Top 10 Secrets for Being HAPPY!

One of my favorite songs is Bobby McFerrin’s refrain, "Don’t Worry, Be Happy". I recently had the opportunity to observe people’s reactions when a highway was closed because of an accident ahead. As we waited, I watched as some listened to radios, a few began tossing a Frisbee, other’s seemed to be working or reading, and some opted for a quick nap. But, there were also a handful who were clearly agitated and angry. Pacing about, swearing, and upset, they decided that the best response to this event, which none of us could control, was to be very unhappy. I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s comment that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." The following are my Top 10 Tips to increase happiness in your life:

1. Decide to be a happy person. As Lincoln observed, most people, most of the time, can choose how stressed or happy, how troubled or relaxed they want to be. Choose to be happy.

2. Watch and Read less news. As a recovering news addict, I know this can be difficult because the stock market fluctuates, politicians politic, and sports teams compete. But, most of the time, you don’t need the stress. So, just don’t watch. I think it was Henry Thoreau who noted that if you’ve ever read about a train wreck, you understand the principle and don’t need to know any more about it.

3. Practice the Attitude of Gratitude. We all have so much to be grateful for. Just thanking the many people who assist us, encourage us, teach us and open doors for us could take all day!

4. Take Time. My dog has taught me much about loyalty, about noticing the sights, sounds, and smells in the yard, about being relaxed and about play. Eat when you’re hungry, nap when you need it. Get your ears scratched whenever possible!

5. Laugh everyday. Hear a joke, tell a joke, laugh at yourself, laugh with your friends and family and co-workers. There are very few medicines as powerful as laughter, and I don’t think you can over-dose, although it is addicting!

6. Love well. Express your affection, appreciation, friendship and warmth to those around you, and they will almost always respond in the most amazing ways! Be generous…it pays great dividends!

7. Work hard. This one comes as a bit of a surprise, but there is tremendous satisfaction in being competent, and joy in completing our assigned tasks. One of the great sources of happiness is to do work that is worthy of you, and to do it well.

8. Learn something new, everyday. To be happy, most of us must also be growing, expanding, learning and challenging ourselves. Read, listen, adapt and stretch to accommodate new ideas and new information.

9. Use your body as it was designed. Walk and run, stretch, throw things, and lift things. Dance! Exercise is good, but so is making love, mixing up a batch of cookies, or exchanging backrubs. You have a body and it can be either a source of joy, or a source of aches and pains. Your choice.

10: Avoid toxins. I prefer writing positives (things to do) rather than negatives (things to fear), but reality says there are negative people and there are bad chemicals, stressful noises, and unsafe places. Don’t go there! Avoid poisons whenever possible. It seems to work out better that way.

© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com

Choosing Happiness

Ever heard someone say,”…so-in-so is great, but I’m just not happy?” Or have you ever wondered why you just couldn’t seem to find happiness? Read on to learn how you can choose to be happy.

Happiness is something you have to “choose” to be. A person could have all the money in the world, and still be unable to acquire what it is they really want, and ultimately remain unhappy. A person could be surrounded by all their friends and loved ones, and still be lonely. And, a person could have to eat bugs to survive, in a cold, wet prison cell, and still be happy to eat those bugs, and happy to be alive. This person has gratefully accepted their surroundings, and has found some good or greater meaning in it, making the experience more pleasurable. This person chose to be happy with what they had, by being mindful of the moment, recognizing the potential it may have.

Getting into the habit of being happy is easy. The first step is learning to appreciate your blessings, seeing the good or greater meaning of things. This requires that you become more aware of your five senses. How else could the smell of freshly baked cookies cheer up your woefully dreary day? How else could the faint sound of your sleeping child’s breathing ease you into your own peaceful resting state? We need to use our senses to become more aware of our surroundings, and accept them. It’s then that we can change our surroundings to become more pleasing to us. This could include some small, but significant changes, like placing candles by the bathtub, or buying a special lamp for your reading area.

Scientific research suggests that colors play an important role in one’s moods. Light green and orange seem to make people feel happier, whereas red makes them feel hungry. Many people have been hiring interior decorators as part of their strategy for feeling better, as interior decorators have studied colors, patterns, layouts, etc., and they use these factors to create a comfortable living area, tailor-fit to your needs. Just remember to research your interior designer, and be frugal. The positive effect that redesign brings, needn’t be boggled down by guilt from over-doing it. The idea is to do things that make you feel good. It won’t make you feel good if you overspend, or overindulge. But it will make you feel good if you shopped around, and you got the best deal, completely fitting all your needs.

Again, awareness is the key to happiness. After you have become aware of yourself and surroundings, you can choose to be appreciative and happy. If you would like even more self-improvement information, please visit my site listed below.

Author: Cheryl Hammer My Website: http://www.hammersmagicalsecrets.com/

Happiness Is A Natural State of Mind - Claim Yours

Happiness seems to be elusive for many people. We are asked, “What makes you happy?” as if something can make us happy. Have you watched an infant or a young child? They seem quite ‘happy’ to just ‘BE’—no matter what they are doing—they are happy. They are in awe of the world and experience joy with each discovery and accomplishment. Yes, I know children are given every toy imaginable, but the child would be just as happy to have a spoon and metal pan to bang on. Of course children fuss or cry when they are tired, hungry or bored, but while they are physically comfortable and nutritionally satiated, they are ‘happy’ just being.

Unfortunately, when children learn to walk and talk they are told to ‘sit down and shut up’—i.e. they are subjected to an endless barrage of criticism from those around them. As a result, their psyche becomes filled with negative thoughts that prevent them from experiencing happiness. Children then resort to looking for things outside themselves for happiness—the next toy or thing.

The majority of people arrive into adulthood believing that something will make them happy, such as: when they graduate; when they are twenty-one; when they get a job or get a new job; when they find the right husband/wife; when they buy a bigger or faster car, buy a bigger house, when they get promoted; when they retire, and so on. Happiness, thus, becomes an elusive goal that is anticipated some time in the future. But happiness is not contingent on things or events; it is not a destination, but a state of being. It is not meant to be experienced in the future, but at this very moment, NOW—Right Now! Our past is dead and our future is unborn. The only time we live is now. So, the place to be happy is here; the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make everything we do a moment of awe and wonder, just as you experienced everything as a child.

To regain our natural state of Happiness we need to RELEASE the negativity that clogs our mind. When this is done, we will be free to re-experience our natural state of happiness. It is not what we have, but who we are; not what we possess, but what we enjoy.

How do you get rid of the negativity in your mind? It would be wonderful if the brain had a delete key like a computer. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Therefore, we need to be mindful of everything we think and say. For what we think and say is how we create our reality. The way to create a new reality—state of mind—is to STOP the old tapes and feed our minds with more nutritional information. We need emotional and spiritual sustenance for the mind, a.k.a vitamins for the mind. Read good books—there are many excellent titles to choose from.

I will recommend the books I find the most helpful.

• You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Peter McWilliams

• The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck

• Conversations With God – Book I, II, III, Neale Donald Walsch

• Friendship With God, Neale Donald Walsch

• The Power of Unconditional Love, Ken Keyes

• How to Know God: The Soul's Journey Into the Mystery of Mysteries, Deepak Chopra, M.D.

• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra, M.D.

• Love Is Letting Go Of Fear, Gerome Jampolsky, M.D.

• The 7 Habits of Successful People, Steven Covey

• The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life, Deepak Chopra, M.D.

• The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, speaker and inspirational leader. Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

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