Being Happy

27 Sep

Most of us want to be happy in our lives. We try to do things that will bring us happiness and avoid things that will make us miserable. But being happy is more than just a state of mind. It’s important for our well-being, and there are studies that show happy people have better health. Some even suggest happiness may improve our immune systems. A strong immune system would certainly be beneficial. We are calmer when we’re happy, and more apt to be aware of our bodies and what’s going on around us. And happy people tend to make better decisions. Given these benefits, it seems not only desirable to try to be happy, but essential for a strong, and healthy life.

One way we can open the door to feeling happier is to learn to be grateful. We all have a lot to be thankful for but we take so much for granted. It’s wonderful to have clothes to wear and a place to live. It’s good to have food available to us, and fresh air. If we’re tired, a nice, comfortable bed is nothing short of a blessing. But we get used to these things and we can forget how much comfort they bring into our lives. If we try to remember to be thankful for everything we have, we’ll find more joy in our lives, and more happiness. If we’re feeling low, just writing down all our blessings at the end of each day, will remind us of how much we have and how blessed we are. Those feelings will bring joy into our hearts.

We have a lot of influence over others we come in contact with every day. If we are glum and grumpy, we may negatively impact their lives. But if we’re positive in our interactions with them, and express an attitude of happiness, we will brighten everyone we meet. Happiness is highly contagious. If we smile, most of the time the person we smile at will return one right back to us. If we share some positive message with them, they are likely to share it with others, and embrace it in their lives. Of all the things we can do to impact others, perhaps the easiest thing is to share joy with them. If we all tried to be more grateful for what we have, and share more happiness with those around us, we could change the world.

Today as you go about your tasks, remember how much you have to be thankful for. Remember all the positive things you have that bring you joy and comfort. And share a positive attitude with those around you. You’ll be amazed at the responses you’ll get. People will be drawn to you, and want to share their lives with you in return. Recognize your blessings. Rejoice in them. And share them with everyone you meet. Be happy.  You have the power to change the world.

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Believing

26 Sep

Some of us are great public speakers and performers. We don’t have any problem getting up in front of others and being the center of attention. Some people climb tall towers as part of their jobs. They aren’t concerned about the height and like the challenge. Some people are firefighters who run into burning buildings to save others, and put the fire out. All of these things require courage. While we may not feel brave enough to climb tall towers, we’re probably great at something else that requires us to be courageous. Most of us have something we aren’t afraid of that makes others cringe with worry. But what about those times when we’re in strange situations, and we have to do something that makes us tremulous? Even if it’s perfectly safe, it’s something we are uncomfortable doing. How do we manage those?

Inside each of us are reserves of confidence and courage. We don’t have to draw on them every day, and we may forget we have them. But if a crisis develops and we absolutely have to do something extraordinary, we can pull from those reserves and get the job done. There are lots of stories about people having super human strength when they had to save someone else. Stories about people doing seemingly impossible things in extreme situations when it was necessary to save a life. The ability to do the extraordinary is within each of us. If a situation arises where we have to step up, we can. We actually do have super powers – when we need them.

Having faith in our ability to use extraordinary gifts is imperative. If we don’t think we can do something, chances are we won’t be able to do it. But if we go forward, determined that no matter what happens we will accomplish the goal, chances are we will do it. A lot depends on how much faith we have in ourselves. If we want to, there really isn’t anything we can’t do. If we want something badly enough, it doesn’t matter what or who is in the way – we’ll figure out how to make it work. Believing in ourselves is imperative to being successful at anything. If we are scared, we can still be courageous. What we believe we can do, we will do.

Today if you’re worried about accomplishing something that seems formidable, have faith in yourself. There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish if you want to. Believe that you have the power to overcome any obstacle and you will overcome them all. Get your head set to go and push forward. You will be successful and amazed at your abilities. You can to anything. Today is the day to make it happen.

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Don’t Look

25 Sep

There are sometimes things that come into our lives that are hard to look at. They might be difficult to understand, so unexpected we can’t accept them, or so different from what we want we can’t even look at them. We might choose to look the other way and pretend they don’t exist.  If they pop into our line of vision, we can just avert our gaze. If someone brings them up we can pretend we didn’t hear and change the subject. We can deny they even exist.  But denial is just a way of postponing the inevitable. We will eventually have to face whatever is weighing on us, and denying it now will not prevent us from having to deal with it in the future. Hiding our heads in the sand and refusing to look at the issue will just keep it in stasis. The time in between is time we might use to process the problem, but we have to be careful. Sometimes waiting makes things worse.

How do we face things that seem too difficult for us? How do we look at them when the thought of them makes us shudder? There really isn’t anything we can’t face when we decide to, but sometimes we have to take it slowly, and unravel the problem one bit at a time. If we’ve learned we have a serious health issue, and we’re too afraid to accept it, we could begin by reading some information about it. If we learn about it, and better understand what is happening we may not be so afraid. If someone close to us says they’re leaving us and we don’t think we can face life without them, we could objectively look at our lives and see where we’ve done well in the past. In any difficult situation, we could begin by looking at how we could re-order our lives to accept the new reality we’re facing. We could start by just imagining how we might move forward.

Big changes, big challenges, and sudden complications can knock us down, but that’s only temporary. We’re down because we’re surprised, and we aren’t sure how to navigate. Sitting down and taking a moment can help with that. But we will get up again. We can figure out how to process anything that comes to us. We may need some time, and we might need the help of others, but we will figure it out. Sometimes the most unexpected and seemingly disastrous developments that enter our lives lead us to remarkable changes, and incredible growth. Sometimes they even turn our course to paths we hadn’t previously considered, which bring us increased happiness and peace. Change is not easy. Disappointing and difficult changes are harder. But hiding from them rarely helps. If we face them, we can take it minute by minute, give ourselves time to think and adjust, and get through them. We won’t just survive, we’ll thrive going forward.

Today if you’re trying to adjust to an unexpected and difficult change, and you feel like you’ve had the wind knocked out of you, if you’re stunned and can’t figure out what to do, it’s okay. You’re completely capable of handling this. You don’t need to hide. You don’t have to look the other way. Take small steps. You’ll figure it all out and you’ll go forward. You will find happiness and peace again. It doesn’t matter how many steps you need. Each one will bring you closer to where you want to be.

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Head and Heart

24 Sep

When we are attracted to someone, we feel excited and happy when they are near. We feel drawn to them and think about them all the time. We want to be with them and we want them to want us in return. We aren’t thinking about logic, we aren’t thinking about being reasonable, we’re thinking with our hearts. We feel compelled to seek them out, and the pull is physical, and emotional. People say the heart wants what the heart wants, and it feels like that’s true. We’re drawn with our hearts in the beginning, but after a while, our heads must enter the picture. We start thinking about the other person more objectively. We start seeing things we missed at first, and we can then determine if a continuing relationship with them is beneficial.

We have a lot to offer. We have many gifts to present. If we want relationships that will endure, and make us happy, we must recognize not only what we bring but what the other person has to offer as well. We deserve the very best relationships possible. We deserve all the good things we want. If we take the time to let our heads evaluate where our hearts have taken us, and then carefully consider what the long term results will likely be, we can make better decisions about who we want to share our lives with. It’s exciting when our hearts are calling the shots, but it’s important that we engage our heads to ensure we’re headed down a road we want to travel.

Sometimes we fall for people who are not good for us. We all have issues, but if we connect with someone whose issues are hurtful to us, who have more problems than we can handle, or who cannot commit, it’s painful. If we’re wise, we’ll look at these situations openly and without reservation or protection, and let the full measure of their impact weigh on us. We need to see everything clearly so we know what’s best for us. There may be times when we have to leave a relationship because the long range prognosis is unhappiness. It’s difficult to leave any relationship, but our happiness is important. We are the only ones who can ensure it. We need to do all we can to make that happen.

Today if you’re evaluating a relationship, keep your eyes open. See everything clearly – all the good and all the bad. Determine what’s best for you. If you decide to continue it, you’ll have a better understanding of where it will take you. If you decide it’s not going where you want, do what is needed to let it go. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s the best decision for you. You deserve the very best. And you can make sure you get it.

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Bitter or Better

23 Sep

Hard times come to us all. Sometimes we face heartbreak, sadness, and serious disappointment.   We may let the pain of these events go quickly and move on, but sometimes if the hurt is very deep, we may hold onto them for a while. It’s hard to move through a difficult time if we can’t let go of the pain, but sometimes we get stuck holding onto it. If someone has hurt us deeply, or betrayed us greatly, we may hold onto it for years, or for the rest of our lives. Perhaps someone you know has let something affect their lives so deeply they are no longer happy. Maybe it’s changed the whole dynamic of their lives. They are bitter and cannot move on.

Trials aren’t something we want to face. We don’t look for them, and we hope they won’t come our way, but they come to all of us. If we choose to, we can try to learn as much as possible from the experience, and then let it go so we can move on. If we do that, we may restore our happiness, and turn “bitter” into “better.” But since most of our painful experiences involve others, it generally means we have to forgive someone. If we’ve been hurt deeply, that may be difficult. But bitterness will destroy our lives if we let it fester. If we want to move forward, we must do everything required – including forgive.

There are people in this life who don’t care if they hurt others as long as they get what they want. It’s very difficult to be in relationships with them, and if we are, we will probably get hurt. They can only see themselves. They often talk a good line, tell others how much they care, and even pretend to be supportive, but in the end they only serve themselves. It’s doubtful they will feel shame or remorse. They are only concerned with what they want and what they need. If we have someone like that in our lives and they hurt us, we may try to explain our pain to them, and try to make them change. But we can’t change others no matter how hard we try. We can only change ourselves. We have to move forward from where we are. We have the power to let things go, to move on, and become stronger, and more resilient because of our experiences. We have the power to control our lives and make them happy.

Today if you’re dealing with pain from something that’s happened, do everything you can to make things right, and then let it go. Your life is too valuable to waste on unhappiness. You are in control of yourself and you can be happy. You are strong, and perfectly capable of managing this. You’ve been through trials before and survived. You can do anything you want. Do what you must to move through this, and begin again.

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