It seems we all strive to be more happy and to have more happiness in our lives.
Yet, unlike training for our jobs or learning a new skill, we haven’t learned how to change the amount of happiness we have in our lives?
How can that be?
After all, happiness is so critical to our overall health and progress in life, it seems as though we should be paying much more attention doesn’t it?
Here is just a small list of how happiness impacts our physical and emotional lives:
1. Lower blood pressure good for overall heart and organ health
2. Improved digestive functioning meaning you not only experience less discomfort with such conditions as acid reflux, heartburn, abdominal bloating, gas, incontinence, etc…but also means you experience the benefit of optimal absorption of key vitamins and minerals from nutrients we eat that may be missing or malfunctioning today
3. Better control of blood sugar which means less craving and less long-term damage to the pancreas and liver
4. Our mind functions more clearly and with more endorphins which simply means our minds are healthier, more creative, function with greater memory and can help us bring out our true potential to a much greater degree
5. We exude confidence and enthusiasm, two of the most important factors in being likable and in influencing others toward our point of view
So, if happiness is so good for us, what are some ways we can begin now to improve the degree of happiness in our lives?
Can We Really Learn To Be Happier?
The good news is that, just as we learn any skill or behavior, we can learn to be happier in our lives. Here are 5 ways you can instantly begin to be more happy.
1. Re-frame – Calm Mind
The first technique you can use to instantly interrupt thoughts, beliefs and emotions that have NOT led to us feeling happy in the past learning to deal with these negative voices and images is meditation. Although many people feel that “meditation is not for them” or that they simply “cannot do meditation” the fact is that there are ways to make meditation work for you.
If you haven’t already done so – head over to this Blog and download this free report called “Live Big: 5 Steps To Unlock Your Personal Power” – in that report there is extensive coverage of different techniques that people who previously had given up on meditation used to finally figure out how it CAN and WILL work for them. The main advantage you will experience with meditation is this mind-changing “interrupt” that resets your mind and lets you finally stop being hostage to unhealthy thoughts and habits. Think of it as a cleanse for the mind and emotions (which control all thoughts, feelings and actions)
2. Re-Create Your Ideal Life
Once you have been able to disrupt old, unhealthy thinking and habits you have given yourself the freedom to replace those thoughts with new ones – that’s what this step is all about. Just as your mind has created negative images, self-talk, thoughts and beliefs over the years you want to now create your own movie about what your life will now be like starting this moment on.
- How you will feel now that you are in control?
- Who you will spend your time with and how they make you feel?
- Where you will travel to putting yourself?
- What service will you provide to yourself (being good to yourself, growing your development, inner peace and spirit)?
- What service will you provide to those around you NOW that you have found this new success, strength, inner peace and happiness?
- What incredible things have happened to you in the past and what will happen to you in the near future? Be creative, see the best possible scenario since your mind has always looked at the worst possible in the past – we are re-programming
- What are your passions and purpose in life – you want to focus on living in tune with your passion. You can get help finding your passion and purpose in this earlier post – don’t skip this important step.
Now you should have a vivid picture you can bring up at any point throughout the day along with sensory information such as smells, sounds, tastes, etc…
3. More Action – Less Thinking
When we are at rest our minds begin to take over and create stories – often based on negative aspects such as fear or anger which then result in falling back into the old ways of letting your mind program itself, not for the better. Or worse, we turn on the news, read news websites and let the media program our minds – is that something you believe is a positive? You may THINK you are relaxing but what is it doing to your mind while you are relaxing? Strive to either be in a state of taking action toward your ideal life OR truly relaxing with nature, meditation, positive reinforcement such as learning about new ways to improve or studying amazing people rather than giving your time up to violent video games or damaging TV
4. Exercise – Make It A Habit
Let’s face it, none of us like HAVING to go from being inactive to daily exercise.
It makes sense too…when you are stuck in a habit of doing nothing and getting your stimulation from TV, the internet, partying or other methods that are less healthy then taking 1-hour out of each day to make sure we get the proper exercise is NEW, a change to our routine and likely goes against thoughts and beliefs we have constructed around exercise being painful or not working.
The only way around this is to a) Reinforce positive impact of exercise including how you will look, more energy, live longer, be more attractive, etc… and b) Just do it for 7-14 days straight until you feel the resistance lessening. Eventually, if you stick with it long enough, getting regular exercise will become a new habit just like brushing your teeth, taking a shower or waking up in the morning.
5. Continual Improvement
Make a commitment right now to satisfying the basic human need to learn, contribute and survive by daily continual improvement. Rather than waiting for something great to just “happen” in your life (when you really know it likely won’t), and instead of substituting reality TV or news for your ability to really seek out knowledge – commit to studying highly effective and happy people and then apply those principles to your life.
Not only will you learn amazing things that will improve your life but you will instantly feel better for taking control of your own improvement.
How happy you feel in your life is within your control.
Make no mistake, by not taking action you are choosing to stay unhappy. By taking action, you are choosing to change and become happier in your life. It really is that straightforward – which do you choose?
Leave a Comment