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How do we accomplish this? There is a
simple way that we can do at the start of our day. As we wake up
each morning, we decide that our day will be as happy and
stress-free as we hope it would be. The first thing to do is we ask
ourselves, "What do I wish for today?" Feel the desire and then
remember that whatever we wished for, we will surely get it as long
as we try to make it happen. Ask from God/the Universe and we can
never go w rong.
Master the Boomerang
Principle of Happiness
Ever considered using a
boomerang to explain how to spread more happiness?
The
Boomerang Principle is based on the idea that a smile is always
returned. Try doing this activity on a busy location. Establish eye
contact with a person (choose non-aggressive persons!) and just
flash those pearly whites. Most of the time, that person will smile
back.
There is wisdom in smiling. Smiling
always stirs pleasant feelings. A simple smile effectively
communicates our happiness to others. It also makes people to feel
good about themselves and encourages them spread the pleasant
feeling. Rabbi Nachman puts it this way, "Always wear a smile. The
gift of life will then be yours to give."
Live a Life Full of Love
Everybody
wants to love and be loved by others. If we want to have a happy and
harmonious home life, we have to get along well with the people
around us and earn their trust and respect.
We can get
involved in social and community affairs, and this can result in
having happy interactions with other people. Making a difference in
the lives of people, who are virtual strangers, can give us a deep
feeling of happiness. We can do this by volunteering our time,
effort, and money in various causes.
Engage in Enjoyable Work
Work does not seem a burden
when we are having fun. Working, while having fun, is most
rewarding. If we love what we do, it will not feel like we are
working at all. If we are not satisfied with our job, we look for
more interesting and challenging work. Of course, we all want to
make a good living but more than that, we truly have to enjoy our
occupation or profession to be able to do it on a sustained
basis.
Research findings from the Claremont Graduate
University pointed out, "Life satisfaction occurs most often when
people are engaged in absorbing activities that cause them to forget
themselves, lose track of time, and stop worrying." In fact, they
have coined the word "flow" to describe this phenomenon.
This
phenomenon is described as "People in flow may be sewing up a storm,
doing brain surgery, playing a musical instrument or working a hard
puzzle with their child. The impact is the same: A life of many
activities in flow is likely to be a life of great satisfaction ….
And you don't have to be a hotshot to get there."
University
of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman and author of the
book Authentic Happiness have this to say, "Flow stretches someone
but pleasurably so, not beyond his capacity. People feel best when
doing what they do best."
Achieve Financial Independence
Being
financially independent means being free from money worries.
Likewise, it means not having to depend on others for livelihood. It
is having enough money in the bank that can support our lifestyle
once we decide to retire. The act of saving and efficient management
of our investments throughout our working lives will eventually
bring us to happiness. For some this is the point where they will
never have to work again.
Go for Inner
Peace
Peace of mind is essential for one to be
happy. Inner peace is reflected in the face. We become more relaxed
and stress-free. Having peace of mind also means better over-all health.
When we are healthy -- physically, mentally, and emotionally -- our
relationships with the people around us tend to get better. The
greater our over-all peace of mind, the more likely we will achieve
happiness. Focus on the Trio of
Happiness
The trio of happiness: Gratitiude,
Forgiveness and Altruism
Current trends show that
more and more people engage in writing "Thank You Journals".
Psychologists explain that daily expressions of gratitude have a lot
to do with life satisfaction. "Talking and writing about what
they're grateful for amplifies adults' happiness," they
report.
We can try one simple activity with our
journal. Select a blank page and write on the first line "My
Strengths (Things that I am Thankful For)". In the succeeding lines,
write down as many positive things as we can think of about
ourselves and about circumstances surrounding us. This activity need
not be completed in one sitting. We should keep the list to read
over and continue adding to it. The journal is one effective tool
which keeps our focus on what is positive about ourselves, others,
and life in general, instead of dwelling on the
negative.
Another option is to keep a diary, which is a
wonderful way to reminisce good times. More importantly, it is a
reminder that bad times don't last. Some people include photos in
their diaries and journals. Looking at happy times and old friends
induces the feeling of joy.
Another trait strongly
associated with happiness is forgiveness. It is associated with
feelings of inner peace. University of Michigan
psychologist Christopher Peterson says, "It's the queen of all
virtues, and probably the hardest to come
by."
Altruistic acts boost happiness in the giver.
This need not come in the form of donating money. It can be as
simple as volunteering our time, service, and skills for notable
causes. There is joy in giving.
Ninth key to happiness:
Happiness is enhanced by the feelings of love and
appreciation!
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