Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Start by Prioritising Your Happiness

Some people treat happiness as their main goal. When you ask them what they want in life they say, 'to be happy'. But happiness can be elusive. It creeps up on us when we least expect it, when we find ourselves smiling at a beautiful sunset, a table laid for a family meal, succeeding in a challenge, watching our friends laugh at a terrible joke.
Happiness is rarely about expensive gifts or acquisitions. So when planning for a positive, fulfilling life it's important to start by prioritising your happiness. Let's look at what this entails.
Practise daily gratitude. This doesn't mean settling for second best or sitting back on your laurels, but is about being grateful for what you have and finding a balanced, grounded approach to life. Appreciation of others, valuing the lessons learned from challenges and setbacks, the relationships in your life, the food, air, roof over your head, running water, all can all be taken for granted but are things many others don't have.Those people would be happy to be in your shoes.
- Happiness comes from being inspired, so ensure you have things that motivate you to improve, to be better, reach a higher level. This may be learning new skills, expanding your area of expertise, focusing on a new direction, something that elevates your vision, stretches you and brings a sense of achievement.
- Leaving our familiar comfort zone can be scary and exhilarating, yet often results in us feeling happy and proud of ourselves afterwards. Even trying new food, another route to work, having a go at something we're apprehensive about can prompt a positive shift in our thinking and a happier sense of self.
- Being challenged is important to happiness too. Being receptive to new ideas and initiatives, being prepared to say, 'yes' even when unsure of yourself. Why not say 'yes' first and work out how to do it afterwards! Self-improvement and development bring their own happiness and fulfillment.
- Do things you do well. Being challenged is often a good experience but if life is already stressful making time to do something you know you're good at can be an important reminder of how competent and capable you are. And we all need a little window of success in a stressful life. Enjoy it, even if it's icing a cake, putting up shelving or supporting an elderly neighbour.
- Rewards can bring happiness. Yes, we deserve to be rewarded for our efforts financially. We need to live and pay our bills. But also reward yourself by ensuring you have a space, a place where you go and feel secure, able to relax. It may be your bedroom, with lovely prints, cushions, flowers and music. When you're there you close the door on the world, destress and chill.
- Being involved with others can bring happiness; teaching, mentoring, coaching, volunteering are often fulfilling experiences. And the people we're involved with may bring new ideas, inspiration, suggestions of their own that add value to our lives.
- Don't follow the crowd. Others have their own stories, motivations and limitations. They may begrudge you your energy and drive, preferring that you don't remind them of their apparent lack of ambition, but we're all different and each of us have needs and wants that evolve over time. Reflect on those relationships and consider if it's time to reduce their influence in your life.
- Mix with people who like, support and encourage you; they're your fans and ambassadors. People who like you treat you with respect, may challenge you on occasion, but they're in your court and you're in theirs. Nurturing 'your' people allows you to be vulnerable, wrong sometimes and able to discuss any problem areas in an accepting, non-judgmental arena.
- Indulge your senses. Happiness comes from incorporating smell, taste, touch as well as music and beautiful art and colours. Make time to enjoy nature, your pets. Visit the beach, the forest and stimulate your senses; feel the sand underneath your feet.
- Give yourself regular free time. Happiness is about ensuring there's balance in your life. Prioritising time for fun, sport, exercise, reading is important. Sometimes work may require extra attention, but aim to regularly give yourself time out, perhaps just to sit with a coffee at the mall.
- Insist on being treated with respect by those you come into contact with. Good boundaries matter. Unhappiness can occur if we feel disrespected, treated dismissively or are taken for granted. Intercept bad treatment at the outset and be firm about good manners and consideration. But equally remember to invest time and attention in your good relationships.
- Deal with your demons. Happiness is about being at peace with ourselves, forgiving any failures, past mistakes or errors of judgement. If you're struggling therapy coulhttps://ezinearticles.com/?Start-by-Prioritising-Your-Happiness&id=10262600d be a good way to heal and recover from negative patterns and ways of thinking. Be gentle with yourself and move on from unhelpful self-talk. It can make all the difference to your happiness levels.
Look after yourself. Eat well, exercise, commit to regular sleep. Practice these tips, prioritise your health and happiness will follow.
Susan Leigh, counselor, hypnotherapist, relationship counselor, writer & media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.
She's author of 3 books, 'Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact', '101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday' and 'Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain', all on Amazon & with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.
To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net



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Saturday, 4 April 2020

Six Powerful Steps to High Levels of Motivation

It is a well established fact that success in life goes most frequently not to the most deserving, the best looking or even the most intelligent. Instead, it tends to go to the person with the greatest amount of drive or motivation. Motivation is that intangible something which makes you get up early in the morning, full of energy and ready to accomplish tasks and attack obstacles because you "want to." You have passion. You are driven.
But in today's complicated, competitive and often cut-throat world how does the success-oriented person maintain consistently high levels of motivation to get the job done and achieve the stated goal? How is it possible when there are so many negative and retarding forces arrayed against you sapping your energy and causing you mental fatigue?
Well, here are six powerful steps which will help you through and beyond the trials and tribulations.
#1 - You must be driven by an overwhelming desire to achieve a specific goal. Goals give purpose to life. Without them, you will find yourself meandering through life being controlled by events and the actions (or inactions) of others. You might get lucky and accomplish a little something. But that which you achieve will be the result of just that - luck - or put another way "mediocre, accidental success."
#2 - Each goal must be clear and specific. They should be written down. And you should be able to write them down in 15 words or less so clearly that a 10-year-old can understand them. Statements such as "I want to be happy" or "I want to be rich" are not goals; they are daydreams. Wake up! Goals must be rational, have a timeline for achieving them and be concrete such that you can actually measure whether or not the goal is being achieved.
#3 - Nourish your goals. Feed them with thought and effort. Smart thinking and specific actions are the nutrients which feed goals and enable them to grow into strong realities. You should have a "daily things to do list" which includes specific tasks aimed at bringing you closer to your specific, clear and concrete goals.
#4 - Adopt the following mantra: "I get the most out of life by endeavoring to get the most out of each day." This mantra is to be repeated in the morning shortly after getting out of bed; once in the evening shortly before going to bed and each and every time you feel yourself wavering or slacking off.
#5 - Consistently rest and relax. Nothing which has been said above implies that you must run through life frantic and at breakneck speed. In fact, your actions will be smooth, efficient and effective because you will be working according to a plan and because you know what you are doing. Since your goals are concrete and not daydreams or fantasies, you will be able to see and measure your progress. And next to a good sexual experience, nothing enables you to rest like being able to honestly say at night "This was a good day."
#6 - Meditate to the point of self-hypnosis. Daily meditation (or prayer for those of you who are more religious) need not take more than 15 minutes to one-half hour of your time. Go to a comfortable, quiet place, sit down, lean back, close your eyes and gradually relax your entire body. Then program positive, constructive thoughts into your mind. This can be a self-hypnotizing experience in which you render your mind relaxed, clear, sharp and happy. Try it. It can truly be a powerful and freeing experience.
P.S. - If you can get another person or a team of friends to engage in some of the above practices with you on a regular basis, the experience will be even more powerful, liberating and motivational. This group or "family" can also act as a protective shield helping one another to ward off and combat some of those retarding forces and obstacles which are bound to occur.
Robert N. Taylor is a researcher and newsletter editor. For more information about this article and other Taylor writings, visit http://www.freewebs.com/wealthgazette


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Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Redirecting Mind Chatter to the Mental Spam Box

Thoughts are so often with us but, like a letter in the mail, we do not have to receive them: they do not belong to us.
It can be hard to detach ourselves from these results of the mental process, particularly those which create a negative emotional reaction as so many thoughts do. It feels so personal as the what-ifs and perhapses run through the mind like an out-of-control child, absorbing the attention and triggering feelings of fear, stress and anxiety.
It is interesting that thoughts that are from the Higher Mind are quite different - not random or chaotic but reasoned, clear and helpful, and often decisive. They are an inner knowing, the certainty we have occasionally when we wake up about what to do or where to go. We could call them messages from Spirit.
Higher Mind thoughts are letters we are pleased to receive. Lower Mind thoughts are junk mail, communication you have not asked for and do not want: if you can't stop it coming through your mental door, then when it arrives you observe it for what it is and dispose of it calmly without getting attached to it.
I find it helps, if I get caught up in some mental spam, to take a few deep breaths when I am able to see what is occurring, to break the thought pattern and bring myself back to the present and myself, in the knowledge that the thought is not who I am. It is one of the hardest parts of being human to do this and after years of trying I do not always succeed. I will persevere, however, for I know it is worth it.
Nature provides us with the perfect example of how to do this. While birds and animals like to have structure and routine in their lives, largely driven by the rhythms and pulses of the Planet and beyond, they have the capacity nonetheless to change what no longer serves them effortlessly and move on.
If a nest of fledglings is predated, the parents will, season permitting, create a new brood; if the local climate becomes colder or hotter, species affected will move north or south; if the lion king in a pride dies, another is found to replace him. There is no sentiment in the world of nature, rather there is pragmatism and intuition based on the immediate need in order to survive and enjoy life. It is not cold-blooded, for there is much caring and tenderness and a shared sense of community responsibility based on the present moment.
Living as I do surrounded by wildlife, I am blessed to have many opportunities to observe how nature works, and to learn constantly from it. I see that a deer, say, has a wonderful capacity to accept, adapt, and let go. It carries no burdens, is (unless ill or under threat) physically and emotionally relaxed, and is fully connected with its environment. Apart from the need to subsist and beget new life it has no cares.
As I reflect on animals' capacity to let go and just be, I see how often I and perhaps you are not. Sometimes I find my back is tense, shoulders are raised, my mind is chattering and I am on auto-pilot, somewhere else than in my present. More and more I try and pause periodically in my day and check in to see where the tensions are and where my mind has gone, to try and bring myself into a constant state of "let go" at every level of my being. Just like the birds, the more I do this and am able just to be, the greater my sense of oneness with all that is above, all that is below, and all that is around me.
The more I do this, the more I watch my nature teachers, the more I realise, with gratitude, how much I have to learn - and that is fine.
Claire Montanaro is a skilled and sought after spiritual teacher, speaker, lecturer and author, with a reputation for inspiring and empowering her clients, students and audience. Based in Wales, her heartfelt desire is to assist people to actualise their total connectedness to all that is. Additionally, she offers a global philosophy for living and being in the new age for all seekers of truth. Seven simple yet intensely profound Principles form the core of her teaching, the practice of which embodies the New Consciousness and is a catalyst for One-ness. Her book "Spiritual Wisdom" is published by Piatkus Books. Her website can be found at http://www.inluminoglobal.co.uk where you can read more articles like this in her regularly updated Thoughts for the Day (blog).


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