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The Purpose Of Life Is Usefulness: Not Happiness
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Redefining Happiness
Happiness isn't something you get when you go shopping or go on a vacation. It is a byproduct of doing something meaningful and useful. If we are not making a difference in the world by doing something worthwhile, not adding or creating anything of value, then we cannot achieve happiness just by drinking and getting high.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
The Little Things
- We can do a lot of things, however small, and still make a difference. Without any grandiose aim of changing the world, even the smallest of things can help make it a better place.
- We can consider doing an extra-curricular activity in the office, writing a creative article and sharing it, helping someone financially, or even starting a side project that helps our locality.
Just do anything useful, and leave the world a better place than it was before.
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- Trust your own abilities. Keep a list of accomplishments you’re proud of to serve as a reminder of the times you’ve been resilient before.
- Be kind to yourself. Give yourself permission to set physical, mental and emotional boundaries.
- Change your outlook. While you can’t always control the situation, you do have control over how you respond to it. Cultivate optimism in the face of adversity.
- Take the next step, even if it’s small. Build hope. Make a list that includes a goal, steps to achieve it, potential obstacles and strategies to overcome them.
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Realize How Little You Know
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