Candie Garrett
ENG101 R53
Final Essay 2
02/14/2004
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
It is certain that either you or someone you know has had a problem that has inevitably created unnecessary stress. I have often pondered on ways to eliminate some of the problems and stresses that we are plagued with each day. Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Chin said, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” Based on this, I was aware that if I was going to succeed in this stress-elimination process, I must know others and myself as well. I believe that I have achieved my goal. I use logic to encourage people to recognize their responsibilities, to evaluate situations individually, and to make choices that remove unnecessary stress from their lives, all of which is based on a concept and incentive of not wasting time.
Martha Washington said, “The greatest part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and not our circumstances.” It is our decision whether or not to be happy. The obvious choice is easier to make if we recognize our responsibilities. We are responsible for what pertains to us as individuals. Anything outside of that area is not ours to accept. For example, my responsibilities include completing school, keeping up my home, and having a good relationship with God, my husband, my children and myself. Our childhood is a factor that does not belong on our list of responsibilities. Realizing our faults and our childhood reasons for them is an ideal was of taking responsibility for and changing our attitudes and personalities. Someone that may disappoint or hurt us is another example. We are not responsible for the actions of others; however, we are responsible for how those actions affect us. Someone once told my family and friends that I did not keep my house clean well enough to suit her standards. While this hurt my feelings immensely, I knew that despite having 3 babies, I kept a decent house. I ultimately decided that what someone else thought about me or mine was not on my list of responsibilities. We have so many responsibilities of our own that being hurt or disappointed by others and trying to figure out why is a waste of time. Those inconveniences belong to the person who causes us the stress. To stray from our own personal responsibilities results in worry, confusion, and/or many other stressful emotions that waste our time.
