5 Ways To Reduce Stress And Find Joy And Be More Optimistic.

Stop paying attention to bad news. Get off the Internet. Read a book. Find the simple joys in life. Take in the cool crisp air of the morning. Don’t let the media influence your morning. Tune out. Find the beauty in life. Chop all the bad news out and you’ll find slices of joy you never knew existed!

Meditate. Find peace in the present moment. Learn to still your chattering mind.  There are so many ways to meditate these days. There is the traditional method of sitting still and paying attention to your outer breath.  Or download an app for your smart phone. I recently downloaded “ Meditation 4 Inner Wisdom” and loved its relaxing flow.

Don’t worry about stuff you can’t change. Work is incredibly demanding these days. Greece is falling apart. Winter is coming. I can either let these stressors roll around in my head like a mouse on a flywheel or pay attention to what I CAN change. What can you change in your life? Write it down and start making those changes. Let the rest of it go. Are you worrying about stuff you cannot change?  Let it go today and change what you have control over.

Exercise. I’ve been trying to lose 20 pounds with no results. I eat well but haven’t been eating fewer calories. Simple math. If I wish to continue to eat the same amount of calories I HAVE to exercise more. Today I got back on the elliptical running machine and did some weights. AND!!  And what? And exercise is one of the very best ways to reduce stress. It’s a double win! Let’s start an exercise routine today! One of the very best decisions you will have made, at any stage in your life.

Write your goals down. We constantly dream and plan in our heads. We stand around the water cooler and talk about living in a warmer climate, having more money or working in a dream career. Get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper! Make them concrete. Take the next step towards making them into reality. What is your biggest dream? What is the very next action you need to take to make your dream a reality? What is stopping you? Write it down today and write down the next step you need to take. Now you are on your way!!

Happiness Is The Ultimate Goal

When making life changes isn’t happiness your ultimate goal? Isn’t a life filled with joy, contentment, love and those soft wonderful moments what you strive for?

Success isn’t happiness. Find happiness and success will follow right behind. Find positivity and success will be right behind. But always, always find gratitude.

All the experts are with me on this one. Gratitude is a seriously beautiful building block to everlasting happiness.

I am grateful for having a warm and furry pet to hug.

I am grateful for plenty of foods and an abundance of water.

I am grateful to live in an open and uncensored society.

Think about 3 things you are grateful about every day. Let go of the constant flow of bad news. Squash the media. Block advertising out of your life.

Find the beauty. Find your connection to nature. Love your life.

6 Factors Guaranteed To Promote Happiness

I’ve read at least two dozen books and written 56 articles related to happiness. Here are the top 6 factors (in order) which seem to always repeat. Think about making some life changes around them!

Nurture relationships

We are happiness when we are around our closest friends.  Close friends also provide much needed support and guidance in difficult times.

Nurture your health

Taking control of your body, be it meditation or exercise reduces stress, worry and promotes calm and positive emotions. Try taking a walk instead of having a drink after work.  Meditate in the morning instead of rushing out the door.

Express your gratitude

Appreciating life in general and all of its small gifts on a regular basis will always boost your happiness. Write out an appreciation audit (list everything you are grateful for) and go over it at least once a week. You will love this exercise and it will always bring you back to what is truly important in your life.

Be kind to others

Doing acts of kindness will lead to others to like and appreciate you more.  This will improve your social relationships. Kindness also increases confidence, optimism, compassion and promotes purpose and meaning in life.

Live In the present moment and find joy

Worrying about the future is prevalent in our information drenched society. Bad news saturates our day. Learn to live in the present moment and clear your mind of endless chatter. Yes….smell the flowers… find a sense of calm…. take in a beautiful morning.  Each morning I stand outside and take in the fresh air while marvelling at the sounds of the world waking up.  THEN I get in my car.

Devote yourself to a goal

Happy people find meaning and purpose in life through committing goals. We become more confident as we accomplish our goals. Finding a goal provides structure in our lives. Find a goal that will be personally rewarding and meaningful for you today!

How My Moms Death Is Changing My Life

My Mom died three days before Christmas in December. It’s been difficult to write articles for the site these last few months but I managed a few here and there. She was 87 years old. She passed away in a nursing home due to complications related to a build up of fluid in her lungs.  In the past year her health declined gradually due to Alzheimer’s , dementia and a back problem which kept her confined to a wheel chair.

I will always cherish the gift of life and go for my dreams.

When a loved one dies before your very eyes, you put your life on hold. My weekends were spent arranging my schedule so I could spend time with my Mom and family. There was a continuous dark cloud over my head since I never knew when her last day would come. Now that she is gone it’s like I’ve come off auto pilot and am now living life again. Little chores that were sitting for months get done, I’m able to write, but most of all, the sun shines a bit brighter and my heart finds time to soar. Here is the thing. Don’t put off your dreams for one more day. There is no reason why you can’t take the first steps to live your dream life. Go out there and start today! You never know when life throws you a curve ball and takes the wind out of your sails. When the coast is clear, sail for the stars! Seriously, what’s stopping you?

I will save my money and always avoid stupid debts.

My Mom left an impressive estate. It isn’t millions but although she did not work, she still managed to save a good chunk of change. My parents lived a nice middle class existence. They had everything they could want, a nice home, good food, wonderful friends and a few pets here and there. The amazing thing is that while our society is spiralling into staggering debt my parents were doing the exact opposite. Instead of carrying any kind of needless debt they saved their money. Instead of paying interest on a foolish loan or Visa card they saved that money. This is such a simple yet essential financial concept. Don’t pay interest on your dumb debts, instead learn to save that money. The freedom from no stupid debts and saving that money will change your life forever.

Your parents care, it’s when they don’t care that trouble starts.

My parents were strict when I grew up. My mom is Russian and went through WWII, learned a lot of harsh lessons and saw horrible things so she had no patience for stupidity. But she was strict because she cared.  And this is the most important part of being a parent. You need to care. If you think that not caring for your kid and ignoring them will “teach them a lesson” you are on the path to losing your kid. Showing that you care and setting boundaries isn’t fun sometimes, but that is life. Kids need boundaries. Without them they become lost lambs and easy prey for others. So always show that you care. Always.

Visit your friends or have them over.

It’s proven that we are happiest when we are with our friends. Invite them over for drinks and supper. Do it on a regular basis. Life is way too short. Be happy. Be happy with yourself and with your friends. These are the moments that make life memorable.

Attitude, Happiness And The Meaning Of Life.

We create our own reality in our minds.

The thoughts, dreams, aspirations, worries, excuses, justifications and chat in our mind determine our happiness.  We can directly identify with these thoughts and allow them to constantly sweep us away or we can grow from them, take action when required but choose to primarily live in the beauty of the current moment. The key take away here is “take action.” The world is infinite in its possibilities and each challenge requires an action.  Just worrying about something will not change your life. Deciding to take action and then moving back to the present moment with that action will. We are creatures of consciousness.  We can decide how our thoughts and then actions govern us. It is truly an amazing gift.

We get what we concentrate on.

Do you know what circumstances and issues are directing your life?  Are you overweight, lonely, addictive, in debt? Are these the circumstances affecting your current life?  Have you taken any action to address these? Where do you put your energies? Once this is clear, you can then decide where you need to focus your energies.  So stop worrying, put down the remote, clear your mind and decide once and for all what life changes you need to make.  And always live in the current moment. It is the only moment.  It is the moment of raw truth.

Never mind about the meaning of life.  What is the meaning of your life? Once that is clear you are ready to co-create the world with all your other fellow human beings. Just think about it. And then do it.

Have You Been Creating Memorable Stories With Your Life?

Lately I love writing about creating memories.  The quality of your life is dependent on how you remember it. The quality of your life is a collection of stories interwoven together from a lifetime of memories. When you talk about the stories of your life are you feeling happy or content? Do your stories create sparks of joy? How about when you talk to yourself about your stories? Are you proud about your stories?

Sure you can stand around the water cooler on a Monday morning and talk about the BBQ or recommend what novel you are reading. But what about the stories that make your heart skip? What about the stories that tested your courage?

A friend of mine once gave me a plane ticket to fly to three cities in Europe. I landed in Zurich and was also allowed to fly to Sweden and Finland as well. It was a fabulous gift. I decided to include side trips to Italy and Estonia. A week before leaving, I took out my Let’s Go Europe book, highlighted a few choice youth hostels and took off. When I think back to that experience I’m amazed that in three weeks time I walked, took trains, ferries and flew to some incredible places.

I got lost in Italy at 1: AM searching for my youth hostel, shared my cigarettes with a Russian bus driver (I was the only customer) in Finland, and shared tea in Helsinki with a British art critique and an American improving lives of orphans in Russia. In Sweden I stayed on a 200 foot sailboat and went to a lingerie fashion show (poor me). My courage was tested a few times during that trip, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Staying in and experiencing the present moment is an amazing habit to find peace and even joy, but ultimately the overall quality of our life is governed by our memories and stories . This is your remembered self.

How do you remember yourself? Are you making life changes so that you think back upon your life with happiness and pleasure? What stores stand out in your memory? Are your glued to the Internet and television while the world passes you by?

Maybe it’s time to make new memories, and create a few new stories. There is a whole wide world to explore.

Reference:  Daniel Kahneman – TED – Ideas Worth Spreading

How To Be Happy And Create A Lifetime Of Joy With Your Memories

Just came back from Ogunquit, Maine. I love it there. I love the quiet beach, eating fresh seafood, breathing in the crisp ocean air and talking amazing walks. Why though? The reason is that I have such warm memories of this place. And my memories tell me a story even before I walk on the beach. My future and the joy I find are largely due to my anticipation based on my memories.

I saw a whale come out of the water a few days ago and that tied in to my memory of seeing dolphin’s many years ago in Wildwood.

These memories and the anticipation that comes with them will last me a lifetime.

I’ve written about living in the now and experiencing the present moment many times. During these times I feel contentment but not necessarily joy.

Joy I find comes from remembering the incredible beauty in the stories of my life. I may have experienced stunning beauty on multiple cliffs or felt the peace and quiet of a hot summer day. I have heard the sound of waves lapping on a shore in many places. These extraordinary memories never get old.

When I think about any of these memories of my life I am truly happy and even joyful at times.

Forget about buying stuff, go out and create a lifetime of wonderful memories. That is what true joy and happiness is all about.

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6 ways To Let Go Of All Fear, Worry, And Money Stress

My path to living a life of Zen is going very well. I am realizing more and more that my inner peace is all in my mind. Here are the main steps that I have been taking to reach a life of total serenity and joy. You can follow the exact same path if you choose to.

• My mind controls my life. When I step out of my thoughts and use my conscience I realize I am in control, not my thoughts , I am more than my thoughts. I can observe my thoughts and let them go.
• I do not worry about money as much. I live in the now and do not think about what I would like to buy. I have everything I need already.
• I am finding more moments of peace throughout the day by shutting off the TV and radio in the home, car and morning shower. I do not hear advertisements for cars or MacDonald’s.
• I have found out how important it is to open my heart to love. This is one of the most important journeys to go through. This is a spiritual love, not necessary an emotional love. I choose to be a loving and accepting person.
• I am not a weak person, I have simply chosen to accept the goods and the bad in life and stopped trying to control what I can’t. I let experiences and thoughts pass through my heart before my mind attaches to them and closes down my heart.
• I ask myself each day if am becoming more free, liberated and happy.

The #1 Goal In My Life

I am seeking permanent serenity, joy and happiness. It isn’t always easy. Becoming enlightened means we have to let go of all the conditioning, worries and ego that we carry with us every day. It requires that we accept life as it is and stop struggling against it. We slowly learn how to tear down all the walls that protect us and to let the light shine in. We learn how the heart reacts to life and then the mind afterwards, creating unnecessary pain, insecurity and worry. We learn how to not react and to not keep the pain inside of us. We also learn to accept suffering, instead of avoiding it and move on. We learn to let it all go. We learn to use our consciousness. We learn to be truly happy.

I read that we are one spinning planet of water and dirt spinning around a star, amongst hundreds of billions of stars in our own Galaxy. Sometimes I look up at the sky and think about that. It seems that everything else is trivial compared to that thought. Should I be that concerned about what people think about my clothes or car?

I am learning to accept everything life has to offer. My time is limited on this planet. I want to spend the rest of it experiencing freedom, joy, peace and love. I hope you choose to join me.

How To Find Meaning and Purpose Overnight

A few stats and facts from Adbusters

• The Beijing Olympics were endangered by China’s dismal air quality, threatening athlete’s health.

• UN Secretary – General Ban KI-moon has named the future fight for clean water as the century’s biggest threat to humanity.

• Pesticides and chemicals on our soil are 10 times more powerful today, yet it takes 1000 years to grow an inch of soil.

• Rain forests that covered 14 percent of the Earth’s surface now cover less than 6.

• The planet is losing 30,000 species a year, the largest extinction in 65 million years.

Do our Economic experts know what they are doing?

The financial collapse was a disaster. Do we just continue listening to the government kissing Wall Street’s ass? Do our current economic models make sense? Is credit killing the quality of our lives?

What are we teaching our kids?

Are we teaching our kids in school about life or about making money? Are we teaching them about compassion, being in the present, living within our means or how to have a loving relationship? Are we teaching about the quality and beauty of human relationships?

Are we getting happier?

The United States has failed to see higher happiness since the end of the Second war. Is happiness reduced to the next generation iPod or iPhone? Are flat screens creating flat minds?

What is making your life worthwhile? What are you fighting for? Are you learning from your mistakes? Sometimes it only takes one powerful idea.

A world wide revolution is on its way. We have no choice.

We are all a part of it.

What is your one powerful idea?

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