Top Ten Ways To Be Happy
by Lenora Boyle
I believe that everyone wants to feel happier -- sometimes they just don't know
where to begin. So here are ten sure-fire ways to increase your happiness
quotient - and achieve your goals more easily than before!
1. Don't expect perfection from yourself or anyone else. Don't forget this is
planet Earth. And don't expect perfection in working these happiness tips,
either. Lean into them everyday, and your life can change. Progress is good
enough.
2. Accept. Stop judging. When we judge ourselves, our circumstances, or other
people, it leaves no opening to settle into and accept "what is." If your
circumstances seem too severe to accept, try to resist less. And less. You will
give yourself emotional space to move toward acceptance and change at the same
time. Sounds like a contradiction, but that's the beauty. It isn't.
3. Stay in the present. Do not waste time and energy regretting the past or
worrying about the future. Worry is a drain. We might think that worry teaches
us or motivates us, but calm presence is the best source of happiness, wisdom,
and positive action.
4. Be grateful. When we put our attention on all the good in our lives, the good
tends to increase. Remember to be thankful for the small blessings, the everyday
things. At the University of California at Davis, psychologist Robert Emmons
found that those who wrote in a "gratitude journal" weekly experienced better
health, more energy, and for patients with neuromuscular disease, less pain and
fatigue. The more they found to be grateful for and the more detail they
described in their journals, the greater benefits they experienced.
5. Decide to be happy. Having the intention to be happy, regardless of current
circumstances, attracts conditions that support you. The old saying that "like
attracts like" even works with your intentions. They act like a magnet and draw
to you more of what you are already resonating. If you want to be happy, make
happiness your first desire.
6. Be self-authorized Stop making choices based on what others believe you
should do, think, or be. Stay true to your own innate knowing of what is best
for you. Speak your truth in a kind manner. Let others be responsible for their
reactions.
7. Choose how you feel. We often say that something or someone "made" us feel a
certain way. And yet, as we watch people react so differently to the same event,
we see with our own eyes that people choose how they feel. Learn to pause. Take
a moment to choose how you wish to react and feel. You may be surprised at how
much leeway you have!
8. Examine your beliefs. Often things in our life we accept as facts are really
self-defeating beliefs. Once you find these beliefs are not true, they will
shift and dissolve. Beliefs influence every decision you make.
9. Expand your options Allow for more possibilities in the present and future,
regardless of past experience. Drop the word "can't" from your self-talk. Allow
yourself to dream big. On a weekly basis, write down all your desires, and let
the sky be the limit. No one has to see this list but you!
10. Create what you desire Rather than putting all your energy into pushing away
the things you don't want, direct your energy into creating what you do want.
Come up with even just one action step - and then the next - and start building
the life you desire.
Happiness is worth your time and attention because feelings affect every choice
you make, every action and reaction. They, along with the hidden self-defeating
beliefs that underlie them, create your life. They affect your brain chemistry,
your immune system, your ability to fight disease, and your longevity. They can
make the difference between creating a relationship of mutual acceptance and
respect, or going your separate ways.
So, go ahead, dive in. Don't feel guilty for wanting more happiness. As Robert
Louis Stevenson said, "By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the
world." And ourselves.
Lenora Boyle, Director of Option Central, specializes in helping clients
dissolve self-defeating beliefs. Receive Emotional Freedom Tips and learn more
about our TeleClasses, and workshops now by visiting
www.ChangeLimitingBeliefs.com