Being happy is a choice that we do have power over and I find that absolutely amazing! There are things that can bring any one of us down but what I love is that I then get to choose how I respond to it. Don't get me wrong, I am not always skipping through rose gardens singing happy tunes. I can get down and frustrated and sometimes I just let myself experience those moments. I know what is making me edgy and it may be in my best interest to just let myself sulk a bit. Crazy, huh?But when all is said and done, personally, I feel I am a pretty happy person who is looking through rose colored glasses and seeing the glass half full. My best buddy and co-worker is the same way and the great thing is that we take turns. Very seldom do we both have our rose colored glasses off and when we do, watch out! All humor aside, I attribute my happy heart to 5 choices I make pretty much each and every day. Perhaps you could call these my 5 Be Happy Tips!
Get Active: My body thrives on movement and my soul is meant to run. I have my daily run and daily yoga to feed this part of me. Being active makes me a better me and it is totally worthwhile to pull myself out of bed dark and early to get at least some movement in before work. It is also a great physical benefit since my full time job keeps me at my desk for long hours working at a computer. Not so good for my heart. My Polar Loop agrees.
Smile/Hug: Try something for me. Smile. Yes, right now. Doesn't it feel great? Smiling just makes me feel better instantly and it is a trick I turn to even during runs when I am feeling blah. Smile. It makes you feel good and it makes others feel good. It is contagious. Close to this is hugs. I LOVE HUGS! When I am down I just want a hug. I am still trying to get dear hubby to remember this trick. A hug is worth its weight in gold to me and that is probably why I hug darling daughter like crazy each and every day. Here's a virtual hug for you too and yes, I am smiling at you!
Gratitude: This is probably one of the biggest components of feeling happy and content in life. It is so easy to see what is wrong and to dwell on those issues and in all reality, that isn't healthy. Yes, fix what needs to be fixed but what is more valuable is to reflect on what is good. Wouldn't you rather hear what you did right then what you did wrong? Yes, I know we need to fix errors but positive reinforcement is so much more powerful. And when you start looking for the good you will be surprised just how much good there is. I do a daily gratitude and really focus on trying to not saying the same gratitude day in and day out. I want to see all the good in the world. Simple gratitude will shower you with happiness!
Get Creative: I often say I am not artistic but I like to be artistic, if that makes any sense. I love to create things and this blog is one avenue for that. I am creating this story and content that I hope others will like, love, find valuable. In addition, I love to do crafts with darling daughter. We work in our garden and I have my Serenity Garden. In addition, I love to crochet and I used to cross stitch a lot. Recently, more of my creativity is being poured into cooking and what I make for dinner. All of these things make me feel productive and that makes me happy.Stay in the moment: Another good mantra for running but awesome for life. I can't worry too much about tomorrow, next month, or next year. It would weigh me down. I don't not think about the future but if there is a worry there I try to put it into perspective and focus on the here and now, what I can do now. My one contradiction to this is planning fun future stuff. We have a summer vacation on our plan and that is a future moment I like to focus on and reflect on with my family every now and then. Planning and anticipation is part of the fun! Oh yeah, and the past? Well, it is in the past. Forgive the wrongs done to you and move on. Forgive yourself. It is best for you and your heart to do so.
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for my Honda Civic Hybrid - I am getting close to averaging 43 mpg! Now that is AWESOME when the price of gas is over $4 a gallon.
Daily Affirmation: My vision is splendid and 20/20!
