I was watching a few minutes of one of Joel Osteen 's lectures on TV last night. Whether you like him or not you still have to admit he is one of the best public speakers in America. Even though your beliefs might not be aligned with his, what he said about happiness and contentment really struck me. What intrigued me the most is that the essence of his message wasn 't totally religious, even though he explained it in the context of the Bible.
"Be happy today" is what he was preaching last night. Since happiness comes from within, being happy is a choice you have to make. This means you must be content with what you have at the moment. He told us to be happy whether we have a luxury car or a beat up Volkswagen. Joel also added that we must …show more content…
They both believe that letting go of our worries will lead to happiness but they both have completely different methods of getting rid of these worries. Epicurus suggests letting go of our unnecessary desires so we don 't have to worry about them anymore. Joel Osteen tells us to try to enjoy what you are doing at the moment, whether it is school work, or a task that must be completed for work, or the dinner with the in-laws. So, start finding a certain level of tranquility in whatever you are doing by taking a deep breath and realizing that the situation you are in really isn 't that bad. By finding pleasure in whatever is around you, you will not only grow as person but you will also find a state of happiness that will last. Epicurus believes we shouldn 't worry about the gods or death, because these two things not affect our world. Joel Osteen, on the other hand has a more deterministic point of view, which is in line with the christian tradition. He tells us that we should have faith and accept God 's plan because everything will turn out well.
These two thinkers and preachers from different times have completely different views on the world, yet they have both found a method and a state of mind that can lead to
"Be happy today" is what he was preaching last night. Since happiness comes from within, being happy is a choice you have to make. This means you must be content with what you have at the moment. He told us to be happy whether we have a luxury car or a beat up Volkswagen. Joel also added that we must …show more content…
They both believe that letting go of our worries will lead to happiness but they both have completely different methods of getting rid of these worries. Epicurus suggests letting go of our unnecessary desires so we don 't have to worry about them anymore. Joel Osteen tells us to try to enjoy what you are doing at the moment, whether it is school work, or a task that must be completed for work, or the dinner with the in-laws. So, start finding a certain level of tranquility in whatever you are doing by taking a deep breath and realizing that the situation you are in really isn 't that bad. By finding pleasure in whatever is around you, you will not only grow as person but you will also find a state of happiness that will last. Epicurus believes we shouldn 't worry about the gods or death, because these two things not affect our world. Joel Osteen, on the other hand has a more deterministic point of view, which is in line with the christian tradition. He tells us that we should have faith and accept God 's plan because everything will turn out well.
These two thinkers and preachers from different times have completely different views on the world, yet they have both found a method and a state of mind that can lead to