Genuine Happiness Comes From Within

By: Chris Carter


Life isn't the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continue to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere - "How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?" Then I pause and observe for awhile. I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called 'self'.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that "loving means accepting." To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great bit of courage to be able to discover ways of how to improve your ability to recover from your mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have - truly, you know the answer to the question "how to be genuinely happy."

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life like it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, winning and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure in a person's life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite of all these? I tell you- every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, failing an exam and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in sports. Every time you take a step forward, you make points. Wouldn't it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself "Whew! I got a point today. I'm glad I gave it a shot", instead of looking at it all blank and realizing "Geez, I didn't even try today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!" and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn't about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life don't always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of happiness.

Happiness for a writer may mean launching as many best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a businessman may mean success.

So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don't have to have the best things in this world. It's about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistakes and telling yourself "Oh, I'll do better next time", you carry with you a flame of strong willpower to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try - that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project of how to become genuinely happy. For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love tenfold back.

Again, throw me that same question how to become genuinely happy. I'll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly stated- "Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life's aches and pain. But most of us don't know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over yourself. Because then you don't just become happy, you become free."



About The Author

The author invites you to visit: http://selfimprovementclub.com.

 

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/self_improvement_and_motivation/article_9305.shtml


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Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation

There are two very good reasons for watching this18 minute video. One is that empowerment includes knowing how to influence other people. The second is that this is an absolutely wonderful example of how to give a presentation. Watch and learn ...

Tony Robbins: How To Have More Energy For Life

"... not talk to about how to do this, we are going to figure out why to, because eighty percent success in anything is psychology and 20 percent is mechanics"

By the way, for those of you who live in the UK Tony Robbins is coming to London in March 2014

The cycle of life?

By James Kyle

 

Intialise Variables: judgement, fear, despair, awareness, acceptance, responsibility, connection, alignment

Do until young adult

    If parent is negative then

      Select Case ParentalExample
        Case "Judgemental": judgement = judgement + 1
        Case "Fearful": fear = fear + 1
        Case "Despairing": despair = despair + 1
      End Select

    Else

      Select Case ParentalExample
        Case "Self Aware": awareness = awareness + 1
        Case "Self Responsible": responsibility = responsibility + 1
        Case "Self Accepting": acceptance = acceptance + 1
        Case "Sense of Connection": connection = connection + 1
        Case "Inner Alignment": alignment = alignment + 1
      End Select

    End If

End do

Positivity = awareness + responsibility + acceptance + connection + alignment
Negativity = judgement + fear + despair


Do until end of life

    Select Case LifeEvent

      Case "Challenge":

          If Negativity > CriticalValue then
            fear = fear + 1
            judgement = judgement + 1
          Else
            awareness = awareness + 1
            acceptance = acceptance + 1
            responsibility = responsibility + 1
          End If

      Case "Opportunity":

          If Positivity > CriticalValue then
            connection = connection + 1
            alignment = alignment + 1
          Else
            despair = despair + 1
            judgement = judgement + 1
          End If

        End Select

    If Children IS True

        Perform PassOntoNextGeneration

    End If


    Positivity = awareness + responsibility + acceptance + connection + alignment
    Negtivity = judgement + fear + despair

    InnerPeace = Positivity - Negtivity

End do



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6 Simple Self Improvement Tips

by Daniel Better


The following self improvement tips will aid you in your efforts to begin your personal development endeavours. You will find yourself achieving new levels of fulfillment by incorporating them into your daily life. If personal development and growth interests you, there is a good chance you are constantly looking for reliable techniques that will stimulate your progression. Any tactics that can kickstart your personal growth and show you fast results would be fondly looked upon.

After years of study in the self improvement arena, I have found the following strategies to be invaluable. Any chance I can give back to others that have that same thirst to better themselves, I consider it a privilege knowing that I was once in the exact same place.

Expect to Achieve

While many think that the majority of people who are successful in the world are smarter than they are, that simply is not the case. The real secret here is to expect to win before it has ever happened. I can't stress enough how important this is. Your mindset has a hugely powerful effect on whether or not you will attain your dreams and goals.

Note that I didn't say you need knowledge to win, because the fact of the matter is having a bold and determined expectancy goes a lot further than actually having the knowledge. The knowledge will come with conviction and persistence.

Keep a Daily Journal

You will be hardpressed to find an ultra successful person who doesn't adopt a personal daily journal. We can't keep track of everything that passes through our minds and this is when a journal comes in extremely handy. Whenever something strikes you as something you would like to do, accomplish or feel passionate about, get in the habit of writing it down. It will give you a sense of self-awareness and will skyrocket your confidence in yourself.

Meditation

Known to be a fabulous stress reliever not to mention the other health benefits like aiding in digestion and even slowing your heart rate, this is one of the most overlooked of the techniques even though it could very well be one of the most important. It drastically helps in avoiding worries and anxiety because it clears your mind of all the negative thoughts useless thoughts that we all feel from time to time. Your sleep will be more restful and it will help you make the most of the other techniques shared here.

Write Action Plans & Specific Goals

The simple act of putting pen to paper has a dramatic effect on clarifying your goals and aids with the expectancy I talked about earlier. This habit of writing down goals is mandatory if you want to actually achieve those goals. Dreaming is one thing, doing is quite another. All of these written goals should lead you to your ultimate long term goal and perfect life.

Daily Affirmations

Getting in the habit of reading aloud positive affirmations each and every day will lierally change your character, your personality and ultimately change the actions you take every day of your life. I have found that reading these out loud when I get up in the morning and before I go to bed at night to work very well. You can't help but change your inner self by doing this religiously every day.

Be Well Rounded

All areas of your life are affected by all other areas of your life. By that I mean, if you have bad relationships for example, your finances and even your health will suffer also. Problems in your relationships, your health or finances will zap the necessary energy to make the most out of all of these areas of your life. Personal development and success will become much more difficult as a result.

In order to accomplish great things, living a balanced life is so important, a life of great emotional fortitude, financial security and physical stamina. Be well rounded in all of these areas and you will inevitably reap the rewards.

To great success in your life!




About The Author

  Danniel Better invites you to visit: http://www.selfimprovement4success.com


Article Source:http://www.articlecity.com/articles/self_improvement_and_motivation/article_9342.shtml

Image courtesy of Staurt Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Star Performance

I find this video strangely compelling and inspiring, how about you?

An Open Mind Gives Both Peace and Opportunities

By: Aaron Aberson

If you keep an open mind, you can make your life better than you ever dreamed possible. People often close their minds to new opportunities and friendships because of preconceived ideas. While keeping an open mind doesn't mean throwing caution to the wind, it does mean that you make your mind more receptive.

How can you do this? It's not easy. In order to keep an open mind, you have to stop before you make instant decisions. While gut reaction tends to be correct in many situations, it's not always. Sometimes gut reactions come from previous experiences and have nothing to do with the present situation.

If someone offers you an opportunity to increase your income, don't immediately accept or reject it. Instead, take a day or so to mull over the positives and negatives of the situation. Look at the potential value of the product or service and evaluate the effort to make the public aware of the benefits. Keeping an open mind doesn't mean that you'll throw out every idea or jump on every hair brained scheme to increase your cash. It means that you take your emotions out of the picture when you make a decision.

Simply stop before you decide against an idea. What makes you uneasy about the idea? Is the idea bad? Did the person present the idea poorly? Does the person presenting the idea make you uncomfortable? Once you find the answer to that question, you can examine the idea or plan for weaknesses.

If the person made you uncomfortable, identify why. Perhaps they simply look like someone from your past. Maybe they seemed a little too pushy and in a hurry to get a decision from you. If that's the case, ask them why they need an immediate response. Find out a bit about their background before committing to anything. If an idea sounds too good to be true, it may be. Alternatively, there may be a reason that a company makes a great offer or puts a product on sale.

When you keep an open mind, you won't immediately believe someone insulted you. Consider the possibilities first. If they made a remark to insult you and you react, they've accomplished their mission. If they didn't mean to hurt your feelings, then you'll carry a grudge for no reason. When you keep an open mind and give everyone the benefit of a doubt, you'll live your life in a much more peaceful mode. Reacting to an insult only feeds fire and creates dissention. You are the only one that pays for it with internal turmoil.

Your inner peace can depend on an open mind. If you were always afraid of public speaking but have a great opportunity that requires occasional public speeches, don't pass it up because classmates laughed at you in the third grade. When you keep an open mind, you realize that the past is the past. As an adult, the amount of preparation and even a speech coach can help you overcome your reluctance and make you a great public speaker.

The world is full of possibilities and one of them can be yours. Being open to opportunities and friendships make your life richer but it does require more self-talk and less gut reaction. Try new things you never believed you could do and do them with a light heart. Turn off those "can't do" thoughts. Pressure from negative thoughts only makes life less fun and exciting.

Be your own best friend and talk yourself into keeping an open mind. Give good ideas a chance without covering them up with opinions and bury bad ideas with facts no matter how tempting they seem. 

About the Author: Copyright Aaron Aberson. For more on how to have an Open Mind, and to get the Brainpower Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=696806&ca=Self+Help


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The inspirational story behind the making of Rocky

The inspirational story behind the making of Rocky.

By the way, for those of you who live in the UK Tony Robbins is coming to London in March 2014

How do You Want to Play Your “Authentic Being” Game?

By: Nat Smith


It appears that there are different levels of Authenticity that you can live at. All as true and authentic as another, but different levels in which we can play our “authentic being” game here.

Some people are focused on living authentically as far as saying what they feel, doing things they love and are true for them, spending time with people they chose, and basically not putting on any front to different people, instead just being completely themselves in all situations.

However on another level, as I have observed, there is also authentic living from the infinite viewpoint… seeing that the human self is essentially the Egoic self, but underneath there also exists a ‘Real Self’; the Self that is consciousness itself and upon recognition of this, you choose to live from this perspective.

From this perspective you are nothing more than the witnessing of life that takes place through the body. You realise you are not your body; You are the pure authentic consciousness that moves through it.

This is certainly my take and focus on authentic living in recent years. Not to discount the absolute importance of speaking your truth, doing what you love and having genuine connections with people; but I see this more as what I would naturally be drawn to doing when I really live my truth as consciousness itself moving through this human form.

When I live from my truth that I am consciousness and that the entire outside world is purely my reflection, then there is no possibility of feeling the fear of judgment from others about how I live. It is only when the ego kicks in that I can possibly get tripped up and start going back into my head, telling myself stories of what I ‘think’ is happening.

I am in the process of rereading ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle. An incredible book that dives into the ego and how it manifests in the individual and collective mind of us all.

In it, Eckhart brilliantly describes that all your thoughts, emotions, judgments, illnesses and suffering in life, are not You. They are games the ego plays with you, pretending to be you.

He goes on to say that your ‘true self’ sits beyond all of the human and worldly form, and has simply been covered up by the egoic mind, and the sense of ‘I’ that exists within our world. He states that it is the ‘I’ - the desire to make everything about ourselves and take it all so personally, that causes every bit of our suffering here on earth.

This is certainly my finding in my own life experience over the past decade, and it certainly is the findings of many of the people I share my journey with; that by making everything that happens in this world personal, through the sense of ‘I, me and mine’ I suffer non stop. As soon as I recognise that I am just presence in this moment and that the sense of ‘I’ is simply my ego (my mind) wanting to gain control, the pain stops.

As soon as I see that the human game here is just that, a human game, and if I see that I am an infinite spiritual being come into form to have an experience here… to express myself, create and explore this wondrous world that I have created for myself, then suddenly my whole world opens up and I am free to be ME. Free of the mind that tells me I am limited, and free of my thoughts and judgments that my world is anything less than perfect.

Now there’s some authenticity worth playing with!




About the Author: Nat Smith is an author, mentor and the co-Publisher of ‘Into-Me-I-See’ Digital Magazine, facilitating the collaboration of many of the world’s leading Conscious Wayseers to share their wisdom and raw life experiences. Please go to http://into-me-i-see-mag.com/ to download all of our issues for FREE.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1833120&ca=Self+Help





Image courtesy of Master isolated images FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How do I stop stress in my life?

By Nerissa Scott

Each day, before you walk in to work, do you feel as though you can never get ahead? Do you feel a sense of resentment that you let your life go on as far as it has... with you being unhappy? Do you feel like you are overtaken with the mundane sense of going along with your life each day, only to repeat the same thing the next day? So how do you make a fed up person, miserable... add stress and depression together. Do you want to be that person, or have you already reached that level? What is stopping you from managing your time and your life? Realizing your life is important. Where will you be when your neighbor realizes their worth? It is understandable that you think about your obligations first, but what about you? Don't let depression take over you. The time to take control is now!


How to create an environment for cultivating a happier you?


Step 1- Love your imperfections, love your kids mistakes and don't worry so much

Step 2- Each day; make certain that you take the time to pamper yourself with something that makes you "melt inside," for lack of a better phrase… You deserve it, and if anyone tells you otherwise—they are wrong!

Just make sure that it doesn't negatively affect your well-being or the well-being of others, you know

Step 3- Set goals! For yourself, AND have each member of your household set clear and realistic goals as well. The key to successfully achieving them is to write them down and put them in a place where they are visible and can be revisited throughout the day.

Always start with goals that may seem meaningless, as these always have the greatest impact on our lives. For example, you can start by setting the daily goal to dedicate five minutes without distraction, to listen to your little one (or even your husband for that matter.)

Many of us have a habit of multitasking and we forget that something so small can positively affect the person we are listening to, in addition to ourselves. Why? Because we are not stressed from trying to complete a task while someone we care about is attempting to tell us something that may well be important to them. Once we dedicate this small amount of time to listening, we can carry on with our tasks without distraction!

We all have aspect of our life snapshots that remain unclear for years, maybe even decades; nonetheless, no single task, endeavor, obligation, or person should prevent us from achieving pure happiness. The next piece of information that I am going to share with you was passed to me from my grandma, who has showed me a lifetime of inspiration and joy. By writing this for all to see, it is almost therapeutic for me, knowing that I can reach at least one person as they are experiencing a rough patch in their life. (Smile)

What my grandmother has shared with me… Each day, look at your reflection in the mirror & say to yourself: "I am a very important person and I am special. If I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of others." As a rule of thumb, I encourage you—as my grandmother has to me, to make it a ritual to do this each morning before you begin your day and each night before you retire. This worked to the highest degree for me, and I am certain that you will benefit greatly from it as well. Lastly, it would be wise for you to just believe in yourself. Do not let depression have control over your world. To avert continuing stress related mood concerns, it is imperative for you to set clear goals and believe in yourself. You have my full support and encouragement!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/how-do-i-stop-stress-in-my-life-6865707.html

About the Author

My name is Nerissa Scott and I am a life coach, business owner and a licensed life insurance producer with a goal to help America's working-class. I hold a Master of Education Degree and I recognize the complexities of teaching personal finance to adults-- so feel free to ask away! It is my goal to provide life empowerment and professional guidance, by answering all of your questions to help you make decisions that you are comfortable with.

I believe that there is a need for Americas working-class to have an accessible and trustworthy resource to benefits and insurance coverage- now more than ever!

For personal inspiration, professional guidance and information to help you understand the basics of insurance, feel free to stop by my blog at http://lifegoalsandlifeinsurance.com-- You may well be surprised in what you'll find to be helpful. If you would prefer to reach out to me in a more personal environment, feel free call toll free at (800) 807-6172. (Smile)

Image courtesy of David Castillo FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Elements of Greatness

It is not enough to be the best...

If you are in a shell...

An inspiration for personal change in 2014

The Only New Year's Resolution You'll Ever Need

By: Robert Gerzon


How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions?

Inspired by the sight of a new calendar, we vow to do better during the coming year. We resolve to break a bad habit (to stop overeating, to stop going to bed so late) or to build a good habit (to be a better listener, to exercise more). All too often we find that the force and momentum of our old habits soon overcome our best intentions.

We hope to replace our bad habits with good ones, or at least better ones. But what about habit itself? The dictionary defines habit as "an unconscious pattern of behavior." Habits are personal software programs that allow us to live most of our life on auto-pilot. These software programs were written many years ago and often were installed by other people (known as parents). It makes sense that our software might require an upgrade for us to function at our best.

But here's a deeper reason to look at our habits. Buddha, Jesus and many other spiritual teachers taught that we need to wake up from an unconscious, habit-driven way of living to become fully-conscious free human beings. Jesus advised against "pouring new wine into old wineskins." In other words, don't process new life experiences with outdated thought patterns. When people asked Buddha if he was divine, he said simply, "I am one who has awakened."

Years ago I decided to only have one New Year's resolution each year (the most challenging and rewarding one I could imagine): to live each day consciously and creatively. I found that focusing on living each moment with awareness has allowed me to respond to life more authentically and more successfully.

How does it work? Instead of focusing on individual habits I focus on staying conscious throughout the day. Instead of dieting, I eat with awareness. Instead of an ambitious new exercise regimen or early-to-bed resolutions, I listen to my body's needs and respond to them. Instead of trying to "be more considerate," I aim to be more conscious in all my relationships.

So this year, why not break the ultimate habit -- the habit of living from habit. Although good habits are better than bad ones and being completely free of habits isn't a realistic goal, we can all experience more freedom and renewed excitement about our lives if we free ourselves from the dictatorship of our habits.

The key to living consciously instead of sleep-walking through life is to pay attention to what you are saying to yourself at each moment: your "Inner Talk." Examining your Inner Talk gives you access to the software that's been running your life. You can decide what to keep and what to change. The good news is you are not a prisoner of your past conditioning. You can choose new Inner Talk based on your true values and your life purpose.

If conscious and creative living is your ultimate goal, why not use daily life as practice? Approaching each moment as fresh and new will keep your mind sharper, your body healthier and your heart happier. When new Inner Talk flows through the neurons and synapses of your brain old habit patterns dissolve automatically. Each day is more exciting and filled with new potential when you approach it with "beginner's mind."

Best wishes for a conscious and creative New Year!




About the Author: Robert Gerzon is a holistic psychotherapist, life coach and author of "Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety." Please visit http://www.gerzon.com for more information and inspiring personal growth articles.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=336834&ca=Self+Help


Image courtesy of Stuart Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net