Hey, Everyone, Will here:
A few years ago, I was asked to teach a lesson in church about happiness, and specifically on how to be "happy". It wasn't long before I decided that it would be far easier to hold everyone's attention if I turned the question on it's ear and added some trademark sarcasm. While I don't pretend that the list below is exhaustive, it is a well-rounded recipe for misery. Enjoy!
1) Think only of yourself
2) Make assumptions about your life
3) Make assumptions about others' lives
4) Convince yourself that you deserve everything that you want
5) Think of "happiness" as a object, not a "state-of-mind"
6) Never serve others without also serving yourself
7) Deny Christ, His Church, and all Scriptures as: "outdated", "foolishness" and/or "exploitive"
8) Surround yourself with miserable people
9) Make inappropriate comparisons between yourself and people you know
10) Make inappropriate comparisons between yourself and people you don't know
11) Forget every offense committed by you against others
12) Remember every offense committed by others against you
13) Consider your opinions and perceptions to be "The Truth"
14) Take all disagreements with your opinion as a deliberate, personal attack
15) Realize that there is never an "accidental" offense against you
16) Hold others responsible for your emotions and actions
17) Remember that you are better than everyone else around you
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the life and works of Clive Staples Lewis. I must tip my hat to his masterwork: The Screwtape Letters for the inspiration of a couple of chapters that detail most of the above ideas. If there is sufficient interest, I'll post them from time to time.
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