Simple ways to Create Lasting Happiness
We tend to search the world around us for the keys to happiness when really, the happiness that we are looking for is already within us.
1: Forgiveness
We all have our own thoughts and feelings about what it means to forgive and why we should or shouldn’t do it. However, learning how to forgive someone (including yourself for any regrets you may have) is an important step in taking care of ourselves and in living a healthy, happy life.
What does it mean to forgive?
Wikipedia defines Forgiveness as: "The mental, and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger against another person for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution."
Easier said than done, right? Forgiveness is like developing any other skill, with practice and patience it can be learned and implemented with great success.
It's important to understand that forgiveness does NOT mean that we are approving, accepting, dismissing or condoning what someone else did. The truth is, forgiveness has everything to do with our own well being and here's why…..
Un-forgiveness fills our mind with negative thoughts and creates strong emotional energies in our body such as anger, judgment, criticism and resentment. These harbored thoughts and emotions are like toxins in the body which can create stress and even illness.
There are many benefits of Forgiveness. Forgiveness can help us to feel happier, sleep better, have less stress, enjoy healthier relationships, think more clearly, deepen our spiritual connection plus many more benefits! Forgiveness enhances our health and life on every level including mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
How do you know if we have reached total forgiveness?
You know that you have been set free thru forgiveness when the memory of a person or of a situation no longer triggers thoughts or emotions that don’t feel good and you feel more at peace.
2. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)
Emotional Freedom Technique (also referred to as Tapping) can be used to enhance our overall health and well being.
This simple yet powerful technique can help us to heal thru difficult emotions or memories, enhance athletic performance, find greater ease in dealing with daily frustrations or difficult situations.
Using EFT can help us to succeed in achieving our personal and professional goals by helping us to overcoming obstacles such as self doubt, limiting beliefs or fear.
How Does EFT Work?
Like acupuncture, EFT is based on the ancient wisdom that energy flows through the body, moving through 12 main channels called meridians. An Acupuncturist inserts very fine needles (each needle being the thickness of a human hair) at the meridian points, to stimulate and balance the energy system. EFT however, just requires gentle tapping on the meridian points.
EFT is based on the understanding that when we experience any kind of distress (in the present moment or as a memory), it disrupts our body's energy system. This disruption can lead to some of the symptoms and situations mentioned above. Fortunately, EFT can help to relieve these situations.
While tapping on each meridian point, a person focuses on a specific issue that they want to heal/release. This focused attention and the gentle EFT tapping helps to stimulate and balance the energy pathways, positively influencing one's health and well being.
EFT tapping produces long lasting (and often permanent) relief often in a very short time, sometimes in a matter of minutes. However, some issues may be more complicated and will take longer to resolve. With persistence, relief will come.
3. Positive Thinking & Affirmations
Your thoughts have power, choose them wisely! Have you ever thought about how your thoughts impact your life? Our thoughts affect the way we perceive things and they have a direct influence on the way in which we experience life.
Our thoughts affect how we feel, they direct our words and shape our conversations, they guide the choices that we make and the ways in which we act or react to various situations.
Do your thoughts support your goals and desires or are they working against you? Sometimes we are actually affirming something that we don't want, without even realizing it.
For instance, if you want to exercise more often but you keep affirming "I don't have time to work out," then exercise is not likely to happen. The words, "I don't", "I won't" or "I can't" close the door to all possibilities. As Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or can't, you are right."
If you catch yourself affirming something that does not reflect your true desires, you can reframe it by creating a positive affirmation that reflects what you do want. For instance, "I am willing to find ways to exercise at least 2 times a week." Or "I have fun finding creative ways to fit exercise into my day, every day."
4. Acts of Kindness
If you want more joy and happiness in your life, give joy and happiness to others. We give for the pure pleasure of giving but as we give, we also receive. Just think of a time when you helped another person or surprised someone with the perfect gift, do you remember how good that felt?
When we live by consciously being kind to others, we make a positive difference in this world. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day and it may have been just what they needed in that moment. Sometimes we aren't even aware of how our actions affect others, which is part of the fun.
The ways in which you can use your life to make a difference and the number of lives that you have potential to touch are unlimited! What would happen if you performed one, two or five acts of kindness (planned or random) every day? Imagine the positive impact that this would have not only on the lives that you touch but on your life as well.
Take one week, one day or even one hour and dedicate your life to making a difference. Create a positive affirmation that reflects your intention to make a difference and use it as a mantra or turn your intention into a powerful prayer. Every day, express and feel your gratitude for having so many opportunities to help others.
Ways to Make a Difference in One Minute!
If your life is busy already and the thought of dedicating part of your life to making a difference feels overwhelming, keep in mind that you can make a difference in less than a minute, every day. Here are some ideas:
- Paying the toll for 5 of the cars behind you.
- Write an email to a friend and tell them why you value their friendship.
- Write a thank you note to your child's teacher or someone you work with.
- Over pay for a glass of lemonade the next time you visit a lemonade stand.
- Give the cashier a few extra dollars to buy coffee or lunch for the person behind you at the coffee shop or drive thru.
- Give someone a compliment.
- Call your spouse/partner just to tell them you love them.
Have fun exploring the ways in which you can make a difference in one minute or less! How many minutes a day could you spare to touch and inspire people around you?
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?”
1: Forgiveness
We all have our own thoughts and feelings about what it means to forgive and why we should or shouldn’t do it. However, learning how to forgive someone (including yourself for any regrets you may have) is an important step in taking care of ourselves and in living a healthy, happy life.
What does it mean to forgive?
Wikipedia defines Forgiveness as: "The mental, and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger against another person for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution."
Easier said than done, right? Forgiveness is like developing any other skill, with practice and patience it can be learned and implemented with great success.
It's important to understand that forgiveness does NOT mean that we are approving, accepting, dismissing or condoning what someone else did. The truth is, forgiveness has everything to do with our own well being and here's why…..
Un-forgiveness fills our mind with negative thoughts and creates strong emotional energies in our body such as anger, judgment, criticism and resentment. These harbored thoughts and emotions are like toxins in the body which can create stress and even illness.
There are many benefits of Forgiveness. Forgiveness can help us to feel happier, sleep better, have less stress, enjoy healthier relationships, think more clearly, deepen our spiritual connection plus many more benefits! Forgiveness enhances our health and life on every level including mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
How do you know if we have reached total forgiveness?
You know that you have been set free thru forgiveness when the memory of a person or of a situation no longer triggers thoughts or emotions that don’t feel good and you feel more at peace.
2. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)
Emotional Freedom Technique (also referred to as Tapping) can be used to enhance our overall health and well being.
This simple yet powerful technique can help us to heal thru difficult emotions or memories, enhance athletic performance, find greater ease in dealing with daily frustrations or difficult situations.
Using EFT can help us to succeed in achieving our personal and professional goals by helping us to overcoming obstacles such as self doubt, limiting beliefs or fear.
How Does EFT Work?
Like acupuncture, EFT is based on the ancient wisdom that energy flows through the body, moving through 12 main channels called meridians. An Acupuncturist inserts very fine needles (each needle being the thickness of a human hair) at the meridian points, to stimulate and balance the energy system. EFT however, just requires gentle tapping on the meridian points.
EFT is based on the understanding that when we experience any kind of distress (in the present moment or as a memory), it disrupts our body's energy system. This disruption can lead to some of the symptoms and situations mentioned above. Fortunately, EFT can help to relieve these situations.
While tapping on each meridian point, a person focuses on a specific issue that they want to heal/release. This focused attention and the gentle EFT tapping helps to stimulate and balance the energy pathways, positively influencing one's health and well being.
EFT tapping produces long lasting (and often permanent) relief often in a very short time, sometimes in a matter of minutes. However, some issues may be more complicated and will take longer to resolve. With persistence, relief will come.
3. Positive Thinking & Affirmations
Your thoughts have power, choose them wisely! Have you ever thought about how your thoughts impact your life? Our thoughts affect the way we perceive things and they have a direct influence on the way in which we experience life.
Our thoughts affect how we feel, they direct our words and shape our conversations, they guide the choices that we make and the ways in which we act or react to various situations.
Do your thoughts support your goals and desires or are they working against you? Sometimes we are actually affirming something that we don't want, without even realizing it.
For instance, if you want to exercise more often but you keep affirming "I don't have time to work out," then exercise is not likely to happen. The words, "I don't", "I won't" or "I can't" close the door to all possibilities. As Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or can't, you are right."
If you catch yourself affirming something that does not reflect your true desires, you can reframe it by creating a positive affirmation that reflects what you do want. For instance, "I am willing to find ways to exercise at least 2 times a week." Or "I have fun finding creative ways to fit exercise into my day, every day."
4. Acts of Kindness
If you want more joy and happiness in your life, give joy and happiness to others. We give for the pure pleasure of giving but as we give, we also receive. Just think of a time when you helped another person or surprised someone with the perfect gift, do you remember how good that felt?
When we live by consciously being kind to others, we make a positive difference in this world. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day and it may have been just what they needed in that moment. Sometimes we aren't even aware of how our actions affect others, which is part of the fun.
The ways in which you can use your life to make a difference and the number of lives that you have potential to touch are unlimited! What would happen if you performed one, two or five acts of kindness (planned or random) every day? Imagine the positive impact that this would have not only on the lives that you touch but on your life as well.
Take one week, one day or even one hour and dedicate your life to making a difference. Create a positive affirmation that reflects your intention to make a difference and use it as a mantra or turn your intention into a powerful prayer. Every day, express and feel your gratitude for having so many opportunities to help others.
Ways to Make a Difference in One Minute!
If your life is busy already and the thought of dedicating part of your life to making a difference feels overwhelming, keep in mind that you can make a difference in less than a minute, every day. Here are some ideas:
- Paying the toll for 5 of the cars behind you.
- Write an email to a friend and tell them why you value their friendship.
- Write a thank you note to your child's teacher or someone you work with.
- Over pay for a glass of lemonade the next time you visit a lemonade stand.
- Give the cashier a few extra dollars to buy coffee or lunch for the person behind you at the coffee shop or drive thru.
- Give someone a compliment.
- Call your spouse/partner just to tell them you love them.
Have fun exploring the ways in which you can make a difference in one minute or less! How many minutes a day could you spare to touch and inspire people around you?
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?”