wp_head()

Happiness Comes From the Inside, 5 Ways to be Happy Right Now

01313073287_bigstockphoto-business-people-blog.jpgWhat does it take to be happy?

This is question that many many people find themselves asking, and as we ramble through this journey called life we may need a little help to keep that smile on our face and that spring in our step. More than once I have asked myself what it takes to be happy and in all my searching I have found a few distinct truths that come alive and as simple as they may seem offer an opportunity to be happy with yourself all the time, even when the chips are down.

Here are 5 simple ways to get happy right now, and to stay that way, these aren’t pump you up sorts of techniques, but they are real things you can do to change how you feel and make you feel much happier;

1-Do something nice for someone else

This is one of the fastest most effective ways to get happy fast, go out and do something kind for someone else, it can be as simple as giving a compliment or taking someone to lunch, or even stopping your car and helping that person on the side of the road. Service to others helps us remember that there are people everywhere have a need for something that you have got, and feeling needed is important to so many people.

2- Change your posture

This may seem a little ridiculous at first, but this has been one of the best ways for me to go from stress to happiness quickly, sit up straight, take a deep breath in and put a big old goofy smile on your face, you can literally feel the tension that is in your chest melt away, and it is replaced with a sense of well being and dare I say confidence that you can get through anything.

3- Read a good book, or even a few pages of something positive

If you are a religious person, turn to whatever religious text helps you to see things in a good way, two of my favorite passages come from The Bible, one is found in Proverbs 16:20 and reads “…whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” And the other is found in Psalms 46:10 and says “Be still and know that I am God” These 2 short sayings help me know that I have a greater purpose, and that I am meant to be happy, not miserable. If you are not a believer in any religious texts I would suggest finding something that brings you peace of mind.

4- Tell someone that you love them

Now this may fall into the service category, but I think it merits its own section, think of someone you love, someone that you haven’t told in a while that you love them. Give them a call, write them a letter, or go visit them and say the words “I Love You.” The key point is to say those exact words, don’t try and say anything else, just simply “I Love You.” It’s a little uncomfortable for a lot of people at first, but it will warm your heart immediately and help you feel happy.

5- Remember that happiness is first

This may seem the strange part, but often people will put qualifiers in front of what will make them feel happy, people will say things like, “when I get that promotion, I’ll be happy” or “when I find my soul mate, Then I’ll be happy” but that is not how it works at all. Happiness starts inside of you and then radiates out to the things that you do, a bold statement I often make to people is, “there is nothing in the world outside of you that can make you happy or sad.” All that I mean by that is that you choose each moment of each day how you will respond to your life, and certainly you have the ability to choose happiness of all the negative emotions you often find yourself burdened down with. You have the ability to choose happiness and peace instead of anguish, it’s a very simple concept that can seem very difficult, but give it a try, just try to choose happiness.

We are not powerless, we have the ability to master all of our emotions and that includes choosing happiness, you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain, why not give happiness a try?

Proactive People Versus Reactive People

21313073288_peoplearoundtheworldholdinghands.jpgWhether you choose to believe it or not, being proactive is among one of the most important traits of successful people. It allows anyone, in under any circumstance, to choose what kind of life they have or will have in the future. This is a far stretch from reactive people, which in my opinion, are the exact opposite.
The difference between proactive people and reactive people is that proactive people take action, they take initiative, and they come up with ideas to get things done despite the conditions they are in. Reactive people, on the other hand, usually are the ones to react to a situation rather than take initiative to create a situation. Thus, they are constantly under the influence of the conditions around them, stopping them from taking action and getting things done.
An example of this might be today’s economy.
Related Coverage
Real Home Security Cameras Versus Fake: The Pros And Cons

When it comes to home security, it is always important to remember that the average residential burglary is a crime of opportunity. This means that the burglar has not necessarily been casing your house for months before attempting entry, but has likely had a close eye on your property for a least a couple days or hours before entering. What is he or she looking for? There is a need for good cover. Goldendoodles Versus Purebred Dog Health

There’s a perception among individuals that mixed breed and hybrid dogs are healthier than purebred dogs. Is there a such thing as “hybrid vigor” ?? While this theory has never been scientifically proven, it’s plausable. Genetic disorders do seem to occur more often than not, in purebred dogs. But now that certain Goldendoodle breeders are taking their dogs down the slippery slope, this “hybrid vigor” may not stand a chance if the breeder isn’t careful. Self Control and Will Power Versus Out of Control

Some teens find themselves rebelling from all authority. This can be a very scary time for both the teen and the parent(s). Understanding Cheap Versus More Expensive Espresso Machines

It’s no secret that espresso makers range dramatically in price from $20 for a stovetop maker to $100 to even $1000 for a standalone espresso maker. First, you should not immediately cast aside the stove top espresso maker as a cheap imitation.The economy has been worse than ever since last year. There are many people who do nothing but react to the economy in unhealthy and negative ways, but do nothing about. They might complain all day about how bad the economy is in laying off people, how bad it is on home foreclosures, how bad it is on their business, and how it’s only going to get worse from here on out. They react by letting the social conditions of news media effect what they can do, by falling into sorrow or anger as well as passing on a negative vibe to others around them.
In a bad economy, proactive people realize that economy is out of control, but they do not go into an obsessive panic mode. They take a look at the situation and ask themselves what they will do to respond to the situation in the best way that they can. They look at the situation from different angles and choose the most appropriate method. In the meantime, they also create new ideas to help solve the problem at hand. It doesn’t necessarily mean that their solution will always work, but they don’t sit around waiting, wallowing in sorrow and fear; they find a way to do something about it.
What about this example – relationship breakups? I’m sure you’ve had to deal with a close friend that desperately needed your help at bedside because they just went through a painful breakup with a lover. Most everybody has gone through a breakup at one point in their lives and understands how badly it can hurt. The thing is, usually if the relationship means a lot to them, people will just react in a wide range of hurtful emotions like anger, jealousy, and depression, resulting in self-destructive behavior. They lock themselves up their room, cry for days, and shut themselves away from friends, family, and the public for weeks, months, maybe even an entire year.
Proactive people are the opposite. When they go through a breakup, they swallow up the pain and the agony. They realize that they have a choice to either dwell in misery for a long period time, or choose a different path to grow and to be stronger, to get their life settled once again, to go and meet other new and interesting people, to change their life for the better. They understand that a breakup, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that big of a deal and do not wait for something miraculous to happen, like the lover coming back, or for someone nearby to take care of them. They learn from their mistakes, accept the consequences, and move forward.
The main difference between proactive and reactive is that proactive realize the situation that they are in and do something about it, while reactive people react to the situation but usually do nothing about. So, which are you?
If you’re in a situation right now that you are not particularly fond of, or you have some problems in the back of your mind that you have always wanted to settle but never have, stop waiting for more time to pass you by. Be proactive about it and jump right into what feels uncomfortable – yes, uncomfortable.
You must realize you whatever in life you want, you can have; whatever you want to be, you can be. But you will have to step out of your comfort zone and take that first step into uncomfortable territory – something that most reactive people will not do. You have the responsibility to choose how to respond during unwanted circumstances, and ultimately, you have the ability to make things happen. Be driven by the things you value in life, not controlled by the feelings you get from life’s conditions, and you’ll see yourself becoming more and more like the proactive person that you are.

Ways to Pursue Happiness

11313073198_oldpeepsyoungpeeps.jpgCopyright (c) 2008 Karin Marcus

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. US Declaration of Independence

Every year come July, we celebrate our wonderful and unique Declaration of Independence. I live right outside Philadelphia and frequently drive by the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, so this document is near and dear to me on many levels. One phrase that I have been thinking about lately is “the pursuit of happiness.” As a Life Coach and Retreat Leader, much of my work is helping people define what happiness means to them and how to invite it into their lives. So what does it mean that it is our God given right to pursue happiness.

Webster’s Dictionary defines pursuit as “the act of following with haste either in sport or in hostility.” Obviously, that isn’t what our fore fathers were referring to as an inalienable right. Constantly chasing after something inherently implies never achieving it and going after it in the spirit of competition and enmity is to me the antithesis of harmony and happiness.

Looking further, I learned that at the time this document was written, the word pursue commonly meant “to practice regularly, to make a habit.” That rang a bell with me. I’ve been reading about the brain’s plasticity and neuroscientists now believe that the brain can rewire itself to think, feel, and act in different ways. Dr. Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin has even said, “Based on what we know of the plasticity of the brain, we can think of things like happiness and compassion as skills that are no different from learning to play and instrument or tennis… it is possible to train our brains to be happy.” Habitual thoughts and behaviors have worn groves in the neural pathways of our brain. The pursuit of happiness, therefore, means practicing happiness regularly, making it a habit, and reprogramming our brains by creating new emotional pathways.

Another common misbelieve is that happiness is a result of the perfect external conditions, achievements, and acquisitions. Not far from Independence hall, at the University of Pennsylvania, Martin Seligman’s work in the field of Positive Psychology has shown that actually only 10% of our capacity for happiness is dependant upon external circumstances! 50% percent of our happiness propensity is genetic and 50% is learned. Of the 50% learned, only 10% is determined by our circumstances. The other 40% is determined by our habitual thoughts, feeling, words, and actions. That 40% is what we have to power to change!

So how can we learn to be happy? It takes practice, practice, practice. Here are three exercises to get started: the POH of the Pursuit of Happiness

1. Power of positive thinking: Choose to stop your negative self talk. You have about 60,000 autonomic thoughts a day. 95% of these thoughts are the same thoughts you had yesterday, and the day before that. 80% of these habitual thoughts are negative! Our negative self-talk is so powerful, it overwhelms all other input. It therefore takes numerous positive experiences to overcome a single negative one. You know not to believe everything you read. Well, don’t believe everything you think either. Every time you start brow beating yourself, choose to consciously flip the switch and instead give voice to your true self that knows you’re competent, intelligent, motivated, and good. For each negative thought, state three positive qualities that you possess and start creating a new neural pathway.

2. Open your heart and share the best of you with others: Some people mistakenly believe that prioritizing ones own happiness is self indulgent but it’s quite the contrary. Happy people are more giving, outgoing, flexible and creative, where as unhappy people are more self-consumed and socially withdrawn. So which comes first the chicken or the egg? Does serving others make you happy or does being happy better enable you to be of service? What difference does it make! Just reach out and start giving!

3. Honor the Self: Be gentle and forgiving toward your self. Practice self kindness. You cannot give what do you not have or have never experienced. First, you need to compassionatly embrace your Self; that means unconditionally loving and approving of your innermost being. This is the keystone that supports all gateways toward personal growth, fulfillment, and happiness.

Aristotle said, “Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” True happiness is not a fleeting pleasure but a sense of wholeness, fulfillment, and the glorious blossoming of our innate potential. This is our inalienable right as human beings and to pursue that end is our duty.

wp_footer()