RELIEVED!

PHew... what an awesome feeling... when the exam is over.. now feel tired.. just wanna sleep.. hehe... had a really fun FYP discussion after the paper today, thank God even though we are still re-planning everything.. at least laughing and playing some funny word game really helped me think on the bright side.. and lighted up... indeed, on the journey home, I was like not even frowning one bit.. (sometimes... when u worry, one tends to frown naturally)...

Anyways... back to the exam.. Bah.. I think it will be a D.. and so i'm praying for a C! That would be a miracle!!! HMmm I'm being really honest... so unless I can't judge very well, I really really hope it will be a C and not a D.. not to mention fail...!!

Lastly.. I think it's so cool to be happy. I mean.. sometimes, we think it's cool to be down and out, or angry and rebellious, or mean.. or to feel that you're on the edge of society, or to be depressed, or to be sad and love-lorn.. THESE DON'T MATCH ONE BIT to being happy!

So to my Lecture 4 on Happiness (mwahahaha):
(See my sister - Ju - 's lecture 3 on happiness... ;P)

1. Happiness is serious business... you need to want to be happy, if not you'll never be happy. Sometimes, reason why we're not happy is simply coz we don't want to be. SO we develop a mindset that's cynical, negative, which cannot see the good in things, and always the bad. Like a 'Miss grumpy'.

2. Happiness is a choice. You need to want to get out of the unpleasant situation you are in (which you probably created for yourself) and make a choice to think differently. And that is being creative in a way. You don't always have to end up in the rut, down and out.. we don't always have to be in the pits. Or for my christian friends,.. at spiritual lows. We can be on the mountains all the time, if we choose to have that mindset.

3. Being Happy is, to me, personally, the effect of being in Union with Christ. For non-christians, how is this so? Well.. even though you don't believe in Christianity, there's some common traits.. Say, for example, Christians believe that God created man and breathed His spirit into us, so that each living person has a part of God in them. That's why even though if you don't accept the Christian religion, it is true (I bet) that for ANYONE in the earth, that if you are doing good deeds, loving others, seeking truth, being kind and compassionate, forgiving others... I BELIEVE it will make you feel GOOD. WHY? WHY WHY? Christians believe not because we are good by our own nature.. for the next minute we may have a nasty and mean thought "Ugh.. I can't stand this or that..". BUT because when we love/help others, we are doing God's will.

4. Being happy may sometimes only come after difficulties and all the above (sadness, depression, bitterness, hopelessness..) but it will only come when you snap out of the latter and be REALISTIC. No use dwelling on spilt milk, problems, sadness, dead-end routes, and self-destruct. It will only come when you realise the top 3 points, and begin to love yourself enough to wanna make a come-back. It also gives reason to the saying that "there's always a rainbow after a storm."

5. To be happy, you need to find the source of happiness and joy. Which is not found in money, achievements, exams, success, popularity, looks, security, talent, religion. You need to know the God who created us all.. the Creator of humankind... the world... the universe!!! And when you've accepted that HIS values are better than ours (fleeting notions of happiness), you'll know what's true happiness.

What's HIS Values?
Just see The Beatitudes in Matthew 5! http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02371a.htm

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)

Finally, for those who will like to hear this, if we aren't happy, could it be because we are too self-centered? If we are blessed, we ought to bless others. Only in giving that we receive. When we give we receive thousand-fold!