What Makes You Happy? (con’t.)

Over the last five or six weeks, I have taken some time to discover what makes me happy.  It was a difficult to step away from some activities and people, but what it gave me was an opportunity to reflect on my life and the direction that it was going.

As I stepped away, I may have not done it with as much ease as I wanted and I may have angered some people.  But, I did have the opportunity to discover several things about myself.  So I started a new path of discovery and reflection.  As you read my last post, you will find one of my discoveries.

My next step for looking at happiness, you must evaluate how you control things.  Are you really in control?  Have you ever heard the statement, “Let go and let God”?  Is this really possible, I mean to let go and let God take control of the issue.

One can be bombarded with many influences and it is hard to let go and let God.  Everywhere you can look, there is something that will remind you that you may not be good enough.  Magazines are published with the perfect body, the perfect meal, the perfect this or that.  All this can distort ones thought about themselves and happiness and all this can make you fell that you are out of control.

When you realize that you may not be able to control everything, you can let go and let God.  When this happens, you will find yourself in places that you never thought possible.  Willingness to just let things happen may provide you the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time.

As you let go of your control (or the need to control) you will allow things to happen.  When you run into a friend on the street don’t let it be a distraction that slows your progress.  Let it be what it actually is, an opportunity to catch up with an old friend.

Life is a journey and I believe that one can often forget that a journey is an adventure.  As one worries about controlling a situation, you may forget this journey.  You may be so focused on the steps, you forget to look around and see who near you, what the scenery looks like, or who you might meet.

“Dear God, give me the strength to face today, give me the ability to hand over to you all those things that I can not control.  Help me to see the difference in what I can control so that I can approach everyone  and everything.  And above all give me the ability to let God have every situation.  All this I pray in Jesus Christ name, Amen.”

What Makes You Happy?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes you happy?

If you take the time to reflect on those things that make you happy, you may discover a new you.  You also might discover what you think makes you happy may not always work.  When one examines their life and takes the time to ask the most appropriate questions, you may discover a new path of happiness.

Questions like, “I’m I happy?” are a great start.  As you continue to examine, you may ask “Is this an activity that I like?”  “Could I be doing something better?”

Looking at your ‘span of control’ may help you find that moment that makes you happy.  Since you have no control over other people, you should start with a core of happiness.

That core you should be looking at should start with you.  Stop trying to make others happy as you travel on life’s journey.  As you work on your core happiness, you will become a driving force of happiness for others to see.  Once they see your happiness, they will ask you “What makes you so happy?”

Once people start noticing your happiness, you will be able to show them your recipe for happiness.  At that time, it will become viral.  It will not stop there, you will have to continue to add and question each day.  As you continue to examine, you will discover the questions you’ll need to ask.   As you ask, you are examining, as you examine you discover.  As you discover, you find a path that you wish to be traveling on.

So where do you start?  I would suggest that you start with your sleep time.  Start going to bed 30 minutes early than normal.  Then set your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier than normal.  When you wake up start with some stretching.  Be very basic, get out of bed, stretch your arms, legs and back. 

Then find a place of peace in your home.  This place is an area where the radio or television are not on, and it is relatively quiet.  Then pray a simple prayer: 

“Dear God, give me the strength to face today, give me the peace that I need to approach everyone with dignity and love, give me the strength to handle all the tasks that I need to accomplish, and above all give me the ability to approach ever situation with a smile and a positive attitude.  All this I pray in Jesus Christ name, Amen.”

Then you should plan your day.  Start with some basic information on a piece of paper.  At the top, write “Breakfast”.  In the middle of the page, write “Lunch”.  Closer to the bottom of the page write, “Dinner”.  Then look at your calendar and fill in the meetings that you are required to have and any appointment that exists on your schedule on the left side of the paper. 

Then take a few minutes to ask yourself, “As I perform and accomplish these tasks, how can I do them with a smile?”  Be intentional about thinking how you can accomplish these tasks with a smile and how you can perform them with a happy attitude.

And one thing you should do.  Write somewhere on that paper, “NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I WILL NOT LET SOMEONES NEGATIVE ATTITUDE OR COMMENTS BRING ME DOWN TO AN UNHAPPY LEVEL.”

At the end of your day, take some time before your bedtime.   Schedule 30 minutes of reflection in that place you began this morning.  Turn off all the noise and sit there in peace and take your hand written schedule.  Examine how you did and ask, “Did I do everything with a smile and a positive attitude?”  You might discover your own questions to ask as you reflect on your day.

As you do this for a day or two, you will realize that you need to actually schedule this time everyday.  And remember, just because it is the weekend, it should not stop you from having the same reflective moments.

As you venture on your new path of happiness, remember that the task will not be easy.  You will not change overnight, neither will everything change on your first day.  Take your time and remember that after 30 days, you may notice some changes.

Escape

We can escape to serenity.  To a sacred place or to a place in our minds.  To escape to serenity gives one a new perspective on life and love.

We may think that to escape is to run away, but in reality it provides us a new perspective in life, love and sharing ourselves within community.

Where do you escape? And for what reasons do you escape?

Think about this for a while, you just might discover something else about yourself you never knew.

Peace be with you…

TEAM

I have heard from many years now that there is no ‘I’ in TEAM.  This is a motivational moment for many, but how often to supervisors, managers or team leaders use this.

I recently heard how one supervisor said this employee marks the standard.  If you want to do a good job, you should follow his lead.

I wonder, if we are on a TEAM, how can he say that.  I believe that they should be comparing our TEAM with other teams.  I think that in order to motivate, we all should be held up and together as a team.

There is a place for the ‘I’ speech.  One the bench, while the remainder of the TEAM is out performing, you can speak with each team member on his own and express your expectations.  But you should express your expectations as a team though.

Wild and Crazy

I think we all need a little more cowbell.

Another Thought

“Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.”

Dr. Seuss

Weird?

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
― Dr. Seuss