Exercising Happiness

19 Jalal 163 B.E. – April 26-27, 2006 A.D.

Exercising Happiness

The word for today, Thursday April 27, 2006 from Daily Power Word is Happiness. The journal exercise is to answer the following questions: (1) “When you think of joy does it feel distant to you?” (2) “Is it centered around things or other people?” (3) “Are there conditions placed on it?” and (4) “Today, allow yourself to discover true happiness.”

“When you think of joy does it feel distant to you?”

What do I feel when I think of joy? I feel peace, certitude, tranquility and laughter. I feel the warmth of the morning sun on a cold December day. I feel cool wetness of snow on my skin on a hot June afternoon. I feel the tranquility of a gospel song flowing through my mind. When I read a table revealed by Baha’u’llah, joy is not a distant echo but a beloved voice whispering in my ear.

“Is it centered around things or other people?”

For me happiness is a spiritual condition. I am much happier when I say my prayers regularly. Happiness is chanting The Most Great Name ninety-five times, happiness is saying the obligatory prayer, happiness is reading the scriptures revealed by the Bab and Baha’u’llah, happiness is reading the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. I am happy when I go to the Nineteen day Feast, I am happy when I take a Ruhi book, I am happy when I write poetry about Baha’u’llah, I am happy when I place everything in God’s hands.

“Are there conditions placed on it?”

The physical conditions of happiness are a cup of hot coffee, a piece of chocolate, a warm spring morning, or a brisk winter afternoon. The spiritual conditions of happiness are centered around the sacred scriptures and prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah, the Bab and written by ‘Abdu’l-Baha.

Discovering True Happiness

True happiness is a spiritual condition rather than a physical or material condition. I discover rue happiness in the sacred scriptures. True happiness is a gift from God. I exercise happiness when I pray or read the sacred scriptures. True happiness overcomes fear, because once an individual discovers the individual fears nothing. True happiness is realizing the immortality of the soul