Not Happy
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April 24, 2013 8:13 pm at 8:13 pm #609143newcommerMember
Hey Guys
I Have been reading the coffee room for quite a while now , i just decided to create an account and ask for some advise
I AM NOT HAPPY any advise on emunah maybe that will strengthen my love for hashem?
April 24, 2013 8:35 pm at 8:35 pm #948686popa_bar_abbaParticipantI don’t think emunah is the solution to feelings of unhappiness. I think figuring out the source of the unhappiness and changing it is the solution.
April 24, 2013 8:58 pm at 8:58 pm #948687yytzParticipantNewcommer, I’m sorry to hear about that, and I hope you feel completely better very soon!
Emunah could be the solution, depending on what the problem is. But overall Popa is right.
Have you tried to figure out what the problem is? Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious.
For example, are you getting plenty of sleep and exercise and social interaction? Today’s isolated, sleep-deprived, sedentary lifestyle is not natural. It causes many physical and psychological problems.
Do you take time to help others and thank G-d for all the good in your life? Focusing on the positive and on others makes people feel good, and takes people’s minds away from themselves and their problems.
I’ll point you to a couple seforim I enjoy in case they are of help to you.
Google the following sentence and you will find a chapter of a chassidic sefer (Likutei Eitzos) about happiness: “Search for your good points in order to make yourself happy.”
Search for this phrase and you will find another, briefer chapter on the same topic: “It is hard for him to calm and settle his mind.”
Anyway, hatzlacha!
April 24, 2013 9:23 pm at 9:23 pm #948688yytzParticipantYou mentioned love for Hashem. As I understand it, one of the main aspects of the spiritual derech of Chabad is to meditate on the greatness of G-d, which leads you to feel love and awe of Him, and to therefore be happy and enthusiastic in your avodas Hashem. You might look for Chabad meditation resources, whether through their main website or people like R’ Dovber Pinson.
April 24, 2013 10:24 pm at 10:24 pm #948689WIYMemberWere you unhappy before you started reading the coffeeroom?
April 24, 2013 10:50 pm at 10:50 pm #948690rationalfrummieMemberThose are all excellent ideas, yytz.
Personally when I’m feeling down I love to play guitar. Davening with a lot of kavanah also helps- focus on every word and don’t be afraid to fall behind. Sleep is also very important, as is taking a walk or exercising every day.
Recently, I’ve taken on a minhag by the arizal of making a declaration every morning to perform the mitzvah dioraisa of ve’ahavta le’reiecha Kamocha. This gets me in the right state of mind, and focused to really love my all jews i interact with, and help them out, in any way possible, be it a kind word or tzedakah.
Another good thing is to find a hobby, like learning a language, knitting, or playing an instrument to make your time more fulfilling.
April 25, 2013 3:33 am at 3:33 am #948691Torah613TorahParticipantI agree with Popa. You should try to find what is making you unhappy, and fix it. That’s what Hashem wants us to do.
April 25, 2013 4:12 am at 4:12 am #948692Sam2ParticipantIn my experience with many, many people, it is much more often that unhappiness leads to a lack of Emunah than the other way around.
April 25, 2013 5:45 am at 5:45 am #948693sharpMemberBy the way, it’s normal to have bad days here and there. If it’s more often than that, and/or if it’s more like miserable, try to identify the triggers. Take it from there.
April 25, 2013 7:51 am at 7:51 am #948694moi aussiMemberHappiness/Unhappiness comes from within, it is not related to outside factors.
We all know people who have a seemingly good life, health, parnassa, kids, happy marriage etc.. and yet they are miserable. On the other hand we all know people who have many challenges in life, and yet they’re happy, they are mekabel yesurim be’ahava.
We create our own misery with our thinking – with the way we perceive our reality. Some people perceive the cup as half-empty, others perceive it as half-full.
Our thoughts create our reality.
Emunah is one of the tools with which we can influence our thought process. If we truly believe that everything is orchestrated from above, and whatever Hashem does is good, we won’t feel the urge to fight Hashem’s decrees. When we relinquish control, and allow Hashem to do his job, we gain inner peace, and that’s the key to happiness.
When we find menuchas hanefesh within, we don’t need to change anything on the outside.
April 25, 2013 1:53 pm at 1:53 pm #948695yytzParticipantGood suggestions, rationalfrummie!
Moi aussi: Your point about emuna is a good one. This is one of the main points of the books and CDs by R’ Lazer Brody and R’ Shalom Arush, which have helped a lot of people.
April 25, 2013 2:25 pm at 2:25 pm #948696computer777MemberWere you unhappy before you started reading the coffeeroom?
I googled “does internet usage cause depression?”. It seems that numerous studies show that it does.
newcommer: Try mindfulness exercises. When you do things, pay close attention to what you are doing (like doing dishes or folding laundry, or even when you are getting dressed.) When you do these things, don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the future. Just pay close attention to what is going on in the present moment. It may be difficult at first, but if you keep trying, it will do wonders.
And like others said, it’s important to figure out what it is that is disturbing you. Some things are obviously beyond our control. Some people live with others who cause them to be depressed. And one must learn how to live with that without it bringing them down. Sometimes a person’s own belief system causes them to bring depressed, when in reality they have a belief that is all wrong.
April 25, 2013 2:51 pm at 2:51 pm #948697cherrybimParticipantNewcommer, cheer up. We don’t live forever. So whatever is troubling you; it is only temporary. In a hundred years, it won’t make a difference and no one will care. So as Reb Nachman and the g’marah advocated: Be happy… live for today and don’t worry about yesterday or tomorrow.
You cannot serve G-d when in an unhappy state.
April 25, 2013 2:52 pm at 2:52 pm #948698hahahahaMemberadd some humor to your life! Learn to laugh at the simple things that come your way, even if they seem “not funny”. Thing about all the happy things that come your way- all day long. Focus on them. Happiness is an active occupation-
you must try to make yourself happy.
And Emunah will guide you through it all- and release the source of stress and unhappiness within you.
But you have to be the one trying to create a happiness within yourself!
April 28, 2013 10:44 pm at 10:44 pm #948699batsevenParticipantCherry Bim: “Newcommer, cheer up. We don’t live forever. So whatever is troubling you; it is only temporary. In a hundred years, it won’t make a difference and no one will care”.
Now,thats not very comforting! Maybe in 100 years, it wont make a difference, but 100 years is a long time! Besides, we have to live in the moment and focus on being happy right now, not waste our life away cuz in 100 years, its not gonna matter anyway.
Newcommer: Try to sit down and think where your source of unhappiness is coming from. If its coming from a fear or worry abt the future, strenghtening ur emunah may help.
If if its fixable, try to fix it. If its a general feeling of unhappiness with no cure then try excersizing, socializing, and being busy.Strengthening your connection with Hashem will always help though, since living with Hashem gives you comfort, meaning and feeling that you are not alone.
Good Luck!!
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