Unhappiness vs. Dissatisfaction

When I saw the title "Unhappiness vs. Dissatisfaction" on the list of podcasts for one of my favorite online radio programs, The Dennis Prager Show, I thought for a second that it was redundant, and could have been shortened to one or the other of those words.  After listening to the program, I am now convinced that the two words do not mean the same thing, and that it would do everyone well to learn the difference. 

Mr. Prager points out that a person can be dissatisfied with certain aspects of their life, but still be happy.  Of course they can!  I might look in the mirror and feel like it's time to get a haircut, but I can still have a good day.  He says that's all right to be dissatisfied with things, but that it's when we turn into complainers and try to dump our problems on other people and bring them down that we need to take a look at ourselves.  No one likes to be around chronic complainers.  I don't know very many, because I choose to hang around with basically happy people, but my guess is that most of them don't have too many friends, and that those who do might just be part of a group that complains, too.  I doubt that people like hang around in groups, though, because my perception is that they usually just want to talk about themselves, and it would be weird to be part of group where everyone was focused on themself.  That lends itself more to solitude.

I enjoy  my friends, and I want to know what is going on in their lives, but I've noticed with most of them that I have to dig a little to get them to tell me about the stuff happening behind the happy face, and I think that's the way it should be.  A saying I heard many years ago says, "A friend is someone who asks how you're doing, and then stays around to hear the answer."  Most people do not need to know about our problems, but true friends are there to mourn with us when we mourn, to comfort us when we stand in need of comfort, and to rejoice with us when we are rejoicing.  I think there's a scripture out there somewhere that says those are the marks of a good Christian.  In order to be able to share another's burdens, we have to know what those are, but there is a difference between reporting on what is happening in one's life, and whining about how terrible and unfair life is.  I think my favorite statement from this program was:  Happy people are happy, regardless of circumstances, and unhappy are unhappy regardless of circumstances.

Another author/lecturer that I enjoy very much is James Cox.  He teaches that temporal experiences are given to us for spiritual growth.  All of the hard things in our lives can be used to remind us to turn our hearts to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, to enlist their aid in carrying our burdens.  When we remember them in the midst of our hardships, and we show gratitude in all things, the blessings come, and miracles happen that help us to get through those times.

Happiness is a choice!  Be Happy!