Overcoming Unhappiness

I've noticed that only two things can make me miserable--something I do, or something someone else does. Seems obvious, but often we try to blame our unhappiness on things like poor finances, our job, a stressful situation.... But really our unhappiness is almost always due to either sin in our lives creating disharmony with God and within ourselves, or allowing things people say and do to hurt our pride. That's what it is, isn't it? We determine that we deserve to be treated better than that...that they oughtn't speak that way to us...who do they think they are?
The Bible tells us to die to self. To sacrifice our pride--our "deservedness." And that's how we often view it--as a sacrifice. God, though, in His higher-than-ours wisdom, knew that only by sacrificing ourselves in this way will we be able to experience peace and overcome unhappiness and dissatisfaction. That's exactly what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."