced by desires, emotions and egos, becoming slaves, demanding luxuries and power, unbalanced religions and psychological excuses. (*) a) In the center of the graph The Self, the individual human being, interacts with the outside world that surrounds him and at the same time deals with his inside world. We must try to balance polarities, smoothing rough edges to reach agreements, based on our values and ethical and moral principles. 69
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) We live in a world of contradictions, of opposites without respecting nuances. Good and bad, black and white, friend and foe, rational and emotional, opulence and misery, intelligent and ignorant, happiness and sadness, love and hate, truth and lies. We fail to recognize that Everything must be looked at from the perspective of Unity, not from irreconcilable extremes. We must always be tolerant of others, seek union and You Embrace Unity! b) The world we live in The Mundane Self: Understanding the world around you, social skills, material well- being, healthy living, etc. The Mental Self: Mental clarity, self-knowledge, strength, etc. The Emotional Self: Emotions, self-awareness, positive attitudes, etc. 70
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) See charts PPH Wheel and Triangle c) Path to spirituality You experience spirituality by controlling your mind and achieving inner peace. This includes ceasing your worldly desires and bad attachment, getting rid of thick and heavy energies and correcting your mind so that the rest of your life harmonizes. (*) d) Enter the harmonious Unity of all things You will break the ties that bind you if you treat your mind like an empty bowl or like a subtle light, which is within you and everywhere... ...achieving inner peace, lasting happiness and liberation... ...on your journey towards awareness of the harmonious Unity of all things. Reduce your egoism and restrict your desires! Stop thinking about complications and clinging to them! Keep your mind detached and full! (*) 71
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) To end... the greatness of which the individual is capable. The man capable of greatness of soul will open wide the windows of his mind, letting the winds blow freely upon it from every portion of the universe. He will see himself and life and the world as truly as our human limitations will permit; realizing the brevity and minuteness of human life, he will realize also that in individual minds is concentrated whatever of value the known universe contains. And he will see that the man whose mind mirrors the world becomes in a sense as great as the world. In emancipation from the fears that beset the slave of circumstance he will experience a profound joy and through all the vicissitudes of his outward life. “The Conquest of Happiness” Bertrand Russell (1930, p.226) 72
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) Clear your mind and start on the Personal Happiness Path! Don’t spend your life looking for happiness elsewhere when you already have it inside you! 73
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) 74
GUIDE - PATH TO PERSONAL HAPPINESS (PPH) References (*) Eastern Philosophy: Teachings of Lao Tsé (circa 6th centuries- IV B. C.), Chinese thinker, creator of Taoism. The famous phrases in this guide are in the public domain. It is prohibited the total or partial reproduction of this work both images and text without the authorization of the author. Authors: Xavier Chum Freire and Concha Albaladejo López. [email protected] Translated into English by Doménica Chum Guevara (USA) The illustrations in this guide were created by Mari Cruz Romero Cuevas. July 2022 © 75
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