Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.
-Richard Bach
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
daily quote
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
happiness as a daily practice
I read an interesting article recently called Simple Secrets of How to be Happy on Dr. Mercola's website. What I identified with was that happiness is not dependent on who you are or what you have, but by what you think. We all have the capability of being happy by the thoughts and attitudes we choose. Simply put, happiness is a choice.
That said, choices aren't always easy when we are faced with day to day frustrations and challenges. We could apply that choice to be happy and take it a step further to be called a practice to ease that choice, because it would naturally become a habit. Practices involve doing something repeatedly to perhaps acquire a skill, make habit of, or to carry out in action. I like the idea of practicing to be happy because it is ongoing learning that becomes a habit and if we have an off moment or day, we can always begin again, no harm done. However, the long term effects of practicing happiness are far reaching because our futures are dependent on the thoughts we have today.
Creating new habits requires mindfulness of our thoughts and behaviors to stay on track. It may even be useful to create a plan to lay the foundation down and set you up for success. I invite you to imagine what might be some of the best ways to remain aware of your own thoughts so that you can build a strong practice of choosing happiness?
Each day is a journey in itself, bursting with its gifts and its challenges for us to face. Choosing to be mindful and happy is easy when life runs smoothly, how might you decide happiness regardless of circumstance? Challenges are opportunities in disguise, they push us beyond our comfort zone and to our limits, creating change.
This is the list of principles to be happy included in the article. I think suggestions are always a good place to start, so read away and plant the seed to your ongoing happiness!
That said, choices aren't always easy when we are faced with day to day frustrations and challenges. We could apply that choice to be happy and take it a step further to be called a practice to ease that choice, because it would naturally become a habit. Practices involve doing something repeatedly to perhaps acquire a skill, make habit of, or to carry out in action. I like the idea of practicing to be happy because it is ongoing learning that becomes a habit and if we have an off moment or day, we can always begin again, no harm done. However, the long term effects of practicing happiness are far reaching because our futures are dependent on the thoughts we have today.
Creating new habits requires mindfulness of our thoughts and behaviors to stay on track. It may even be useful to create a plan to lay the foundation down and set you up for success. I invite you to imagine what might be some of the best ways to remain aware of your own thoughts so that you can build a strong practice of choosing happiness?
Each day is a journey in itself, bursting with its gifts and its challenges for us to face. Choosing to be mindful and happy is easy when life runs smoothly, how might you decide happiness regardless of circumstance? Challenges are opportunities in disguise, they push us beyond our comfort zone and to our limits, creating change.
This is the list of principles to be happy included in the article. I think suggestions are always a good place to start, so read away and plant the seed to your ongoing happiness!
1) Improve your relationships with friends and family – Happiness starts at home. Start by improving your relationship with your parents, brothers, sisters, and children. Smile when you greet them, do things for them, don't allow them to get angry with you. Maintaining healthy loving relationships and friendships can promote happiness. Remember that love makes you beautiful.
2) Be an optimist - Optimism generates good feelings.
3) Develop a genuine smile and laugh a lot - Act happy - It works. Smile into the mirror for a half hour without stopping. Smiling makes you happy and the more you smile the more happy you become. We all like people who smile. It also makes us more attractive.
4) Pray - Become religious or spiritual - This only works if you believe in God. If you want to be happy then ask God to make you happy. Prayer helps you accomplish things.
5) Be generous and share with others - Give more than you receive because being generous will make you happy.
6) Treat time as a friend - Don't watch the clock.
7) Exercise your mind - Keep yourself busy with some new project or ideas.
8) Work your body - Exercise regularly. Studies show that aerobic exercise is an antidote for mild depression and anxiety. "Happy minds reside in sound bodies," says Dr. Myers.
9) Have fun in life - Keep cool under pressure.
10) Pursue achievable goals.
11) Have high confidence in yourself.
12) Respect the disadvantaged.
13) Age gracefully.
14) Give compliments - Take every opportunity to be complimentary. Want to make someone like you? Every time you meet a person smile and give them a compliment.
15) Be honest - With honesty comes openness. People respect honest and open minded people.
16) Keep an open mind - Most people seem to think that they know everything that they need to know. There's plenty of wisdom to go around.
17) Treat difficulties as challenges –Life's an adventure and every obstacle in life is one of its challenges. Treat life as a game. What fun would a game be if you could never lose?
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