WE HAVE THE POWER TO BE HAPPY

I have been thinking a lot about life lately. Not only because of the struggles and hard times that I have gone through but because I see loved ones and close friends going through similar situations.

People who have successful jobs and beautiful families and careers are deep down, not truly happy. I mean, I guess we, they, are happy but it is more contentment than anything. Many people I have spoken with have a life of "I should have," or "If only" I had done this or that.  

So often, people I know just went with what they thought they should do as the next step, according to society's standards, myself included.

It has lead me to my conclusion that the ultimate goal in life is that internal search for happiness. No matter who you are or where you live or what you believe in, you just want to be happy. 

The million dollar question is: "What is it that really makes us happy?" We spend our whole lives trying to figure that out.  We are taught from the moment we are young that growing up and being successful,  getting married and having children is the way to go. Never along the way is emotional well-being ever a priority.  By that I mean, no one ever really taught us to be happy with ourselves first to find out what makes us truly tick. No one really teaches to to find out what is that goal that will make us happy from within? 

Instead, we are taught to go to school, to go to college, to get the best job possible to work 9 to 5, to get married, to have kids and that this is the WAY to go. Of course, education is important but it doesn't always have to be the only option. 

We live our lives where we are always dreading Mondays and looking forward to taking time off. A great majority of society lives for vacations to escape their "reality."  Why are we not genuinely happy with what we are doing? I mean, I'm sure there are those who are genuinely happy. I know during my time in the music business I was extremely happy and fulfilled with what I was doing,,, but again it was because I was doing what truly made ME happy. 

Then that biological clock starts ticking and we start looking around and seeing that we are not where we are "suppose to be yet." At least not in the place we have been indoctrinated with: married, kids, big house etc.. For some reason, this equals success to society.

Why do we not teach our youth today that they have the power within them to make themselves happy? We do not need to go looking for another human being to feel that sense of satisfaction? Sure, it is wonderful to spend your life with somebody and share the joys but I believe our society has it all backwards.  

We are taught that we must find someone to be happy and then we must have kids to be an even happier. That cycle never seems to end. Then we get to mid life and wonder what we've done with our lives. 

I believe that from the time our children are young we should teach them to express their feelings. We think it's okay that little girls write in their diaries and that it's OK for them to cry but how about the boys? Do they get to write in their diaries and express their feelings? I am sure there are some who do and this is wonderful, but generally speaking, it is not the way we are all brought up.

Why is it not OK for boys to cry, for men to cry? It has always been seen as a sign of weakness. Well, I disagree. I think it is important to nourish that emotional state and all the feelings that we have as we are growing. I truly believe that we should encourage emotional expression and well-being. I believe that we should teach our children respect, empathy and compassion. I think that we should focus more on the well-being of an individual and less about their test-taking skills. 

Ultimately, I believe that life's goal should be to be truly happy with ourselves and when we find that happiness we should share it and make a positive difference in the world. Of course, we have obligations as we reach adulthood, but I think life would be a whole lot easier if we learned to do the things that make us (emotionally) happy from the time we were young and continue to do so all throughout our teen years and well into adulthood. And by that I mean, not conforming to society standards,  continuously having to live by the rules of what make others happy for us.

For example, that girls only get to play with dolls and that boys only get to play with trucks and that when you reach a certain age in adulthood you should get married. Obviously, we have come a very long way with those things I just mentioned, but the biggest factor still remains, learning that we need to love ourselves first and be happy with ourselves before we can make anyone else happy. And most importantly, when we finally do find that person to share our lives with and we begin a family, we should not give up all the things we love to do, the things that make us happy as individuals. 

I believe we should learn to express our feelings and follow our passion and do what makes us genuinely happy. We all have that power within us.  The key is, learning to access that power.  We need to learn to genuinely be ourselves and express our feelings without the fear of criticism from society.  And if we have kids, we need to raise them to be respectful, compassionate and empathetic human beings, but most importantly. teach them that happiness is a vital component in life.  We need to let them know and others, that it is okay to be who you are, not what society wants us to be.

We ALL have the power to be happy! Get inspired!

 

NEVER GIVE UP

Good things come to those who believe. Better things come to those who are patient. The best things come to those who never give up! 

It may seem like the end of the world to you right now (at least in your world) but have faith that things will start to turn around for the better. You need some time to re-group and focus on what it is YOU really want! 

Then map out a plan and start working on it! You got this! You are a warrior and YOU have the POWER to be HAPPY! 

LIFE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WONDERFUL TO BE PERFECT

Some days do you wake up and wonder , "Just what am I doing? Is this all worth it?"  Working hard to make a living, trying to blend into the "rat-race," shuffling the kids back and forth between activities and sports, with barely any free time for yourself.  I know, sometimes, I do!

Blue Box

 
There are people who some days just feel down and "blue" and can't see the silver lining. This tends to happen on Monday mornings or when things aren't going well (from their perspective.) It is usually when they are in their "own little world," not really participating productively in society, and not getting everything they want fast enough. That is when most people get trapped in that "blue box."   Do you tend to get trapped in that "blue box?"

Life can definitely be challenging and sometimes  can seem like one disappointment after another, when we are faced with obstacles, but really, if we change our lens, and look at all the good and positive things in our lives, it can and will change our perspective.  It is so important to have a goal, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Even though, I do wake up some days feeling like something is wrong with the entire world, I've learned that "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."  I have learned that in moments like this, that's when it's time to make the EXTRA effort to get out and do something positive.  I have learned that three people have the power to make me happy: Me, Myself & I! 

That's right only YOU and I, individually, have the power to make ourselves happy.  And remember, life doesn't have to be perfect all the time, you just have to recognize and appreciate what you do have and show gratitude everyday for it!  This does not mean you are going to float around like "Mary Poppins" every day but it will help you will start your day off with a little more pizzazz and appreciation for the life you live, especially when you have dreams and goals to pursue.

Here is a list of things I want to share with you, that you may want to try to help you get back into the "swing of things."  Remember, YOU always have the power to be happy. 

"What you think, you attract!"

 10 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR DAY(S) INTO A HAPPY DAY(S):

1. Make a list of all the things you love and appreciate in your life (look at this list and remember it!) 

2. Make a conscious effort to schedule time to do sometime YOU enjoy (art, crafts, yoga, write etc...)

3. Treat yourself to your favorite lunch or dinner.

4. Call or visit an old friend - sometimes the best therapy is just talking to someone you trust or like.

5. Find a way to laugh, whether it's listening to jokes (audio) or going to a comedy show.

6. Read something inspiring and motivational.

7. Start a fun or creative project. Something that you’re excited about, that will make you smile.

8. Write about how you feel, whether you have a blog or not. Talk about the things that make you feel

    down or upset. Whether you share it or not, is not the point. It is cathartic to write out   

     your feelings. Post it, don’t post it, whatever you choose to do, just get it out of your system.

9.  Watch that movie that you've wanted to see for a while now, even if it's requires getting a sitter.

10. Go for a walk, somewhere were you can appreciate nature (tree, beach, mountain, by a lake etc...)

These are just a few things you can do to help you get a jump-start to your happy frame of mind.   Everyday will not always be good but you can definitely find the good in every day.  You are attracting what you think on a daily basis.  You have the power...use it wisely!

Follow your dreams, set a goal, one day at a time.  The key is to find your purpose or your passion and life will become more exhilarating every day!

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR LIFE IS FALLING APART?

The hardest time to be positive and happy is when you feel your life is "falling apart!"  Sometimes we feel this way because our career may not be headed where we think it should be, or sometimes, there are marital issues or sometimes even worse, it could be financial problems.  Sure, it is easy to be happy when everything is going well, but when things are going in the wrong direction, well, that's when you need all your strength to come in.  This is why it is so important to keep reading positive messages, books, blog posts, articles, quotes, anything to keep you motivated and surrounded by people who will lift your spirits, not bring you down.  It is very difficult to maintain a positive attitude if you have lost a job, a loved one, or if you are going though an emotional roller coaster because of a relationship.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.” – Paulo Coelho

This sometimes tends to be the case, as they say, "when it rains it pours," and everything happens to you at once, or so you feel.  It is in moments like this that you must gather up all of your courage and strength, put your big boy or girl pants on, and keep moving forward!

Remember that even when things seem grim, there is always a silver lining.  One door closing, usually means something better awaits you!  Learn to live your life to be happy and everything else will follow!  It is how we view things that affects our reaction to it.  Even if something bad happens to us or around us, knowing that it will eventually get better, will help you move on.  There is always sunshine after a storm. It may take a while, but it will shine again and so will you!

TIPS TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN THINGS AROUND YOU ARE NOT:

• Surround yourself with positive people
• Read books, messages, quotes that will motivate and inspire you
• Volunteer at an organization or find someone to help or mentor
• Try not to complain for one week (or one day at a time)
• If you want to be inspired, inspire someone else

“If you can dream it, then you can achieve it.  You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

5 TIPS FOR POSITIVE & HAPPY DAILY INTERACTIONS

We never get a second chance to make a first impression. Therefore, every interaction is an important one.

Remember these 5 tips as you encounter people on a daily basis:

5 TIPS FOR POSITIVE & HAPPY DAILY INTERACTIONS

1. Do not let personal or professional stressors affect your communication with others, especially in the work place.

2. Demonstrate a caring attitude by treating others as you wish to be treated.

3. Acknowledge people immediately even if you have to stop what you're doing.

4. When you meet someone for the first time: Smile, make eye contact, and introduce yourself.  It is amazing the difference it makes when someone looks you in the eye when they are speaking to you.

5. Rudeness is never appropriate. Make an effort, at all times to treat others with courtesy and respect.

MAKE MONEY FROM HOME & BE HAPPY

Are you happy in your current job? If so, congrats!  If not, or if you want to start making money without  having to deal with the "corporate grind," keep reading!

YOU can start working from home today!

If you are anything like me, you have no desire to go back into the "corporate world" or you just want to get out of it. Most people that I know, especially moms, actually enjoy staying home and being there when the kids come home from school. I know I do!  However, the one complaint everyone had that I spoke to was, the lack of extra income.  Everyone I've talked to always wants to find a way to make money from home.  Well, I did!

Work-at-Home-Jobs has created a program that is simple to learn.  New job tasks are designed to create income working at home. Most of  their members had no prior experience in the job fields they provide. With their training and tutorials YOU are able to learn new skills that will help you earn income well into the future.  

Their network consists of over 40,000 companies that deal with all types of niches and products which include business, sports, health, recreation, family, retail, society, services just too name a few. They have everything from small businesses to fortune 500 companies for you to partner with directly. As an independent worker you will retain all of your earnings and will be 1099 at the end of the year.  


Just follow the training programs and you too can add many new skills to your portfolio and be ahead in the world of online work-at-home workers.  The more you work, the more you can earn!


START HERE TODAY!  Good luck!
 

Work-at-Home-Jobs has been certified with several other organizations such as Web Assured, Web Guard, BIB, and Honest e-Online to name a few.  They have received top work-at-home honor several years in a row by Consumer-Rated and recently received their "Editor's Choice Award."

WE HAVE THREE CHOICES

Three Choices

This is by far one of my favorite quotes.  Basically, it says when something bad happens, you have 3 choices:

1. You can let it define you.
2. Let it destroy you.
3. Let it strengthen you.

We have all had something bad happen to us. Maybe something bad is happening to you right now.  Whether you are suffering from an illness or lack of money or you are just just plain ol’ heart-broken, you cannot let this “bad thing” define you and you certainly cannot let it destroy you.
By doing nothing, and wallowing in your sorrows, you are allowing the problem to consume you.

Remember, you have the power to be happy. You do have the power to make choices. Choices that will make you feel better about yourself and the situation.  You might not see it right away but doing nothing will certainly not help you at all.  It is choice number three, that we must all strive for.  
We must learn from our mistakes, from our pain and suffering and become that much stronger for it.   When you have doubts, remember that you were given this life because you are strong enough to live it!

ONE STEP OR THREE...

If you are here on this page I think it's because you are looking for some kind of motivation and/or inspiration to get moving with your life.  You know you've got to get out of this rut.  It's a new year but you just don't know how to start.
Well, the good news is, you did start!  The fact that you are reading and looking for ways to motivate you is a good sign.  First and foremost, I have to say that if you believe you are clinically depressed or have serious health issues, please seek medical advice.
For those of you just caught up in the "blah" mood of the season, the weather or whatever the reason...let's get going!!

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

Step 1: Make a list of things you want to do today. - Organization is the key to anything! Whether you have your own business, work for someone or you are a stay at home mom or in the PTA, you have to get organized!  Sitting in your sweat pants all day on the computer is not going to get you going! Prepare a list of things to do, even if it's only 2 or 3 things.  Start somewhere.

STEP 2: Be grateful. Think of and write down 2-5 things you are grateful for.  Think of what your life would be like if you didn't have these things or people in them. Remind yourself, why you want these things and why you want to be a better person.

STEP 3:  Get moving.  Literally! If you are at home, go run an errand or go for walk around the block. It will help to get your endorphins going. If you stay stagnant all day, your brain too will become stagnant and that's when all the negative thoughts creep in.  If you are at the office, try to go outside during break and get some fresh air, a different perspective than being behind your computer screen all day. 

Start with just these three things today or maybe even tomorrow, (if you started reading this too late in the day I'll give you a break on this one!)