Feeling Good in 60 secs

Another thing that I learnt is to smile in adversity. Mind you. Its not as easy as it sounds but it is definitely worth the effort.

I read somewhere, when you are smiling its impossible to feel bad. Try it. Put a smile on your face right now, and hold it for 60 seconds. A whole sixty seconds.

During that sixty seconds, you might laugh at yourself. You might guffaw, but you'll never think a bad thought. It's really impossible to feel sad when you are smiling ;-)

If you cant get to holding your smile for sixty seconds, dont worry. It comes from practise. Think of lifes happy moments and look in that mirror near you. Look at that corners of your mouth curling up slowly. There you are, I got you smiling, haven't I?

Do it once tomorrow, twice the day after, thrice next day and so on. In the end  you'll learn to smile thorugh the day and even in adversity.

Feeling Good for nothing is easy to practise.  

Happiness & Moving on - Part2

You may wonder, dear reader, why the same title. Well, I thought it appropriate to put it here because of some events that happened over the last few days.

This blog was started as a record of my Search for Happiness. From the time I started this I've had glimpses of what I thought was Happiness only to realize that it was only an illusion.

Again, now, I'm on the threshold of discovering something more that might just be the stimulant I need to pick me up and take me further. It's a new found friend. This person has an uncanny resemblance to the friend I lost. Right down from the name to the similarities in their lives and family structures.

Meanwhile God is upto his tricks again. I have learned to believe that it is pointless to look back down the road we travelled, especially if it were strewn with unpleasant memories. I had text message in my phone the other day from a school friend. He said we'd lose sight of new opportunites on the road ahead if we kept looking back over our shoulder expecting a missing past to return. I thought it was perfect for my life.

For the past few weeks I've been keeping my eyes peeled on the road ahead. I don't want to miss the slightest chance to be Happy!!

I found a new friend and we seem to have hit of from the start. It was only then I realized that my past was going to haunt me again. You see, my new friend has the same name as my lost friend!

Not satisfied with watching me squirm God had another cheeky trick to play on me. I 'm about to launch a new venture and the day, chosen by the family, for the launch was based on traditional beliefs. It was much later that I realized, when I looked at the calander, the day was certainly very auspicious but the date was a slap in the face. It was the birthday of my lost friend.

I told my new friend that God has a twisted sense of humour. That certainly was a double whammy.

God can be really funny sometimes. He wants me to move on but wants me to hang on to the past!!

Happiness & Moving on

This was in my mailbox. Perhaps a 'wake up' call. Read on fellow traveler and follow the link.......

"..Life doesn't always go according to plan, but with the right attitude and skills, you can persevere through even the toughest situations - and emerge stronger and better than ever.


The Five Commitments

When life blindsides you, it feels like you've been knocked off your path and into a ditch. What determines whether you stay in the ditch or climb out is how you choose to think about your circumstances while you are going through them. To climb out of the ditch and step onto a level path, you need to come to an agreement with yourself, to make a personal commitment that will transform your thinking and, ultimately, your life.

So as we begin this journey together, I ask you to commit to five simple rules about your thinking. No matter what your circumstances, the Five Commitments will serve as guiding principles for ever)' step of your recovery, preventing you from straying onto paths of doubt or despair.

Commitment 1: I Will Not Feel Sorry for Myself For a person who has suffered a setback, few things are more debilitating than self-pity. Feeling sorry for yourself makes you a victim rather than a victor. Worse, self-pity gives you an excuse to stay right where you are - to let regret and fear hold you hostage. Certainly there is a time to be sad and a time to mourn; these are appropriate, healthy responses to a setback. But there is no time to wallow.

Commitment 2: I Will Not Stare at the Closed Door

Letting go of the past is a necessary precursor to moving forward. It is tempting to think fondly of what used to be - to believe that life cannot be fulfilling or worthwhile without that relationship, that job, that role, that measure of success you've now lost. If you are so focused on staring at the closed door that you refuse to face forward, you'll never discover the open doors that lie ahead.

Commitment 3: I Will Dig Deep to Unearth All the Courage I Need Without courage, a person knocked off course and into a ditch will stay there. Being afraid of making a wrong move, getting hurt, being embarrassed, or facing the future will paralyze you from taking action. The comeback process requires you to muster a great deal of courage. You need courage to believe better days are ahead. You need courage to ask for help. You need courage to let go of the past and deal with the uncertainty of the future. You need courage to start over - to take steps forward despite your fears. You may want to post 1 Corinthians 16:13 somewhere you'll see it often: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."

Commitment 4: I Will Direct My Thoughts - My Thoughts Will Not Direct Me

The difference between those who come back strong and those who wither is how they think - or, more precisely, how well they are able to manage self-sabotaging thoughts. Later we'll look more closely at the significant ways your thoughts influence your mood, motivation, and actions. For now, keep in mind this key principle: resilient people choose to think differently. They believe they can bounce back, and that belief leads them to take positive action toward their recovery.

Commitment 5: I Will Choose to Relieve All Things Work Together for Good

In the midst of a storm, it can be hard to believe anything good will come. But it will. Sometimes it takes years to see what God is doing in a particular situation, but with patience, time, and faith, the good becomes more obvious. Choosing to believe that God is orchestrating the final outcome for good can provide the motivation you need to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.

 Read through the Five Commitments once more, and then make them part of your own personal comeback plan. To signify your commitment, photocopy the section below, then sign it to establish your pact with yourself. Post this contract wherever it will serve as a daily reminder of your choice to move forward......"

Thanks Valorie Burton
(Click on the link to read the full article) 

Happiness in Five Minutes

Life is crazy isn’t it? And sometimes being happy and content just seems impossible. Life is hard, long, and at times painful. But the good news is that it is possible to find joy and be happy. It really is. Here are a few tips that can change your dreary day into sunshine and smiles. And you can make that happen.

• Realize that rain falls. When you accept that life will and does get tough and sometimes for entire season you can smile. Sure ,what you are experiencing may be really painful and even difficult, but those very things can help you grow. Know that this life will be filled with hard things but strive to overcome them and look for the light on the other side. You really can smile even in a thunder storm. Remember that things don’t stay the same and seek to learn all you can about yourself and other people when life hurts and feels unfair.

• Smile at a stranger. Take the time to care about other people. Even people you don’t know. It really is true that even small things like smiling are not only helpful. They are contagious. Be kind to the grumpy salesperson, let the rude driver pass you and buy a coffee for the person you don’t even know. Why? Just because you can. Make the world a better place.

• Forgive and move on. Most of us carry around hurts from the past. Some are huge and some go way back into our childhood. But guess what? You gotta move on. Don’t dwell on the past. You don’t have to forget or give up boundaries to protect yourself from an unhealthy relationship but letting go and forgiving can do wonders to your heart. Realize all the wrong and hurt you have caused, yes maybe even back in elementary school. Give grace to people and let yourself heal and grow by forgiving.

• Slow down. We all move way too fast in life. Sure there is a lot to see and many responsibilities but busyness steals away from the simple joys of life. Take time to visit that grandparent, pick up the phone and call a friend you miss. Pause and see the new flowers budding in the middle of the city. Open a door for someone or simply slow down when walking to your next destination. Cancel meetings that don’t need to happen, hug that little one that is changing by the minute, sip your coffee and quit making your schedule so full. Enjoy the time you have been given. Life moves fast. Don’t miss it. You know there are no dress rehearsals so get it right the first time.

• Be grateful for where you are at. Even if you are in a terrible divorce, have been wronged by a boss, or are grieving a major loss, seek to find the good. It may feel impossible and against what you want to do but you can choose to focus on the positive. Even in the worst of situations there are things to be grateful for. How about a healthy child? Food to eat? A family or even one person who loves you? Be happy and thankful for the big and small things you have in life. If you focus on what isn’t or what you don’t have you will only make life exasperating and no fun. Each day seek to focus on what you have to be grateful for. In fact, why not make a journal. You can do that right now. List all you can rejoice about. It may be as simple as a new bloom on a flower, or a hot shower, but even these little things will help your heart enjoy the life you have been given.

Try these things and see that happiness is right in front of you!

Acknowledgement: Diane Johnson through the Self-Help Happiness Blog 

 

Happiness & Children

I'm back. It's been a rather long 'vacation' for me but such a cheerful one.

I've been with three children (besides others) between 5 and 12 and wondered at their ability to adapt and adjust with each other. I'm not telling you that there were no sore moments (there were plenty) but it is the ability of these little ones to put things behind in a jiffy and go forward in life as if nothing happened a few moments before.

We have to take a leaf out of their book and learn to wipe out unpleasant experiences out of out minds quickly. If it rankles it kills your Happiness for the entire day. For example; I was walking with my hand over my son's shoulder to our room at the resort. a few moments before his little cousin had adamantly refused to return his Nintendo and insisted he not even watch her play. Obviously upset he came to me with a little drop of tear in the corner of his eye. "Why is she so selfish, papa?", he enquired, "It's my Nintendo". I hugged him and told him, "You are the nicest brother she'll have but remember she's still too small to understand". I told him that we'd go watch movies on my laptop instead.

As we walked down the paved path to our room the little girl who usurped his Nintendo ran past us. Before I could tell her to slow down, she tripped and fell. No major injury except a slightly grazed knee and a massively hurt ego! She was bawling by the time we got to her.

Before I could bend down to pick her up my son was on his knees hugging her and comforting her. He picked her up, dusted her frock, gently blew the dust off her bruised knee and hugged her. "It's Ok. I'll punish this bad stone", he said and stomped on the pavement. The two off them walked off together, hand in hand, the argument over the Nintendo forgotten.

I had a lump in my throat as I bent down to pick up the offending Nintendo that had fallen from my niece's hand into the bushes beside the path.

All's well that ends well. 

Perhaps we all need to become children once again to learn to forget and forgive. Happiness will sprout from such moments when we can put aside differences and work together.

After all, Life is a Compromise. 

Happiness & Life rules

Got this from a Blog and I find it makes a lot of sense.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair – get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room..

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. *This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. *Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one..

Happiness & Holidays

It's been a long gap between posts and will be a little longer.

Guess why? Holiday season.

There is nothing better than having sisters, cousins, nephews & nieces swarming all over the house to add to the cheerfullness. I love holidays and my son loves it too. It's an endless series of adventures for everyone and my laptop lies forgotten.

We are leaving on a trip starting Thursday. Hopefully, Monday next will see us back at home unless Wanderlust grows wings on our feet and takes us farther. I'll be carrying this hardware but I know it'll be excess baggage!! Where will I find time to blog when a horde of God's little creations  crawl all over their "Favourite Person in the World",   ........ ME!!

I'm busy spreading Happiness here, I'll be back soon.

P.S: I was rummaging through my bookshelf and I discovered, hidden behind all my new acquistitions, a lovely little book. BEING HAPPY by Andrew Matthews. More on that later.

Have a Happy Holiday folks & watch this space.