The Secrets to Happiness~

When my husband and I had been married about three years we had one son and another baby due in May of that year.  At that time my husband was busy going through school and I was working as a nurse. This required a lot of juggling of responsibilities. We were serving assignments in our church and were just plain busy. We started to slide in some of the areas of our marriage and life. We would often go to church and complete our assignment an then take off for the beach for an afternoon of relaxation.Therefore, we were not keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. We believed in the law of tithing and due to financial pressures were were not paying a full tithing. We were not attending the temple as we had committed to do so. Our marriage was also struggling. Time with one another was brief due to other obligations. We were not faithful in weekly date nights. In essence we were not very happy with our situation or each other.
The Prophet of our church at that time was President David O. McKay.

We loved him so much. When we were first engaged we had the opportunity to go to General Conference in the Tabernacle. At that time we stood in line at 5 am to get a seat for the 10 am session. Around 9 am. President David O. McKay and his wife were brought up to the door of the tabernacle in a car. As the car pulled up we watched as the driver assisted President McKay out of the car. He then haltingly went around to the passenger's side to assist his sweet wife out of the car. He waved to his all. It was such a lovely moment that we shared together. We were anxious to be married and start our life together. 
Later on the story was told of the Prophet doing the same thing; except this time they were both in wheelchairs.

One Sabbath morning we got up to prepare for church. We had turned the TV on and they announced that our beloved Prophet, President David O. McKay had passed away. We sat on the couch stunned and cried together. That day we recommitted ourselves to obey the commandments and follow the prophet and we have never looked back.
Today,I wanted to share some Secrets of Happiness by President David O. Mckay ~
"Happiness is the end and design of life. Happiness is a state of the spirit and an attitude of the mind. Man's success or failure, happiness or misery, depends upon what he seeks and what he chooses. There are seeds of Happiness planted in every human soul. There is much need for sunshine in the heart as for sunshine in the world. The secret of happiness consists not of having, but of being; not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is the warm glow of the heart at peace with its self. Man is the creator of his own happiness. It is the aroma of life, lived in harmony with high ideals. We get out of life just what we put into it, just what we see.
Some sources of happiness are:
1. A sense of being free. Free agency is the greatest gift to mankind.
2. A sense of self-mastery. He is a slave who will be led by his appetites.
3. The Privilege of work. Idleness does not bring happiness, The right to work is a blessing to mankind.
4. The possession of health. Clean and wholesome bodies bring joy; debauch them, and we lose happiness.
5. The ability to see God's beauty about us.
6. The harboring of upbuilding thoughts. What you think about when you do not have to think shows what you really are.
7. Being true to those who trust you.
8. Making friends. True friends enrich life. If you would have friends, be one.
9. Doing your best this hour, and you will do better the next.
10. Developing faith. Faith is the foundation of all things-including happiness.

There are four fundamentals of happiness, which we should keep in mind:
First, be true to yourself. Second, Begin life with a purpose. We have the ability to Reason. Habits formed by daily thought and hourly acts.Third, the true source -the secret-of happiness consists in making others happy. Fourth, start your day each morning by expressing to Him gratitude for this glorious world, for your life in it, for your citizenship in this great Republic, for the liberty vouchsafed by the Constitution. Invoke His guidance and help in whatever yo undertake.
Follow the example of a leading businessman whose secretary one morning was approached by a manager saying, "I want to see the superintendent." He is in conference," said the secretary. "In conference at this time of the morning? This is very important; I must see him! "The man pushed past the secretary, opened the door, saw his superior kneeling in prayer; then he gradually stepped back and said, apologetically to the secretary, "I didn't know he was that kind of man." "I told you, "said the secretary, "he was in conference." "Yes, with one more important than I."
One last thought from President McKay: "He who is seeking for happiness alone seldom finds it, but he who lives for the welfare of others, who loses himself to give happiness to others, find that a double portion has come to himself." (Thoughts taken from the book; Secrets of a Happy Life, by David O. McKay compiled by Llewelyn R. McKay).

I believe this all to be true. We learned great lessons from this great Prophet at a time that we needed it most. Our life has been blessed for our efforts to follow the Prophet and Apostles of our day.