Where To Find Happiness

How happy are you?
Would you say that you're happy, most of the time, sometimes or perhaps not very often.

Would you like to be happier?
What do you believe makes you happy?

Some of the things I've noticed that bring me happiness are, having a plan and seeing that I'm moving towards my goals. Having fun doing things that are fun for me, like snorkeling, swimming in the ocean, laying in the sun, hiking, most anything outdoors, in nice weather. Being so completely engaged in something, like writing, watching a good movie, gardening or some project where time doesn't exist. Spending my time as I choose, having control over what I do each day makes me happy. My cats add to my happiness, having loving, positive, happy people in my life adds to my happiness. Seeing other peoples success and happiness makes me happy. I've noticed I'm the happiest when I'm doing what I really want to be doing in life and not what I think I'm suppose to be doing. It's much easier to appreciate what I have, when it's what I want. I'm also less likely to be concerned with what others are doing or saying because I'm enjoying my life too much to care.

The Abraham-Hicks exercise "The Rampage Of Appreciation" found in their book Ask and It is Given
http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/askitisgiven.php is an excellent way to develop your appreciation muscle for looking at what's good and right in life.

Also Barbara De Angelis has written a book called Real Moments that describes how our lives are made up of many little moments that bring us happiness.

Did you know that Barbara DeAngelis was married to John Gray the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? http://home.marsvenus.com/
They were both involved with the TM (Transcendental Meditation) movement back in the 70's.
http://www.tm.org/

Here's a link to her book Real Moments: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Moments-Discover-Secret-Happiness/dp/0440507294

A quote by Barbara DeAngelis : "Love is a choice you make from moment to moment."
I agree and believe the same thing about happiness.


Here's a good article about happiness that I found online:

Written by Alex Blackwell

How we achieve happiness can be different for each one of us. Our passions, expectations, life experiences, and even our personalities all contribute to the level of happiness we experience in our lives. Some find happiness in their careers while others prefer the bliss found in their marriages or other intimate relationship.

No matter how you define happiness for yourself, there are certain universal and time-proven strategies to bring, and sustain, more happiness into your life. The following 14 ways to live a happy life can be adapted and even customized to fit your needs. Over time, these strategies will become positive and life-changing habits that will begin to bring more happiness, joy and peace into your life.

1. Notice What’s Right

Some of us see the glass as being half-full, while others see the glass as half-empty. The next time you are caught in traffic, begin thinking how nice it is to have a few moments to reflect on the day, focus on a problem you have been trying to solve, or brainstorm on your next big idea. The next time you are in a slow line at the grocery store, take the opportunity to talk to the person near you or pick up a magazine and do some reading. Take all that life throws out you and re-frame it with what’s right about the situation. At the end of the day, you will be more content, peaceful and happy. Take the time to begin to notice what’s right and see the world change in front of your eyes.

2. Be Grateful

How many times do you say the words “thank you,” in a day? How many times do you hear these same words? If you are doing the first thing, saying the “thank yous,” the latter will naturally happen. Learn to be grateful and you will be open to receive an abundance of joy and happiness.

3. Remember the Kid You Were

Do you remember how to play? I’m not referring to playing a round of golf or a set of tennis. I’m talking about playing like you did when you were a child – a game of tag; leap frog, or street baseball when the bat is a broken broom handle and the bases are the parked cars. One way to find or maintain your happiness is to remember the kid you were and play!

4. Be Kind

There is no question that by merely watching acts of kindness creates a significant elevation in our moods and increases the desire for us to perform good deeds as well. Kindness is indeed contagious and when we make a commitment to be kind to ourselves and to others we can experience new heights of joy, happiness and enthusiasm for our lives.

5. Spend Time with Your Friends

Although an abundant social and romantic life does not itself guarantee joy, it does have a huge impact on our happiness. Learn to spend time with your friends and make the friendships a priority in your life.

6. Savor Every Moment

To be in the moment is to live in the moment. Too often we are thinking ahead or looking ahead to the next event or circumstance in our lives, not appreciating the “here and now.” When we savor every moment, we are savoring the happiness in our lives.

7. Rest

There are times when we need the time to unwind, decompress, or to put it simply, just “to chill.” Life comes at all of us hard and fast. Time, as do the days on the calendar, keeps going forward at its own natural pace, which is not always the pace we would choose. Fatigue, stress and exhaustion may begin to settle in on us faster than we may think, or notice. The best remedy for this is indeed rest.

8. Move!

The expression a “runner’s high” does not infer an addiction, but a feeling or a state of mind – a state of euphoria. There is no question exercise, or any physical exertion, elevates your mood and enhances a more positive attitude as well as fosters better personal self-esteem and confidence. Indeed, one way to increase your happiness is to move!

9. Put on a Happy Face

Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it. I’m not suggesting that we not be honest, real or authentic, but I’m suggesting, sometimes, we just need to put on a happy face and keep moving forward. Researchers claim that smiling and looking like we are happy will indeed make us happier. Studies further show that if we act like we are happy then we can experience greater joy and happiness in our lives.

10. Pursue Your Goals

The absence of goals in our lives, or more specifically avoiding to pursue our goals, makes us feel like we are stuck and ineffective. The pursuit of goals in our personal lives, in our relationships, or with our careers, is the difference between having a mediocre life or a life full of passion and enthusiasm. pursue your goals and watch your happiness soar.

11. Finding Your Calling

Some find meaning in religion or spirituality while others find purpose in their work or relationships. Finding your calling may be much more than accomplishing one simple strategy for increasing your happiness, but having a sense of purpose – of feeling like you are here for a reason – can perhaps bring the greatest joy of all

12. Get into the Flow

Flow is the form of joy, excitement and happiness that occurs when we are so absorbed in an activity we love that we can loose ourselves and time seems to stand still. What creates flow is unique to each one of us. To find and sustain true happiness in our lives, we must get off the sidelines and get into the flow.

13. Play to Your Strengths

One way to achieve flow is by understanding and identifying our strengths and core values, and then begin to use these every day. Once we aware of our strengths and we begin to play to your strengths we can better incorporate them in all aspects of our lives.

14. Don’t Overdo It

Know when to say when. What gives you joy and happiness the first time may not work the second time. Too much of a good thing may begin not to feel as good if the “thing” becomes more of a routine, or an expectation. Set healthy and reasonable boundaries for yourself and don’t overdo it.

This guest article was written by Alex Blackwell. Alex writes about how to improve relationships, sustain happiness and create lasting success at his blog The Next 45 Years. If you liked this article, you may also enjoy 7 Practical Personal Development Strategies.



Some links to exploring happiness:


http://www.examiner.com/x-15753-SF-Wellness-Examiner~y2009m10d22-Are-you-living-a-happy-life-Take-the-happiness-test-and-find-out


http://www.grandtimes.com/happiness.html


http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/09/26/how-to-find-happiness/




Hope some of these tips were helpful.
Enjoy your day, enjoy your life!

Be Happy

Isn't that what it's all about?
Enjoying our lives, feeling good, being HAPPY.
Feeling good is what motivates us to do what we do. It's really what we all seek.
We think if we had enough money or the right relationship or didn't have to do this or that,
or had more of this or that, THEN we would be happy.
We all have excuses for WHY we're not happy and WHY we're not living a life we love.
Today...instead of having excuses for NOT having what you want, and reasons for not being happy NOW, look at all the ways you CAN have what you want and ways you CAN be happy, right here, right now.
Quit blaming other people and situations for your unhappiness and start creating your life the way you want it to be.
NOW is all we ever have, so you may as well make the best of it and while you're at it, mock up the future as being how you want it to be.
You CAN be happy AND you CAN have your life be what you want.
It's up to YOU to create it that way. It's all YOU.
The way you see your world is how you choose to view it.

Here's a video clip of what Abraham-Hicks has to say about being happy:



Here's a video clip of Bobby McFerrin singing "Don't Worry Be Happy"




Here's are some good articles I found on Google:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Change-the-Way-You-See-the-World---Change-Your-Life&id=2266280

Create your own happiness

By SALLY ANDERSON
Published June 24, 2003

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Dale Carnegie once said, "Happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have. It depends solely on what you think."
While no one can expect to be happy all the time, there are some people who seem to radiate happiness more than others.
It's not that happy people are unaware of life's downs, but they have learned how to balance the bad with the good. They are better able to cope with anxiety and distress.
Unhappy people approach life with a different mind set. They often place the blame for their unhappiness on something or someone other than themselves. They tend to become cynical and have difficulty trusting others.
True happiness has little to do with money or material things, but has more to do with how you nurture your mind.
If you want to bring more happiness into your life, start by investigating some of the negative habits you have been harboring. Once we create the habits, the habits then create us.
Here are strategies that could help boost your happiness level.
1. Take charge of your feelings.
Recognize the value in working toward your own happiness and assume responsibility for your actions and feelings. Do not waste time feeling like you are a victim; it's better to take charge and focus on ways to solve your problems.
2. Learn to deal with negative emotions.
Anger and anxiety are the No. 1 enemies of happiness. When they occur, don't deny the feelings, acknowledge them, then step back and give yourself a time-out by counting to 10 and taking deep breaths. This will help you regain control of most situations; patience and tolerance are antidotes to negative mind sets.
3. Energize your life.
Research has shown that when people lack energy, they worry excessively and the most minor problems seem insurmountable. By contrast, high energy creates upbeat, positive moods.
Exercise can make you feel better by reducing tension and increasing your energy level. When your energy level is low, go for a 10-minute walk. Energy begets energy; if you put a little energy into motion, you will receive double energy in return.
4. Give out a little sunshine.
Acts of personal kindness such as paying a compliment to someone, sharing in a conversation or just taking time to listen might make someone's day a little brighter.
5. Put on a friendly face.
Smiling, even when you don't feel like it, will make you feel better. Project the mood that you want to feel; positive actions produce positive emotions.
6. Think gratitude.
Count your blessings. Make a list of all the things you have to be thankful for: family, friends, home, etc. Then write a gratitude list, include everything that happened during the day, for which you can be grateful.
7. Choose to be an optimist.
Attitude is everything. How you react to situations is your choice. Optimists have a sense of control. They believe good things will last a long time and they label bad things as temporary events.
A pessimist suffers from what psychologist call "learned helplessness" - always expecting the worse. If you tend to be a pessimist, set aside one day a week where you start to confront the habit. On that day, try not to criticize or complain.
8. Make lemonade out of lemons.
Choose to turn problems into opportunities. After you have dealt with the problem, ask yourself what have you gained from the experience and how can you grow from it.
9. Find a hobby.
Hobbies give you a reprieve from the daily responsibilities of life, by helping you to downshift from the stresses of daily living.
10. Be realistic in your expectations.
Many people believe they can alter their unhappy feelings through the love of another person. It is unrealistic to expect others to be responsible for your happiness. You may receive support from a loved one, but you are the only person accountable for creating your own happiness.
Make today the best it can be.
Make TODAY the BEST DAY EVER!


Today I appreciate the love I feel and have in my life,
I appreciate knowing I'm responsible for creating what I have in my life,
I appreciate that not everyone wants to take responsibility for creating their own life,
I appreciate the contrast and that I can always choose,

I appreciate my health and well being.

Appreciation And Self Love

Give yourself some flowers!
Grow them, pick them or buy some for your own enjoyment. It's a nice thing to do for yourself. While you're at it give some away to someone you appreciate. These are freesias, my personal favorite.
"Appreciation and self-love are the most important tools that you could ever nurture. Appreciation of others, and the appreciation of yourself is the closest vibrational match to your Source Energy of anything that we've ever witnessed anywhere in the Universe"
-Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Spokane, WA on Tuesday, May 30th, 2000

This is from a daily quote I receive each day in my email box from Abraham-Hicks. You can find them at www.abraham-hicks.com and sign up to receive it in your email if you'd like.
You can also view YouTube clips of their workshops.
Here is a clip of Abraham on Self Appreciation :






Here is a nice article about self appreciation:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Keys-to-Happiness:-No.-1-Self-Appreciation&id=70755


  Notice all the beauty around you everywhere you go.

See how many things you can appreciate and approve of.


Today I appreciate having love in my life.
I appreciate all the beautiful loving people I have in my life.
I appreciate all the nice things I do for myself, like eating fresh healthy foods and doing what it
takes to live a life I love.

My 100 Day Challenge

I've joined the The 100 Day Reality Challenge.
Experience The Magic Of The Law Of Attraction.
If you want to jump in or just check out their blog go to:
http://www.cocreatingourreality.com/profiles/blog/list

My goal is to write down what I appreciate each day.
I'll post it here on my blog.
Feel free to join me!