Writing for Posterity... And The Humanist in Me...

"Humanism is a philosophy that stresses the importance of human factors rather than looking at religious, divine, or spiritual matters. Humanism is rooted in the idea that people have an ethical responsibility to lead lives that are personally fulfilling while at the same time contributing to the greater good for all people."* 

The above quote is by far one of the best, condensed definitions of Humanism I could find. 

I should mention at this point that I am not associated with any of the Humanistic Societies and I do not dismiss the existence of Divine Intelligence. My personal beliefs in God are just that - my personal beliefs at the level of my heart.

But the humanist in me has her feet firmly on the ground. 

I am from the 'Carl Rogers' school of thought... His "self-actualization" is my pursuit of Happiness, his "self-concept" - my Art of Being Me.

I believe that we will always be influenced, to at least some degree, by the world around us, and that is why we need to discover the relationship of the various elements in our environment that make us into who we are.

We need to pause and reflect on what is our perception of the world around us, because it is our perception that dictates how we interpret our past, how we view ourselves, and even what we find beautiful in our daily life.

We shall also remember that unhealthy lifestyle and blind conformity are the main saboteurs and the Nemesis of Happiness. 

Now on The Art of Being YOU...

You have the Right to the pursuit of Happiness and living your life to the fullest. Here are some of my thoughts to help you start: 

1. Don't disregard your past - learn from it! You are not heading in that direction, so consider your past to be like a lesson from which you embrace what serves you and politely dismiss what doesn't. 

2. Always measure yourself against your own 'normal', not someone else's. What others perceive as 'normal' is merely an opinion. 

3. Consider my 4-lessons manual to finding one's own happiness The Art of Happiness: Because Happiness is a Skill, which will help you to raise the baseline of your current level of happiness by developing a stable sense of your true self.

"As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves" - Carl Rogers 

* From 'What is Humanism?' (with emphasis added) https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-humanistic-psychology-2795242