8 Considerable Reasons To Develop A Sense Of Humor

If you have an interest in enhancing your health, brain, social life, and state of mind, attempt to laugh more. Having a good sense of humor is beneficial to several elements of your life. A well-developed sense of humor has incredible advantages. Chuckling and smiling aren't frivolous activities. So, stop being so serious and discover why humor is so important.

A sense of humor has numerous benefits:

1. Reinforce your health. The more you laugh, the less regularly you'll be sick. Studies have actually revealed that laughing enhances the body's immune system. It likewise decreases your risk of high blood pressure, which is great for your heart and brain. It's possible that laughter can lower your medical costs.

2. A funny bone is attractive. Who does not like to laugh? We're instinctively drawn to individuals that laugh easily. Everybody wants to have fun and release their stress.

If you're enjoyable to be with and you understand ways to make others laugh, you'll find yourself surrounded by others who likewise have a common sense of humor.

3. Reduce stress. Day-to-day living can be pretty demanding. There are lots of ways to relieve tension, however few feel as good as a good laugh. With a common sense of humor, it's easy to find various reasons to laugh about life. A great laugh will permit you to forget your difficulties for a little while.

4. Boost your mood. It feels great to laugh, and the good feelings can last for hours afterwards. Humor can reroute your focus from the negative happenings in your life to something more pleasurable.

5. Boost your social life. Whether you're trying to find brand-new friends or searching for the man or woman of your dreams, having a funny bone, or sense of humor, is important. Think about the most popular people you know. Are they upbeat and do they smile easily? Or do they do not have a good sense of humor?

6. Benefit others. Your state of mind, words, and actions affect those around you. When you're in a bad mood, it adversely affects others. Your smiling, pleased face and state of mind are uplifting and lighten up the moods of those around you.

7. Reinforce your relationships. Is it possible to have a relationship that would not take advantage of your sense of humor? Laughing together will bring you closer. You'll find that your relationships with your neighbors, pals, family, and coworkers take advantage of your ability to laugh and appreciate the lighter side of life.

8. Increase your intelligence. At the minimum, you'll learn more quickly. A study demonstrated that laughing stimulates the learning centers of the brain. Promoting those areas regularly is believed to boost the ability to learn and retain new information. Laughing might assist you to get a scholarship to Harvard.

Laughing is good for you. Your sense of humor effects your health, state of mind, social life, and those around you. They say that, "Laughter is the best medicine." Now you have a better understanding as to why that statement is true. Discover the humor in life and keep your state of mind light. There are no benefits to expecting the worst and experiencing negative moods.

Spend time with others who take pleasure in laughing. Make it a point to take pleasure in funny movies or watch your favorite comics. Your laughter helps you and those around you. Feel free to laugh more.

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How Happy Are You - What Makes You Happy? (By Anne O'Dwyer)

We are having some beautiful early autumn days with sun shinning, blue skies soft clouds and warm temperatures. It seems to make everyone brighter on days like this. It will certainly make winter seem shorter here in England!

However happiness is a state of mind, perhaps we should take control of our happiness besides enjoying the events that bring happiness we should find ways we can feel happier at a moments notice. Things like smiling, changing our tempo, moving faster and with purpose. Looking on the bright side of situations and remembering happy events and places we have enjoyed.

We could fill our environment with colours that appeal to us, wear beautiful colours, walk in nature, smell fresh-cut grass after the rain, or the great smell of baking on a cold day, or steaming soup. The sound of children laughing and playing, kittens chasing after a moth, let us enjoy these simple pleasures. There are so many things around us to make us feel happy if only we look at them.

Put away your drab clothes make this a sensual winter and evoke all your senses with the delights around you.

Next, consider are you happy in your work or chosen career; where you live, your current hobbies or lack of them! Do your friends make you laugh or do you pull each other down with stories of doom and gloom? Maybe its time to make some changes, find new friends or treat others better. Look for new hobbies that scare you a little but excite you a lot.

A few years ago I decided to rethink my life and began exploring working with a laptop. It didn't happen overnight but eventually we even bought a house in Spain so that we could winter in the sun and with my laptop I can work anywhere. Lucky really as having suffered ill-health for many months I have still been able to work on my laptop.

So maybe its time for you to evaluate your life too and make some plans for your future. If time freedom and working at home excites you Affiliate marketing is a simple way to start online. With the help and guidance of a coach providing great products and training you can begin earning commissions whilst you learn the techniques. I know this has helped me keep it simple. Working online is an exciting venture and is satisfying watching your business grow, you can begin part-time and develop as you wish.

So whatever it takes to make you happy enjoy what is around you, maybe make some plans and changes. Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous winter.

Books to inspire you:

"Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers

"Thank God It's Monday" by Charles Cameron and Suzanne Elusoe

"Do It! A Guide to Living Your Dreams" by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams

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It's a Fact of Life - Nobody Has An Easy Life

It's our human default to feel life should be easier than it is; we think we have a hard life. No matter how glitzy our social media looks, we all feel unfortunate, at least from time to time. But there are those who are genuinely unfortunate - those with a lot to lose and those with nothing left to lose.

Even the person who seems to have life easy has it hard. The unmotivated lazy person, for instance, isn't doing life easy, no matter how hard we're doing ours, even if they appear never to have to work hard. They have not only a tough present, where fear for the future controls them, their future really is laced with uncertainty.

The rich and 'blessed' person is no better off; their riches threaten to evaporate when fortunes change, and it's a biblical principle rooted in the truth of history that riches typically last three generations at most. The rich cannot secure their wealth for those coming after them. It depends on factors outside the realm of performance.

Then there is Joe You-and-Me. We run the gauntlet of life and we're blessed in the keeping up - but we must keep up, and that's stressful. Many days and many times during such days we feel life is unfair. We commonly look past many blessings, and that's because it's only within the capacity of hard work that blessings are commonly realised. We have to manage our fatigue, and where burnout is a possibility, coping measures must be learned, and that's an arduous trek!

Finally, there is the person who doesn't feel they struggle much at all, though if we were living their life we might disagree. Some of these people appear to live fortunate lives, but the operative word is 'appear'.

Everybody's life is hard. Nobody gets it easy. It's when we think some have it easy, we feel we have life especially hard. And that perception is fair on neither them nor us.

What helps us in our struggle is the knowledge that everyone has their struggle.

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Simple Ways to Be Happy Without the Fuss

All of us have a reason to be happy or a reason to dwell on something that brings us down. How about, considering some of the basic ways to get you on the right track to be happy without stressing over why you are not (happy). Here are a couple of tools staring you in the face to remove the gloom.

Family

Most of us take our families for granted and do not make the time to spend it with them. Friends, colleagues and social media contacts make for a fun experience. Down the line if you do not accept that your folks also have something to contribute, speaks the language that you are not giving, but expecting and just taking.

Let us take for instance, you unplug yourself from social media, plead time out with the friends and other contacts and stay at home. It may sound weird initially, especially if you enjoy meeting others and need your social media fix, but think about it, family also brings a lot to the table. A meal always unites and when you take the time to contribute - even if you do not cook, just laying the table, will make you feel better.

Talking with people, who know you better than you can imagine, while laughing over the silliness of the past and present is a great way to forget any unhappiness. Parents have a sense of knowing when you are down in the dumps. Irrespective of how old you are, good parents always know what their children need. Talking things over with them may even make the problem disappear, because they always have your back.

A Different Zone

You do not have to venture out, spend copious quantities of moolah on stuff that you do not need. Consider doing something different at home, or in a comfort zone that you are used to instead. How about gardening? You can change the landscape (figuratively and clinically speaking). Weeding away the roots is like removing the weeds of doubt on your mind. Each unwanted shrub that you throw away is like erasing all the worries that bog you down. Plant a couple of seeds, if you have any, or just rake the soil and add that personal touch.

Listen to something interesting - nothing soulful but music that calms the nerves or even something edgy. Sing along as you go, if you know the words, and even if you do not, just go with the flow. There is nothing like giggling away by yourself when you add your own words to a medley, since you do not have an audience, you get away with this secret! The pleasures of shopping have no bounds. If you are unhappy with your money situation, some retail therapy in the form of window-shopping also does the trick. Leave the credit card back home - you avoid temptation and unnecessary spending.

Head out to the movies, munch away on popcorn and immerse yourself in the plot unfolding before you. If you do not have the will to go out, television shows or even a nice movie on DVD works beautifully. Watch programs that are not dismal. Some people swear by horror movies to help them get out of their comfort zone. I prefer a good old-fashioned sweet love story that has a happy ending. Call friends over for a fun day. A group of positive friends is what you need not a self-help group thingy. Watch a reality show or a game and before you know it, unhappiness goes out the door. Cut back on any excessive booze or grub, but do not refrain from cracking up at silly jokes. Bring some of your own and add to the merry.

Should You Talk this over with Someone?

If you want to talk about your personal problems with someone because you feel that you are on the borderline to depression, get help at the earliest. A perpetual feeling of being down in the dumps is not healthy. Experts are there to help you find a solution to the problem. If you feel that, you can talk this over with someone you know, like a friend who does not blabber, go for it. A good friend is someone who will be with you through thick and thin and will help you get by without making you feel crappy. But, if you are on a cocktail of unhappiness and lack of interest, an expert will carve a niche for you.

In Sum

There are a variety of ways to help us maintain our happy space. Quite a number of people make a career of being unhappy. Chipper people have fallen prey because of association. That being said, easy methods are available in our paths to achieve the happiness that God destined us to have, as often as we want. The point is to reach out and make the most use of the tools that are reachable instead of opting for stuff that is way out of our reach.

Dwelling on an unhappy situation will keep you in the dumps for a long time. It may also be a cause for concern that leads you to depression. Try to think positive by doing something out of the box and you may find yourself a happier person. I have wrestled in the past with sad thoughts. Positive patterns helped me be the person that I was meant to be - without the stress.

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How Can I Be Happy When Circumstances Keep Me Depressed? (By Kenny Lee)

Lately, I've been answering a few questions on Quora.com that relates to depression. The common problem is people who are depressed wanted to feel happy, but they do not know how.

I know what's the feeling is like, being a victim of depression a couple of years back. It occurred after having a business failure and divorce back to back. Well, I would say one thing leads to another. Problems always have to tendency to attract another. Negative energy always attracts negative energy.

And when we do not have the answers to the problems. We slip into depression. Shutting off ourselves from the problems, the noise, and the emotional strain it caused us. In the process, we shut off people who cared for us, and indirectly shutting off the fountain of happiness within us.

The thing with depression is that most people do not even realise that they depressed. Until they showed extreme symptoms that would shock even themselves. It happened to me too. Having emotional roller coaster and bouts of anger outburst.

So, how do I break out of the endless downward spiral that depression pulled me into?

Eventually, I get bored with being sorry for myself. I've had enough of playing the victim. I knew that I could do better than being the complaining miserable soul. And with that, I decided to put a stop to all these negativity.

I took action. Positive affirmation became my daily routine. I've subscribed to as many positivity channels that I can get hold of on social media. I listened to motivational video clips. I enrolled into abundance energy healing program.

In short, I made a conscious decision to want happiness back in my life. And guess what after I've made all these changes for a few weeks consistently. New people appear in my life. New opportunities started to appear. And as things are taking a turn for the better, one day I decided to let happiness in.

Guess what I did? I forced myself to smile. Yes, it somehow invoked an emotional memory. It brought back the happy memories. And naturally, the smile open a pathway for happiness. And in the end, the smile is no longer forced but a genuine one.

Happiness Is A Skill

I believe in that now. And also the wisdom that €‹happiness is not something to be pursuit elsewhere. True happiness exists within ourselves. We just have to know the right way, and the intention to be happy again.

Does it solve my problem? Yes and No. NO, because it takes practical action to solve. And some of them may never be solved. YES. Because it lifts me out of depression. That by itself gave me a fresh perspective and a higher level of energy and confidence in facing the uphill battle.

Well, I guess I have to say, you can't be happy when circumstances keep you depressed. Because when you are happy, you are no longer depressed.

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Thoughts and Happiness

The principle for happiness is surprisingly simple to understand, yet difficult to attain. Just as when a sage was asked by a king about the guide to happiness, the sage explained that happiness can be achieved simply by abandoning evils, doing good and purifying the mind, whereupon the king exclaimed, "This is so simple that even an eight year old can understand it". "However," said the sage, "even an eighty year old man cannot practice it well".

This is not to say that happiness cannot be attained. It can be, but only with proper cultivation of the mind - and herein lies the challenge. It is simply not enough to abandon evils and do good, without cultivating the mind, for the cause of your happiness is your thoughts, as illustrated in the diagram below.

In fact, the cause of all your emotions - both happy and sad - is your thoughts. Like it or not, you have to gain mastery over your thoughts in order to gain the happiness you seek.

Seek First to Understand How Your Mind Works

Understanding how your mind works is crucial to mental cultivation. To understand how your mind works, you need to be able to look within your mind and be aware of all the thoughts that arise. This means you will need to be mindful of your thoughts and feelings.

1.  Mindfulness is an indispensable tool for self understanding. So, start training yourself to become more mindful - meaning to become more aware of your body, feelings and thoughts, and watching them in a non-judgmental or impersonal way. As you watch your body, feelings and thoughts, see how they affect each other. Examine their relationships with one another.

2.  Satisfy yourself with the accuracy of the observation that your thoughts affect your feelings, which in turn move you into actions (as shown in the earlier diagram). See how every positive emotion is preceded by a positive thought, and how this is true also with negative thought and emotion.

3.  Notice also that although external objects (people, things or events) may trigger an old memory or mental habit, it is your present state of mind that determines whether they may affect you in a particular way or not. This is called conscious living or living in the present moment. In karmic lingo, it is said that what you experienced outwardly is old karma, and how you experienced them inwardly is new karma. In short, you must recognize that while you cannot control what is outside, you can be in full control of what is inside - your thoughts. This insight puts you totally in charge and fully responsible for your own happiness (or sufferings).

4.  Recognize also this very important principle - what you feed becomes stronger, what you starve becomes weaker. This principle is what you will use to strengthen wholesome mental habits and weaken unwholesome mental habits. How do you feed your mind? You feed it by choosing what to focus on. Focus on what is wholesome, such as unconditional love, kindness, generosity, compassion, altruism, fair play. Discard what is unwholesome, such as fear, worries, anxiety, habitual speculation or making assumptions. It is important to recognize negative mental habits and remove or replace them with positive habits.

Some Observations about Thoughts

After you have examined your thoughts for a while, you will start to realize some things about your thoughts.

1. Your thoughts come and go according to certain causes and conditions. Specifically, thoughts are triggered by association between what you are in contact with now (people, things and events) and your past memories or experiences about them. From there, it proliferates according to your mental habits. Thus, the state of your mind when the impression or contact is made can greatly influence the outcome of your present experience.

2. Thoughts are NOT created equal. Some thoughts are more important and useful to you than others. However, you have the habit of treating all thoughts with the same urgency and importance, giving them equal weightage and attention. You need to change this habit.

3. In the ultimate sense, thoughts are empty of any intrinsic values except what you give to them. Thoughts are simply thoughts. They become real only when you believe in them.

4. There is no one to own the thoughts. They simply appear when certain causes and conditions are met. You personalize your thoughts and everything else in your life when you claim ownership over them.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Thoughts-and-Happiness&id=9468914

The Top Secret to Being Happy Forever: Science Says It Is Possible!

Is it possible to stay happy forever? Yes, theoretically it is absolutely possible to be always happy. Feeling happy (or any other feeling for that matter) is a result of chemicals produced by your body. There are two chemicals that can make you happy: dopamine and oxytocin. If you get happy on dopamine, it is only temporary. If you get happy on oxytocin, there is no limit to how long you can sustain it. Moreover, oxytocin-induced happiness turns on healthy genes, affects the microbiome in a positive way and helps cellular regeneration, among other things. Dopamine-induced happiness doesn't do any of that. So the goal is to make your body produce oxytocin rather than dopamine in order to sustain happiness.

Firstly, here is how you produce dopamine: You plan a shopping frenzy and start to get excited (dopamine starts to rise). You are at the mall, looking at wonderful shoes (dopamine raises even more). You try on the shoes and pick the ones you like (dopamine climaxes / you feel super happy). You swipe your credit card (dopamine starts to decrease / you start to look for the next stimulant to make you happy). I am not making this up. Studies have been documented on dopamine levels during shoe shopping expeditions and that's exactly the pattern of "high" and "low" that was observed.

For guys it looks like that: You plan your new car purchase (dopamine rises / the excitement starts building up). You are test driving your prospective new acquisition (dopamine rises more). You decide on the car you are going to buy (wow, dopamine levels are over the sky / you feel super happy). You sign the lease and there it goes again - the dopamine starts to wear off and with that your happiness starts to disappear too.

On a daily basis, we get our dopamine/happiness fix from coffee, chocolate, complements and approval from other people and other such stimulants. It feels good for a second and the next second we are looking for the next fix because the previous one just wasn't enough. What's more, the next dose of dopamine stimulation needs to be higher or else we won't feel its effect. Sounds familiar? Sounds exhausting? It is definitely not sustainable because you are always looking for an external stimulus (coffee, your parents' approval, your partner's love, your kids' accomplishments, your own accomplishments, more accomplishments, more coffee, more chocolate... wow, that is exhausting!)

Now, how about we make oxytocin and get happy on it instead? You make oxytocin by being in gratitude, by loving people (while expecting nothing in return), by sharing with loved ones, by caring and genuinely giving to others (again, expecting nothing in return!), by practicing forgiveness, by feeling compassion. The more you do that, the more it comes back, and the more oxytocin you make. There is no limit to how much oxytocin your body can produce; therefore there is no limit to your happiness. And the best part: it is entirely internally sourced and costs nothing! You feel sad - decide to give, and to love, and to forgive. You feel angry - turn to gratitude. You feel tired - spend time with loved ones, share with people you care for. You can also mediate. Or say a mantra for a minute or two (here is my favorite one: "I love you. Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you.") The point is, you can be sad, angry, tired or unhappy and be happy with all of it and grateful for all of it. This way, you are happy when you are happy, and you are also happy when you are unhappy.

If you need help with making oxytocin, you may want to consider doing a meditation course, or some kind of emotional release therapy or a BodyTalk session.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Top-Secret-to-Being-Happy-Forever:-Science-Says-It-Is-Possible!&id=9447258

Stop Complaining (By Jeanna Gabellini)

Back in my thirties I set an intention one year to stop gossiping. I don't necessarily consider myself a big gossiper, but I do it. What's the big deal about gossiping? I don't feel good when I am repeating a story about someone that doesn't need to be told, if you know what I mean.

(Keep reading, even if you don't give a poop about gossiping. I have a bigger point to make.)

I consider gossip to be talking about someone, or even myself, for any reason other than to celebrate, acknowledge, learn, or create a solution. If I am not seeking to empower someone with the conversation, I'm actually depleting my own power.

If I'm gossiping, it is usually because I have an unconscious desire for something. It may be to get attention or to feel powerful or maybe even to get sympathy (i.e., "Can you believe Joe Blow did that to me?!"). So, now I'm feeding myself from a place of lack. Retelling a negative story is not a logically good decision.

And you are spending time and energy on something that doesn't thrill you in the first place. So now you get to experience the negativity two times or more, depending on how many times you repeat the story.

Another thing that potentially happens is that you enroll the person you're talking to into the same negative emotions. Pretty soon they are colluding with you and getting all fired up. Now you're both sending negative waves of emotion.

The bottom line is, whatever you focus on, you get more of. Ever notice that when someone close to you does a few irritating things in one day that capture your attention, it feels as if there's been an avalanche of bickering by day's end? That's because the world is mirroring your thoughts back to you.

All of the above applies to anytime you complain about any circumstance in life, not just about certain people. When you catch yourself repeating negative stories, ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I really want from telling this story?
• What will be the impact on the person I am talking to?
• What will be the impact on the person or circumstance I'm talking about?
• How does it feel to be telling this story?
• If I could have any result I wanted about this situation or conflict, what would it be?
• What are two or more positive actions I can take to turn this situation around?
• Is this how I want to spend my time with the person I am talking to?

These questions will support you in stepping fully into your power.

I'm a big advocate of telling a story to a respected person in your life for the sake of creating a solution or to shift your energy by having a different perspective. If you simply need to vent, let the person you're talking to know that you're venting and then set a time limit. Five to fifteen minutes is usually enough to give a good emotional dump. Any more time and you are just rehashing all the little details.

The flip side of all this is when you're the person listening to the complaining. You have a choice. You do NOT have to listen to anything that does not feel good. You can simply request that the person talk to someone else about the situation or gently guide the conversation in a positive direction.

If you catch yourself joining in the negative downward spiral, stop. You can even tell your friend, "Hey, I just noticed that I was supporting you in keeping the problem alive versus feeling better. Let's switch our conversation to something more solution oriented."

Complaining your life away usually comes from a fear that you can't have what you want.

If there are two ways to communicate, either from love or fear, I lovingly remind myself to come back to love.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Jeanna Gabellini is a Master Business Coach who makes it effortless and exciting for conscious entrepreneurs to attract all the clients they want without doing more, working more, or marketing more. Grab her FREE audio on dialing in your biz here: http://masterpeacecoaching.com/freecd2

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How to Enjoy the Simple Things in Life Without Your Life Becoming Too Redundant

What are some of the simple things in life from which you can extract happiness? Your life may not get too blatant that way. How is it possible? Read on to find out.

Some of the life's simple things are a baby's smile or giving a peck on the cheek of your child. These are something to rely on to give you momentary joy which can last a lifetime in fact. You will soon know how.

Sharing a joke or laugh with your significant other gets you out of the blues instantly. How about watching a movie together with your family? These are equally light heartening and happy moments which you would like to capture and savor.

Making a home-made cake or pie together with your children is worth the fun, laughter, chaos and pleasure and eventually having it together gives you just as much delight. How about playing with your children at the nearby park? Being in touch with mother earth is not only healthy but also heightens the spirits of your children, yourself included.

Enjoying your colleague's 50th birthday and attending a seminar on a topic you like together with your colleague are all a break from the routine work and should give you immense joy, without bringing in boredom or monotony.

These are all examples of the simple stuff in life which help you to distract your mind in a good kind of way, memories of which may stay with you a long time. In order to recall these moments a few months or even years later, you can jot them down in a journal and go through them when you feel like and smile and pass off your time relaxedly and happily.

Additionally, in order to elevate this experience, you can write a story plot including these beautiful moments and publish it online or offline and share your lovely, happy moments with a huge audience.

These are two ways to capture the happy moments of your life. Another simple way would be to snap with your digital camera or even better still, a good cell phone and keep them in a safe place from where you can extract them time and again, reminisce and feel happy again.

This way the happy moments in your life, which are just simple stuff, no way makes your life redundant. It is a recurring process to keep giving you joy, filled with more happy moments.

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Living The Life of Your Dreams - Do You Know What They Are? I Sure Hope So (Let's Make Sure)

In a world so full of cynicism and bitterness, it is essential to rise above it. Cynicism is all around us, just turn on the television or open a newspaper and you can not help hearing the commentators, pundits, or news report filled with it. Open your social media accounts and you'll see post after post with complaints and derogatory messages. You are not even safe walking around your community or sitting in a coffee shop because you will run into it all the time. You can not seem to be able to get away from it.

Science is showing us that everything around us is made up of energy. This energy affects us and has a direct influence on our lives. Humans have always been aware of their environment and have sought out environments with certain qualities. Among some of the attributes humans have sought out are safety, physical comfort, and psychological comfort. Maybe you heard growing up to choose your friends carefully as they will reflect upon you. With all these things, the energy you surround yourself with has a way of rubbing off on you.

The energy of cynicism and bitterness is a low-level energy. It is an energy that drags things down. If you wallow in this energy, it is difficult to change and to improve. And you do want your life to improve, don't you?

But, to be able to rise above it you must change your focus from one of bitterness and cynicism to a higher energy level. An easy way to do this is to live the life you were born to live. To do this, you must follow your dreams, but how do you do this, you may ask.

Why should you follow your dreams?

Your dream life is tied into what you love doing. By uncovering what you enjoy doing, you will live a more fulfilling life. Living a more fulfilled life enables your life to flow easier. When your life flows you can accomplish more with less effort.

Living your dreams expresses who you are. You are a person and have a contribution to make to the world. You can only do this by being true to yourself and expressing who you are. When you do this, you reach for greater things. You also become more creative, and this causes you to be happier.

Following your dreams seems more like play than work. You enjoy what you are doing, and because of this, you get lost in what you are doing. This allows you to enjoy yourself and the life you are living.

Being who you are fulfills you in ways nothing else can. When you are expressing yourself to the fullest, you are more secure in who you are. Being more secure frees you up from worry and concern. It enables you to stand in your strength and greatness.

Being true to who you are has you wanting to share with others. When you feel fulfilled yourself, you want to share it with others and help them achieve fulfillment in their own life. By following your dreams, you open up the opportunity for others to do the same, and you encourage them to do so.

How to discover your dream life?

You may be having a difficult time trying to uncover what it is you dream of doing. Many of us feel beaten down by life and have forgotten how to dream. We have forgotten what called us at one time in our life. If you find this to be the case, here are a few ways to help you discover your passion and rediscover your dream life.

Journal - Get a notebook and just sit and write down your thoughts. The best time to do this is as soon as you wake up in the morning or right before you go to sleep at night, however, you can do it at any time in your day. The important thing is to do it consistently and as close to the same time each day as possible as this will train your mind and open it up to thoughts.

Meditate - Meditation clears the mind and opens you up to hear the quiet voice inside yourself. This voice is directing you to go in the direction of your dreams, so if you can hear it, you will be able to discover what your path should be.

Think back to what you liked doing as a child - Your dream life is usually tied into what you liked doing when you were younger. It is tied into what you dreamed about as you were growing up. Remembering what your childhood dreams were allows you to discover the direction your dreams should take.

Pay attention to how you react to things - By paying attention to how you react to things as an adult, you tap into what makes you tick. Are there certain things that fill your heart with love and joy, or do they make you angry? By examining these reactions, you can tap into what is calling you to action. And action is where your dreams reside.

Try new things - Trying new things opens you up to new possibilities. New possibilities enable you to expand yourself. By becoming aware how you react to these new situations you will be able to uncover things that call to you. In this calling, you discover who you are and what inspires you.

Do you want to transform your life and have all that your heart desires without all the stress and setbacks you're currently experiencing?

To be able to do this, you'll need to get clear on what you want, set goals and achieve them. Go to http://www.lojope.com to find tools, articles, and the support you need.

The quickest way to achieve your goals is not to attempt them by yourself. Even if you don't hire me as your coach, hire a coach, all the high achievers do it. If you don't hire a coach, at least work with a trusted friend as the path doesn't have to be long and arduous, especially if you have someone along for the ride.?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Living-The-Life-of-Your-Dreams---Do-You-Know-What-They-Are?-I-Sure-Hope-So-(Lets-Make-Sure)&id=9816621

Why The Power Of One Thought Can Change Everything

It is said you will truly experience life when you stop living in your thoughts and words.

What do I mean by this?

Look at your hand. What do you see?

Undeniably, it is a hand but even that description is vague. Is it a small or a large hand? A gentle or rough hand? A hand with long or short fingers? How do the palmar flexion creases appear?

There are many attributes to a hand and our experience of it is reflected in our thoughts.

Most people who read this article will observe their hands differently to others.

Some might like the way their hands look, others are told their hands are chubby, skinny or otherwise. You get the point.

The world we see out there reflects the world we inhabit within.

Author Michael Neill writes in The Space Within: Finding Your Way Back Home: "We live in a world of thought, but we think we live in a world of external experience."

He goes on to say: "The mind is not a camera, it's a projector. We can't tell the difference between an imagined experience 'in here' and what's going on 'out there'- and that confusion creates a lot of confusion."

Moreover, the person you call "I" is the sum of your past conditioning.

For this reason, I oppose the notion of free will because we are conditioned to be who we are, not who we want to be.

Granted, you might say despite our childhood conditioning a person can rewrite their past and create a new future.

While that may be, you are nevertheless dealing with decades of conditioning sewn into your psyche. Furthermore, there are no assurances the person you become is reflected in the choices you make.

"Before something can clearly be seen or perceived for what it is, thinking is already adding judgments and commentary, acting like a smoke screen," explains Peter Francis Dziuban in Simply Notice: Clear Awareness Is the Key To Happiness, Love and Freedom.

While I may have painted a grim picture of the future, great possibilities exist within the recesses of your mind.

For example, there are documented cases of people who experience sudden awakenings or altered states of consciousness brought on without outside interference.

The power of one thought can change everything because that thought alone can ignite other thoughts, and set alight a cascade of similar thoughts with life-changing effects.

One thought alone is like a seed dropped into the ground that germinates the mind and awakens your true potential.

Albert Einstein experienced these moments when he conducted thought experiments, his most notable being: Chasing After A Beam Of Light.

How does all this relate to you?

Your thoughts are incredibly powerful in a multitude of ways. The power of the subconscious mind is potent to the degree that it can bring about spontaneous healings and effortlessly figure out complex problems.

Therefore, be mindful of the music you listen to. The words you hear interspersed within the songs can be hypnotising (unintentionally) and unbeknownst to your conscious mind.

The television programs you watch and the people you surround yourself with have the same impact. You are the result of your external environment.

One thought can change everything because it can set your world ablaze with excitement and wonder.

But you must be ready for the thought when it emerges, since it will transform your life unlike anything you've ever known.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-The-Power-Of-One-Thought-Can-Change-Everything&id=9755001

In the Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is like the elusive butterfly that we all chase; the more we chase it, the more it flits away.

This truth is based on a quote attributed to Henry David Thoreau.

However, a growing number of psychologists are of the opinion that today people can 'chase after the elusive butterfly and make it sit on their shoulder'. This metaphorical statement implies that by monitoring the workings of the mind, anything can be made possible. David T.Lykken, author of the book "Happiness: Its nature and nurture says that happiness is determined by our genes to a large extent. Every person has a 'happiness set point' and there are only slight deviations.

But extensive research is now showing that happiness can be pursued; in fact the key to happiness is knowing where to look for it. A University of Texas professor who has done considerable research on the subject concludes that even intelligent and successful people don't always make life choices that bring happiness. There are five key areas that he has identified which directly affect our wellbeing and all these are within our control.

1. Not running after happiness - obsessing about feeling happy is best avoided; instead, increasing the odds of feeling happy in any situation without sacrificing it for other things is crucial. Recognizing what makes us happy and prioritizing to find the right balance is a must.

2. Taking responsibility - the ability and power to control our feeling and thoughts is in our hands and blaming others for unhappy outcomes leads to unhappiness.

3. Comparisons bring misery - doing the catch-up game with colleagues, friends, relatives and others in relating happiness to feeling a sense of superiority over others can only make us keep running all the time. Less comparison with other people brings more happiness.

4. Following the flow - Goals and aspirations keep changing constantly and happiness may remain elusive forever. 'Being in the moment' makes us realize how much happiness we can gain.

5. Trusting people more, even strangers - the perception of trust makes people happier. Distrust causes constant irritation and happiness; even a little bit of faith in strangers is a strong indication of a happy mind.

Psychologists who have studied happy people in communities around the world share the reasons why some people are happier than others.

• Choosing to be happy and not worrying - consciously choosing attitudes and behaviors that bring happiness is the right decision 

• Cultivating gratitude - being thankful and grateful moves people away from despair and bitterness 

• Fostering forgiveness - nursing grievances and grudges affects physical and mental health; forgiveness reduces the effects of bad events that create resentment 

• Learning to recognize and counteracting negative feeling and thoughts - promotes serenity and dispels anxiety 

• Understanding that money cannot buy happiness - the more the money, less the happiness. No matter what is achieved in the pursuit of our goals, it will never bring about a lasting state of happiness.

http://ezinearticles.com/?In-the-Pursuit-of-Happiness&id=9545803

Accepting Your Blessings - Tips for Recognizing What You Truly Have

Do you focus on lack or your blessings? It's so much more relieving to concentrate on your blessings than lack. The more you spend time thinking about lack, the more you are engulfed in lack. On the other hand, if you shift your mind on to your life's blessings, more and more blessings enter your life. So how do you recognize these blessings? Read on to find out.

You wake up one morning. Look around you - what do you see? Yes, what do you really see?

You have a cozy home with all the utilities such as electricity, gas and water. You have a cooler and heater and can set the temperature as you wish. You have a closet full of dresses and clothes from which you can choose to wear for the day.

Your hubby and kids are waking up. You feel blessed for having a family. You have breakfast together. You have food in the refrigerator, both cooked and uncooked.

You go out in your car and follow the signs. You drive to work. As you drive, you take a glance at your wonderful surroundings: trees, flowers, gardens, roads, homes and so on.

When you reach your office, you have a ready elevator to take you to the required floor. You have a PC and laptop to work on. You have access to the mighty reign of internet to get help with your work projects and existing documents as well.

You have a coffee break to talk to your colleagues. You share thoughts and ideas before you return back to work.

You return home to find your family who have also turned in for the evening and night. You have dinner together and you have a chitchat together before you retire to sleep.

So many people around the world have lost family members owing to illness, war or other form of disaster. They don't have enough food to eat. So many can hardly read or write and yet they have to make their both ends meet. Needless to say, many are jobless as well. They do not have the fare to ride on a transport nor do they know driving let alone, own a car. Their daily frustrations do not allow them to appreciate the beauty surrounding them. Nor do they have a proper home to rest, relax and sleep.

Aren't you thankful for all the blessings of your life that you do possess? I have helped you to recognize them and now probably you can find many more on your own. Be thankful for all the blessings and more and more of them will surround you as you continue to focus on them. Forget the things you lack. Worry should not be a part of the formula. Be happy for all you have and that is the simple secret to having more.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Accepting-Your-Blessings---Tips-for-Recognizing-What-You-Truly-Have&id=9570901

Love Yourself and the World Will Love You Back (By Joseph Dabon)

                  

I love... ME!

That may sound funny or narcissistic. But I am serious. I love ME and so must you.

That is not bluster. I do love myself so I take care of my physical and mental well-being. I get enough sleep at night, exercise regularly and keep close watch of my weight.

I don't follow a strict diet, though, but I practice moderation. My diet is typically Asian, sparse on meat, plenty of vegetables and fruits.

I give my mental muscles a daily workout equivalent to an hour of pumping irons in the gym.

Despite the above, not is everything is cozy between I and me. There are days when the spirit is willing but the body is weak. I am sure you experience the same episodes, too.

It is called psychological incompatibility.

Psychological incompatibility and self-love:

What no one tells you about is that psychological incompatibility is not only among couples. It can be experienced by live-alone seniors, too.

In fact, seniors are more prone to it because of loneliness, financial insecurity and medical problems - the three most common concerns of the elderly.

Any of them can stress self-love. They can make you irritable, tense of stress out.

They can make you despondent, discouraged, disappointed, and disgusted with yourself.

Financial insecurity, for example, limits your choices to what you can afford. It limits your socialization, your choice of food, entertainment and many other things you would have wanted to enjoy but couldn't.

These age-related issues make self-love doubtful, if not impossible to achieve. They render you helpless and incapable of making the right decisions, of doing something fruitful and enjoyable; they keep you from enjoying your retirement.

Another stumbling block to self-love is loneliness. For a live-alone senior, it is my constant companion. It consumes you, makes you feel lazy and without purpose.

Loneliness, if unchecked, can cause serious medical problems like melancholia, depression, and dementia. It can even make you entertain thought of suicide.

Self-love is not optional:

Love is the overarching purpose of life - of self and others. Loving others is impossible without loving self. Too much love of self creates self-centeredness which is as bad as not loving self.

Louise Hay, an American motivational speaker and author posited the idea of self-laugh by saying,

"When people start to love themselves more each day, it's amazing how their lives get better. They feel better. They get the jobs they want. They have the money they need. Their relationships either improve, or the negative ones dissolve and new ones begin."

Loving yourself requires careful evaluation of your core beliefs and values; of knowing who and what you are. It also requires the willingness to change for the better.

Doing that is easy through these simple steps...

1. Accept yourself unconditionally:

Some people profess to love themselves only after having achieved an imagined goal, i.e. health, wealth, good looks, marry the woman of his dreams or build his dream house.

It won't work because they may not happen or something comes in the way that alters the course of events of your life.

Accepting yourself outright removes its conditionality. It lifts a heavy load off your chest; makes you more optimistic about everything around you.

It gives you a clearer idea of where you are and where you want to go and a better understanding and acceptance of the difficulties up ahead.

You become self-aware and appreciate your values as a person.

2. Take the journey alone:

You are responsible for the choices you make, no one else. If you screw up don't blame others for the mess you are in.

More often than not, we blame so many things for our misfortunes, i.e., our up-bringing, our circumstances, the people around us, our looks and many other things. We even blame the stars we were born under.

Not owning up mistakes will just make you miserable, bitter and pessimistic. It will stop you from giving it another go for fear of failing again.

Nobody ever succeeded the first time around. Everybody has experienced the bitter taste of failure and defeat.

Those who love themselves just brushed off their butts each time they fell, got up and continued the race. They believe they can take anything life throws at them and win. And they do.

Those who don't are the losers and will continue to lose until they come to grips with the ugly reality that their misfortunes are their own doing.

3. Start loving yourself now:

"You may delay, but time will not, and lost time will never be found again." - Benjamin Franklin

If you want to start loving yourself, start now, not tomorrow, next day or next week.

Time waits for no man and you could never imagine your lost opportunities by not taking yourself seriously now.

Starting now, make this your mantra, "I love... Me."

As crazy as it seems you could never make anything with your life if you don't. Conversely, the world is your limit if you do.

Self-love is a choice by default. Meaning, you could never have it any other way if you want to live a happy, healthy and successful life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Love-Yourself-and-the-World-Will-Love-You-Back&id=9732948

Message From the Universe: Start Focusing on Yourself, TODAY!

"Those who are not yet spiritually wise, simply cannot appreciate, or even recognize, those who are.

Fortunately, you can still blow their socks off as you live the truths you've uncovered.

Hubba, hubba - 

The Universe"

Being self aware is a crucial element to know how you can progress in your own life, not just financially but primarily spiritually. Money will come and go, but your soul stays with you for eternity, even when your physical body dies. Take care of your soul, take care of your spirituality by understanding who you are as a person. Those who suffer from mental illness have created a disconnect between then conscious and spiritual mind, and some chemical imbalances in the brain have contributed to increase the gap between both parties. The subconscious mind can only be involved if you practice meditation on a daily basis, as you can reboot your brain and eradicate the evil spirits. You have the control to do that but in most cases, it is too late to access the power of your subconscious. Medication is a must and that destroys more of the good brain cells than the bad. I am not a psychiatrist so I can't really go deeper and discuss about the purpose of medication for these kinds of medical cases and advise anyone what to use to bring back their sanity.

The key is to focus on who you are, and stop looking at what others are doing. You are your own person, your own self and that shouldn't be taken lightly. As misery attracts misery, spiritual people will also attract other spiritual people, so do not worry about who is around you because whoever is, are definitely the people you want to have around. Focus on being yourself, understanding who you are, being self aware and stop concerning about what others think about you. Others people opinion about you is NOT really any of your business. So why get concerned? Who cares about what others think about your belief, your culture or your way of life? Once you start understanding that you control everything when it comes to your life, you will start LIVING a life. Why not start today?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-Start-Focusing-on-Yourself,-TODAY!&id=9563642

It's Only Make Believe Recovering Inner Reality Skills

'You create your own reality' has become an overused cliche; everyone has heard it, some believe it, a few understand it. Those who do understand it know that life is a lot like make-believe. Children are accomplished at make-believe. They understand they can create any reality and 'live in' any situation they choose. This works beautifully until some adult who has lived long enough to forget how things work crashes into their private world to proclaim that what they believe is real is only make-believe.

Have you seen the poster that features a lion and his cub walking together? It says 'I thought about quitting but then I saw who was watching.' An astute person will question who thought about quitting, the father or the son! Both of them had a reality they were walking towards, likely different but real to each. We are all born with instinct, like the animals. The instinct to survive is the strongest by far. The instinct to create follows closely. We enter a brand new world, a new existence devoid of anyone else's ideas. It is instinctive to begin creating, to make-believe that what you need or want is before you exactly as you imagine it would work the best.

If you are born in a country where the language is English or any nation where the language is not tonal the creative side of your brain is forced to develop mush faster. You are probably more accomplished at making believe your world is perfect in your own eyes. Those who are born into nations that have tonal languages become masters at duplication. They can copy anything with mastery. China is a great example of this. You expect a lot less in your 'perfect world' because you have not developed the natural creative instinct to create more.

The more one is exposed to people who are jaded and do not believe in making believe the faster they lose the ability to create a reality that embraces their personal dreams. Children believe the adults who surround them. Authority figures like teachers, preachers and older peers they perceive to be intelligent or believable alter their course dramatically based on the things they say and how they live. Children observe their reality. If trauma and hardships become a part of their daily lives they are even more inclined to bury hopes and dreams and adopt a victim attitude. Their creativity is encompassed in those hopes and dreams.

Things happen that we have no control over as we are growing into adulthood; many times it feels like we had no choices. The deeper that idea is embedded into your consciousness the less likely you are to understand the profundity of what is possible by using the creative side of your brain. That is the place where what it is capable of becoming reality as you understand it develops. If you are stuck or thinking of quitting it's time to make-believe again!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Its-Only-Make-Believe-Recovering-Inner-Reality-Skills&id=9731982

Manifesting Your Desires Vs Asking For What You Want

We often talk about the Law of Attraction, and there are many who ask whether it really works to bring you the life you want. I believe it does... to an extent. From my own life experience, I'm coming to the conclusion that you can have anything that you desire. However, there are certain conditions that need to be met in order for you to be able to manifest that desire.

I'm using the word desire deliberately. Because what you desire at the deepest level of your being (the core of your being) is not necessarily the same as what you ask for.

If you're asking for something you think is socially acceptable for you to be, do or have, this can be more of an intellectual exercise. Your heart may not be in it. As a result what you ask for may not necessarily manifest. If it does manifest, it may not be something that fulfils you, or worse, you may be put off by it.

This is because your motivation for asking for what you want is external - it is based on what is socially acceptable, rather than on what is right for you. If it is not right for you, you may - on a subconscious level - repel it or be repelled by it.

Your desire should:

1. Be Part of Who You Are

What you desire needs to be a fundamental part of who you are at your deepest level. If you desire something that you deeply yearn, that you instinctively think about constantly, that you believe is absolutely the right thing for you, you will automatically start to move towards it, even manifest it. It may not show up in the way that you expect it to, but you will begin to make it happen because of the fact that you are constantly in touch with that desire.

You do, however, need to be absolutely clear about what it is that you do yearn, if it is to be successfully manifested. It is also not about having too many desires all at the same time. This will just serve to confuse you and lessen the effectiveness of the manifestation process.

2. Match Your Beliefs & Values

Your desires are inextricably linked to your innermost beliefs and values. If a significant part of you thinks you don't deserve the thing you are seeking, or you believe you will never have it, this will interrupt the natural flow of things and you may end up pushing away the very thing you yearn.

If, for instance, you wish to be a public speaker, and be able to speak in front of tens of thousands of people, but you dislike people, you're immediately in conflict.

If you don't have a natural yearning to be a good public speaker, you may find yourself speaking in front of tens of thousands of people, but the experience may be so stressful for you that you're completely put off by it. The upshot of this may be that you develop a fear of public speaking or decide never speak in public again.

If you do have a natural yearning to be a good public speaker you would see any bad public speaking experience as a necessary blip on the way to becoming a great speaker. Therefore it is important that your desires are in line with your belief system and values.

3. Let Go of The How

As you develop, your desires develop and exactly how you make your wishes come to fruition will become apparent when you are in the right place mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Once the how does become apparent to you, your success will depend on the level of action you take to get what you want, as well as your commitment and perseverance.

4. Let Go of Artificial Time Limitations

The thing to avoid is to be too rigid with your timeframes. Manifesting your desires is not necessarily a rapid or a slow process. It could take days, weeks, months or years... or it could take minutes depending on what you want to have true.

This can often be the dilemma in the 21st century where the emphasis is on deadlines. The thing to do is to allow your desire to manifest itself in its own time and in its own way, and simply have faith and patience, knowing that sooner or later you'll get exactly what you seek.

If your desire, for example, is a monetary one through doing what you love, you could look to gaining an income from another, temporary, source (such as a part-time job) so that your creativity can be maintained. If the natural manifestation process turns out to be slower than you'd prefer, your creativity may be blocked if you try to speed up that process just so that you can be paid. You need time and space to use your creativity to realise your true desire without the pressure of needing to produce a particular level of income within an unrealistic timeframe.

5. Remain In The Flow

Your life should flow - and the manifestation of your desire should also flow (and occur naturally) when you are in the right space at the right time. If your life does not flow something is out of kilter or balance. If something in your life is unbalanced it could simply be that you are not yet sufficiently mature to handle that situation well enough for it to flow and be in balance:

• You may need to go through a period of training, research, reflection, consultation or other development method that puts you in a different 'space' with a different perspective 

• You may need time to develop yourself personally or professionally 

• You may need a mentor 

• You may need to simply go through a period of 'learning on the job' (and 'the job' could be any aspect of life) or 

• You may just need time to pluck up the courage to do what it is you need to do!

Throwing yourself into your life after you've articulated your desire gives you valuable experience. And experience is priceless because with experience come life lessons, maturity and new perspectives.

So be aware that whatever you fundamentally desire you will get... but it won't necessarily show up when and in the way you expect. However, be under no illusion that you will get what you really desire at the deepest level of your being. But what you really desire might not necessarily be the same as what you ask for!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Manifesting-Your-Desires-Vs-Asking-For-What-You-Want&id=9334770

Is It Easier to Be Unhappy or Happy?

This was a question that was put before me recently and I thought it an interesting one. For many people the answer is it's easier to be unhappy, because unhappiness, struggle and complaint are their default beliefs and behaviors. For others, happiness seems to come easily. We all know those people who seem just naturally happy, no matter what. They bounce back from setbacks and keep going along their merry way.

So why is that? In her book, "Happy for No Reason", Marci Shimoff states the happiness is about 50% genetic and 50% learned. We all have a "happiness set point" that we come into this world with. Some people really are naturally more happy. Happiness is also a matter of what we absorbed as children from our environment. We picked up beliefs about life from our parents, other family members, teachers, friends, religious leaders and mass consciousness. If you heard that "Life is hard," "It's a jungle out there," "You'll never amount to anything," "You just can't get ahead," "You can't trust anyone" and other similar beliefs, you absorbed those ideas into your subconscious and they affect your outlook on life. Your behaviors will then be influenced by your beliefs, whether you realize you hold them or not, and the results you get in life will be the result of how you act in the world.

So the default for many people is to complain, blame others or situations for what's wrong in their lives, or to feel guilty for not being where or who they think they "should" be in life. It's easy to complain and blame. Remember the saying "misery loves company"? If you believe that and have something to complain about you'll surely find people who are willing to jump right in there with you to commiserate. It feels validating for a short time. You feel part of the group. That's the payoff for staying stuck in unhappiness. The problem is, nothing ever changes.

The good news is, you can raise your happiness set point.

The main thing we all really want in life is to be happy. With awareness of our thoughts and behaviors and the practice of new habits, we can raise our happiness level. It's possible to be happy without our outside circumstances changing. Real happiness is not the result of changed circumstances, but of changed outlook and response to life. In fact, when you're happy first, your life actually flows better as a result. Happy people get better treatment, more opportunities and enjoy better health.

The key word here, is practice. You need to be willing to make the commitment to new ways of thinking and approaching life. Just like learning how to play a musical instrument or learning a new language, learning how to be happy and setting it as your new default response takes consistent practice over time. So the question to ask yourself is, "Am I willing to make the small effort to change into a happy person? Am I willing to do the work to change my life?"

If your answer is yes, here are some happiness habits to get you started:

1. Be solutions focused. Are you looking at the problem or are you looking at how you might solve it? What is going right that you can capitalize on?
2. Question your thoughts. Just because you have a thought, it doesn't make it true. What is a thought that is as true or truer than the one you just had that feels better? Lean into the better feeling thought.
3. Surround yourself with happy people. Happiness is contagious!
4. Look for the lesson and the gift in every situation. Everything is FOR us in some way. What are you learning from challenging situations? How are you growing? Who are you becoming?
5. Practice gratitude. No matter what your situation is, there is always something to be grateful for. Gratitude centers you in your heart and lifts your spirits. If you are reading this, you can see and you know how to read. There's two right there! Practice this every day by either saying your gratitude out loud or writing it down. Lives have been turned around by this practice alone.
6. Get in touch with your purpose. What excites you? What are you passionate about? What do you do really well that you also enjoy? People who are inspired by purpose are happier people

It may be easier to stay stuck in unhappiness, but the rewards of making the decision and commitment to practice happiness are great!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-It-Easier-to-Be-Unhappy-or-Happy?&id=9469859

Message From the Universe: Where YOUR Happiness Is YOUR Number ONE Priority!

"You are creation's first and last chance... to be you. Just as you are today. That's all you have to be.

You really lucked out, 

The Universe"

So why be someone else? Is it because you have others telling you they are not pleased with who you are and you need to change so you can make THEM happy? What is the deal of making others happy at your own expense? Isn't your happiness more important than theirs? Why this infatuation of being so afraid of what others think of you? Can't you think for yourself? People who want you to change will always use the guilt trip approach to make you feel bad for the person you've become. You worked hard to be who you are today but your new approach to life disappoint others. WHO FREAKING CARES! Be who you want to be and not who others want you to be. Take initiative as an individual and avoid falling in the trap of feeling guilty for the person you've become. You might often hear: " I am very sadden by your behavior. I never thought you would become so selfish with your actions. I no longer recognize the person you used to be. What happened to you?". These statements can become harsher if you stay adamant to your feelings and identity. Some will use other guilt statements until you crack and you do the things they want you to do. They will try to use intimidation strategies if they see how strong of a person you've become. If you stand ground, they will eventually experience defeat and will leave you alone. This is when you can feel at peace with who you are, as a person, thinking for yourself.

There are many like that out there, trying to drain you as much as they can and get the most out of you, just like vampires. They look for a prey, get the most of what they can by using techniques of intimidation and move on to the next victim. You are left there, all drained from self-esteem. You try picking up the pieces to move on from the damage they left behind. Do not fall in their trap by doing the things you DON'T want to do, just to make them happy. Ignore their request, ignore who they are, and go on your merry way. Do what you feel is best for you. Do not fear how they will feel about you. Stay away from this negativity and work on bettering yourself. Sometimes, these vampires can be family members, or close friends. So what to do? IT can be tricky as you have no way to ignore them because they are blood relatives. Just look at it this way. If they are treating that bad, what kind of people are they anyways? Do they deserve your kindness? Do they deserve your attention? Should you expect to on your hands and knees and obey, waggling your tail, just like a dog? You are human, just like them. If they want something from you, respect is a must. You will need to use smart tactics to ignore them without making it to obvious. Be polite but firm and continue doing this over and over again until they realize how serious you are. Stay focused and make yourself as busy as you possibly can. This way, your time will always be as important as theirs.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-Where-YOUR-Happiness-Is-YOUR-Number-ONE-Priority!&id=9480164

How To Fall In Love With Your Life Today (By Faye Bishop)

Falling in love with your life isn't a silly concept. It's very real. The process doesn't happen overnight but it's extremely important to do. Many of us seek love. We desire to receive love from others. But, unless you love yourself and the life you lead how will you ever be able to recognize it? You can do all kinds of things with yourself to learn more about what's within, to begin to trust and appreciate yourself.

Being a woman, a friend, a sister, daughter and mother; I've learned some very valuable lessons about love and why it's important to personify and embody the love you seek. I've learned in this life that in order to attract the kind of love and happiness you want - you must first learn to be it. No one can be good at everything and not everything is meant for everyone. But, what makes the world we live in so great is the right to choose. There are some situations that work and turn out for the best, and then there are other situations that don't work at all, however; just because something doesn't work out, doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. It also doesn't necessarily mean that there is something wrong with you or that you aren't destined for success in that area of your life. It doesn't matter if happens in your interpersonal relationships, finances or your career - it is through your own ability and willingness to be open, possessing the right kind of attitude that prepares you for readiness in establishing good relationships with other people.

• Recognize Yourself as The Source. Anything that manifests itself in your life starts with you. Your thoughts, beliefs, principles, values, actions and behaviors represent extensions of your entire makeup. As human beings we create the environment that we're in daily just by the energy we bring to our space. You can either collude with negativity or you can change the space by injecting a more positive energy into it. Due to everyday social pressures and our daily interactions it's not always easy to be cheerful. But, it certainly makes life much easier to deal with when you have the right kind attitude. We often hear people complain about their struggles big and small. We complain about how hard it is to find a good person, a good partner, trustworthy friends and associates etc., but the fact of the matter is that it's not hard at all. It starts with you. It is important to see yourself as the source of your happiness and inner peace and how it extends outside of yourself onto others.

• Trust the Decisions You Make. Your life is blessed in accordance to amount of honor and respect that you show yourself long before you get to the people around you. Establishing trust in yourself raises your self-awareness which is the key to what shapes your character and integrity. The most wonderful thing about character and integrity, which are intimately related, is that they're one of the few things in life that no one will ever be able to forcefully take away from you. Your choices are your own. Once you begin to trust the decisions you make the easier it will become for you to be more confident in your ability to handle what life throws at you.

• Learn to Master the Art of Owning Your Power. Stress, discord, argument, conflict, disappointment and friction are part of life. No one is exempt from the experience. It happens to us all. The only way such ills can take over your life is if you succumb to them by breathing life into it and giving it legs to stand on in the corners of your mind to run around in. Learn to let go. You hold the power. Power is ultimately the ability to create a desired result. It's the ability to attract and create circumstances that lead to our gain. I have lived long enough and have done enough to know that we are the masters of our own destiny. We're all experts on self and our own conditions. The fact that human beings have the ability to manipulate their lives in order to get exactly what they want fills me with great joy on a regular basis. It has nothing to do with thinking or acting like someone you aren't but everything to do with the universe and how you react to what happens to you. No one can make you feel badly without your consent. No situation can make you feel miserable without your allowing it to. Nothing in life can bring you down without your permission. Once you have mastered the art of owning your power, the easier it will become to create and control the atmosphere around you.

• Become Conscious of The Energy You Channel. Are you conscious of the energy that you possess and how it connects to others with every deed, word and thought you express? Love is an act of will. An act of the will of love is a knowing choice; it is an exercise of free will based on knowledge in the intellect. How we choose to feel about ourselves is born out of our experiences. Such experiences can do one of two things; paralyze us with fear or inspire us to move forward. Our experiences shape the foundation of our very existence. It teaches and defines who we are; what we want and who we will go on to become. There is so much freedom that comes with being conscious of the energy you possess. But, if you don't look at yourself differently, you can't and won't achieve anything different. Positive thoughts bring about positive behavior. Remember that striving to be perfect and being perfect are two different ideas; one is the pursuit of integrity, and the latter is an exercise in futility.

You don't need validation from material things or people to love the life you lead. How you choose to feel each day you wake up to get out of bed will dictate the attitude you carry with you through your day, how you feel before you lay down at night to rest and what takes place in between. Could it all be so simple? Absolutely. The key is putting it into daily practice. Just knowing that you are the source of your happiness and to love with all of your heart without any expectation or attachment to the outcome is all the strength you need to fall in love with your life.

The biggest lesson I have learned is how to fall in love with my life. I've fallen so much in love with it that the thought of being worried or concerned with what someone else thinks of it isn't possible. This lesson became the blueprint I needed in order to live the best life possible while at the same time, achieving the highest level of happiness.

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