7 Ways To be Happy NOW!

Something everyone says they want. The truth is, just like building up a muscle it takes repetition to grow and become strong, to be connected with positive emotions. It requires becoming conscious and taking ourselves off of Auto Pilot. This involves training our brain to focus on all the miraculous experiences in our environment moment by moment.

1- Acknowledge the truth- remember in the past, when you thought; ‘as soon as I ...get my business running well; my book finished; become debt free; find a partner; buy that new house; have a child; retire, or lose the weight’, then I will really be happy. The truth is happiness begins now. You can pursue all those things you want and know- when they do arrive there will be a new quality of problem that can pull you out of the moment into frustration if you allow it.

2- Gain Perspective- Turn on the news or look up the issues people face on daily basis in a third world country. Are your problems really that great? For most of us, the things we complain about are things that we will not even be able to recall in a month, year or decade. Learn to let go.

3- STOP being so Significant! –really, from the outside looking in, essentially we are much like billions of little ants racing around thinking we are so important.

4- Exercise forgiveness- and give up being right, when we give up the need to be right we create an opportunity to be happy. There are triggers everywhere, human beings have so many rules on how people ‘should behave’ in society it’s no wonder most people are angry and unhappy. Your life can be dictated by triggers and a series of emotional reactions or you can be forgiving. Whether it is a mix up in a restaurant; with your partner or a family member, or in traffic. Chances are, whomever triggered your frustration, they did not wake up that day and say ‘hum, I hope I can ruin some ones day today by XXX’.

5- Love What You Have – At any given moment we ALL have something to be grateful for. Naturally there will be time when it is easier to identify things than others, however, they can always be found. When you become annoyed about the eye infection you are healing – be grateful for vision, really... you get the picture.

6- Create a Future- We tend to be most peaceful when we feel there is joy coming. Either completing a goal, taking that vacation, a workout, an outing, a presentation...whatever it is for you. The future has an ability to impact who we are in the present moment –

7- Spontaneity- we tend to be very unconscious creatures. Immerse yourself in the moment, experience something new. Embrace any opportunity to stretch yourself. Bungy jump, try new foods, do something you have always wanted to do. Engage in activities that have you feeling ALIVE!