Hell or Paradise?

In order to avoid a seeming eternity of never ending pain and suffering, could you, would you, do and say nice things to, about, and for everyone else around you? I hope so because that's what it takes to endure the time in peace and happiness.

But, I am not talking about the afterlife. No, whether or not you live in hell or paradise here on Earth, is entirely up to you. How is this possible?

Well for the most part, you get back what you put out. Most people have the impression that others are out to "get them". This really could not be farther from the truth. The average person is just going through life trying to survive, looking out for number one, so to speak. They aren't conscious enough about you and what goes on in your life to spend the time or energy to intentionally make things difficult for you. People generally do not do things to hurt you. They do what is best for them. And sometimes that means doing things that are not good for others. But they are not out to get you.

Most people are actually completely neutral towards those that they do not already know. Now think about this. If you are neutral towards a person who starts out being neutral towards you, you will get very little back but at least it won't be negative. Now if you are hostile towards someone who starts out neutral towards you, what happens? They become hostile as well. And if you are good and kind to others who have no previous impression of you, they tend to be good and kind in return don't they?

Imagine a person sitting in their easy chair in front of the fireplace waiting for the heat to come out. They never put any wood into the fireplace but they are demanding warmth. Do you think they will ever get it? Of course not. It just does not work that way. In order to get the warmth you first need to supply the fuel and start the fire.

We all want warmth and good will from others. But, in order to get it we need to be warm and good to others. We get to start the fire and make sure that it has plenty of fuel. Then in nearly every case, we will get warmth and good will reflected back to us. The best part of all is that this method is both reflective and additive.

As you build up your relationship with each person, you each tend to mirror the others outpouring of energy towards one another. With each reflection the strength of the bond and the energy between you continues to grow. You send back the positive energy that the other person sent towards you, plus a little bit more due to your current happiness with the way things are turning out. They receive your warmth and return it back, plus a little extra to reflect their own happiness with how things are.

This is the way that nearly all great friendships and romances start and is a wonderful recipe for eternal happiness and peace. We do decide every day of our lives, whether we realize it or not, whether we are going to live in hell or paradise, right here on Earth. There is no need to wait until you are dead to have the rewards of a good life. Why torture yourself and others all the years of your life by acting out of fear and hatred when you could instead live in paradise?