When You're Spirit Is Down It Is Time To Make A Choice To Change Your Mood.
In this article Dale shares an intimate experience with her father and his connection to Authentic Happiness.
My father was my best support in the world. He loved to discuss what I learnt about my personal spiritual growth while conducting my spiritual counseling sessions. I always thought of my father as one of the most intuitive and loving people on Earth. He had perfected the Art of Happiness in the simplest of ways. He would often say to me, "Life is not worth worrying about. Believe in yourself and have love in your heart and you will easily find happiness."
When my father passed over 5 years ago, I was understandably sad and upset. My mother, Aunty and I were cleaning up the house getting it prepared for Dad's wake. We came across an old tin of Dad's that held some photos and cards that helped him find happiness in his stressful times.
It dawned on me that I had often seen him sitting on the side of his bed and going through the photos and cards and whenever he did he would have a great big smile on his face. I never looked at these with him because it seemed such a private time for him. It seemed to me that he slipped into a type of spiritual meditation and I could sense the peace within him.
Now that he was not there, I pulled out the box and brought it out onto to kitchen table. The three of us looked through it. As we did our sadness began to dissipate and we all expressed in our own words the sense of authentic happiness that washed over our souls. In that box was the answer to the wonderful way Dad felt about his family and his friends.
My Dad had not always had a happy life. His father died before he was born. At age eleven, he had to leave school and work to help supplement the family income during the depression. He went to war and was sent to Borneo, which was considered to be one of the worst battlefronts at the end of the war. For most of his life, Dad would never talk about his experiences in the war. He would say, "I did what I had to do and that was that". As his life was drawing to a close he did say more about his experiences.
Towards the end of his life Dad developed Alziemers and this brought back frightening memories of his time in Borneo. When he was hospitalized he thought he was back in Boneo and had been taken prisoner. He thought that the hospital staff was out to kill him.
When he was feeling down before his severe deterioration, I took his box into the hospital and again his smile returned. While he went through that box nothing else mattered but the great memories that caused him to connect to his heart-felt authentic happiness. When Dad's relatives and friends remember him they invariably remark about his gentle nature. His gift was to show them how to achieve happiness in any situation.
There I was holding the precious box that held the key to Dad's happiness. As I went through his treasures I came across a extremely worn, piece of paper that had obviously been read and refolded several times. As I picked it up I could feel how many times my father had held that same piece of paper. I also had a great sense of how he felt about it.
Very carefully and reverently I unfolded it and I recognized a poem I had sent my father some years back that I felt came very close to his spiritual consciousness philosophy of life. He had often referred to his Happiness Poem that he loved because it made him feel really happy.
I believe this poem helped my father to be an awesome authentic happiness coach in his own right. He constantly shared his natural gift of love and authentic happiness with many. Now I share him with you through this poem. I hope you will set an intention to share more of your authentic happiness throughout this world.
BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART Author: Unknown
Believe in your heart that
something wonderful is about to happen.
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers,
and your own potential,
and in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning
with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent,
awesome beauty in the world.
Explore and embrace life in yourself
and in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself and rouse those around you
As I read this poem I could feel my father looking over my shoulder and smiling lovingly and we remembered his amazing warm heart.Now I have my own authentic happiness box. You could start yours now.
to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit
that you are less than perfect;
this is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today,
for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities;
all possibilities and Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles.
