Divorce is such a depressing life event, the pursuit of happiness can seem pretty far away.

However, Craig Harper has some interesting thoughts about happiness today at Lifehack.org.

“Could it be that happiness lies not in the chasing, but rather in the choosing?” asks Harper.

Is happiness joy and contentment, or is it the absence of fear or pain?

Harper says he found happiness when he stopped looking for it in the chasing, acquiring, accumulating and even planning.  He learned to let go, and when he did, he found that he already had happiness.

If you are divorced or separated, where do you look for your happiness?

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Emotional Divorce

You probably didn’t expect to be divorced or separated on Thanksgiving at this time in your life.  You probably feel like saying, “Gee, thanks for another #@*!! personal growth experience.”  Well, instead of staying at home feeling sorry for yourself and ordering pizza for Thanksgiving, here are some ideas to help you make it through the long holiday weekend.

The first thing you have to do is get into action.  Move your body and the head will follow.  Go for a walk or a jog.  Get to the gym and start losing that marriage fat.  Start a dance class or take tennis lessons.  Any activity is good that will get you moving.  Don’t think about it.  Just do it.  Force yourself.

The next thing to do is build a support network.  This can be your friends, relatives, religious leader, neighbor or therapist.  Join a support group.  Participate in online support groups.  It may seem to you that you are the only person in the world going through a divorce, but you are not alone.

Now, get outside of your troubles.  Find someone with problems bigger than yours and help them.  Volunteer to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving.  Visit a nursing home or a hospital.

Invite some friends over for a potluck supper.  Everything is attitude.  Stay positive and strong and have a great Thanksgiving.  Leave a comment if you have an activity or idea that helped you survive Thanksgiving when going through a divorce.