H R A P R E A M B L E
Welcome to Happiness Recovery Association, here to help resolve the core issues of our generally unhappy society. Mounting evidence indicates there is one common denominator of all unhealthy behaviors: Disconnection. Many people lack a loving connection with themselves with loved ones, and a truly supportive community.
Scientific studies prove addiction and other unhealthy behaviors are not caused by the substances or unhealthy activities themselves. Depression and addiction happens when one is feeling spiritually disconnected to begin with. We are living in an increasingly fragmented society. According to researchers, people in America have fewer close friends nowadays than ever recorded before, down to an average of 2 friends, and the number of people with zero close friends has climbed to 25% of the population!
Many of us did not learn how to take responsibility for our happiness. Essentially, we were not taught how to love ourselves and others in healthy ways. Some of us learned to get approval from our actions, and told we were “bad” for making mistakes. While deeply afraid of failure we became obsessed with our success and independence, yet found ourselves feeling isolated, unsupported, and lonely. Some of us learned to get approval by putting other’s needs first, to succumb to outer authority and not trust our own inner knowing. Raised in judgmental environments, we learned to judge ourselves, and project our judgments onto others. We then medicated and “numbed-out” our negative thoughts and feelings with substances and behaviors like over-working, over-eating, drinking alcohol, soft drinks, smoking cigarettes, drugs (including cannabis), unhealthy sex and toxic relationships. Without having a loving bond with ourselves and our community, we formed unhealthy bonds with mood altering substances and behaviors to help us cope with our disconnection.
We are not meant to be loners, operating without support. It is time we learn how to cooperate and support each other in a dignified way with finding our inner harmony and resolving our entire happiness equation.
What is Happiness Recovery Association?
HRA was founded to model the new world community that truly empowers individuals free of an entrapping old world fear matrix. We are a movement of people who are discovering an authentic way of happiness that overcomes our past unhealthy patterns.
Our disconnecting beliefs and behavior and low self esteem was causing pain—to ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones. Our lives were out of control. We may have wanted to stop our unhealthy patterns, making promises and many attempts to stop, yet we repeatedly failed to do so. For each of us, there came a moment of crisis. When we finally reached out for help, we found recovery through understanding and supportive spiritual communities such as HRA.
We have found, through long and painful experience, that we are unable to achieve recovery from our unhealthy patterns on our own. “Aloneness” was a painful illusion that had to die as the very nature of our suffering has been based in our perceived disconnection. Our recovery is based on the belief, confirmed by our experience, that our Great Loving Spirit Within and the support of a loving community can accomplish for us what we could not do alone. By surrendering our disconnecting thoughts, feelings, and actions to the Great Loving Spirit, we receive the gift of our Soul Recovery, one day at a time.
HRA is a spiritual program based on the principles of various spiritual traditions including Alcoholics Anonymous, Spiritual Psychology, scientific studies, and the common denominator of all religions: Love. Our primary purpose is to stop our unhealthy behaviors by choosing more inspiring activities that connect us more strongly with our Great Loving Spirit Within and each other. We find a new way of living through HRA, and share our transformation with others seeking their authentic happiness.
We believe no one is “bad” for their mis-takes. We are not addicts or depressives. Instead of labeling ourselves as our behaviors, we come to these meetings to remember our inherent innocence. Our learned negative patterns begin to be unlearned when we own them but not identify ourselves as them, and focus on our loving connection. No one in particular is to blame for the dysfunctional society we have been born into.
It is up to all of us to co-create together a more supportive, loving, and enjoyable community. In a loving community, and with guidance on how to better love oneSelf, it is only a matter of time that a person out-grows their lower vibrational patterns. We meet at HRA to accelerate the amount of time it takes to fully awaken to a level of happiness where unhealthy patterns can no longer exist. The terms “Happiness Recovery” and “Soul Recovery” are used interchangeably because the true Nature of one’s Soul is authentic happiness. Many unhealthy behaviors are attempts to feel the joy that is actually already here, but covered by trapped emotions and toxic beliefs. Once a person is clear of emotional pain and mental debris, they can enjoy the gifts of each present moment without craving something else. As we gain a stronger loving connection with ourselves and others, we become a natural beacon for others to find their authentic happiness as well.