Be Happy

Are you feeling down? Do you feel like you’re surrounded by nothing but bad news, failing relationships, and a generally poor outlook for the future ahead? Feeling like you just can’t get a glimpse of happiness in your life?

Let me ask you this:

Do you want to be happy?

THEN STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING

That is to say, if you are not experiencing the level of happiness that you would like to see in your life, then you’re obviously not doing it right. Right?

It’s easy to look around when things look dismal and see others living fascinating lives, having fun, and having generally good lives, and wonder,

How could they do that?

I mean, don’t they know that the world is falling down all around us? Don’t they know that in the United States nearly a thousand kids are sucked into human trafficking and sex rings every day? Our monetary system is failing. People are losing their homes, veterans, and hard-working Americans are losing their jobs and joining the ranks of the homeless. 2 percent of Americans are homeless and their numbers are growing every day. 1 in 7 kids in the United States does not know where their next meal is coming from. We send so much overseas to feed other kids, while ours starve to death at home? Don’t you ever watch the news?

STOP!

Just stop it. Can’t you see what’s going on here?

You’ve fallen for the oldest evil trick in the book. “Keep them in a state of fear because they’re easier to control.”

“They” own the media, and they believe they own you, and if they can control your thoughts, keeping you in a state of fear or negative vibration, then in a sense, they do own you. They can manipulate you, and keep you compliant, in exchange for as little safety and security that you will allow.

Know that at any moment in time, you can opt out of this system which inordinately keeps you bogged down with feeling bad about your life, and life in general.

How have others made the transition from sappy to happy?

This is a journey that starts from within.

Loving yourself unconditionally is where the embers of happiness lay in wait. That means you love yourself “no matter what.” You know sometimes you miss the mark, and that’s okay because no one is perfect, and you love yourself anyway. If you experience a misstep, do not beat up on yourself. You love yourself. Let yourself know that you have learned valuable lessons from the experience and vow to take better care of yourself and do it differently the next time.

You need to love yourself and look out for yourself because no one else will.

You must find ways to feel happy. Make your own opportunities to feel good.

Find and/or make ways to feel good about all the things around you. You, the way you look in the mirror, the car you drive, your home where you live, your family members, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, your possessions, find or make a happy thought and associate it with all these things, and when you think of them, even if initially a negative thought, as soon as you can catch yourself, shift your attention to the happy thought about that person or thing.

You can’t find happiness in stuff, or anything for that matter, as happiness is always changing, growing, and expanding, and that’s the way it should be, as happiness is a reflection of the love-energy which is the source of life. It is never stagnant, so just be aware that your happiness target will always be in a state of metamorphosis. What brings you happiness today, might not tomorrow, so always be on the lookout for new things that raise your happiness quotient.

After a while, you’ll notice that the happiness attained from nice or fancy stuff does not last very long, but the happiness you can find in the things that you accomplish, the new and exciting places you like to visit, the fun activities that you enjoy, and the people you love, these are more meaningful and promote happiness longevity.

And when you stumble and fall, you can smile, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and laugh it off, knowing you’ll do better next time, loving yourself unconditionally all the way. As you start treating yourself this way, you will find yourself more tolerant of others as they stumble and fall. For after all, aren’t we all just doing the best we can with what we have.

When your heart is full of love and overflows into the lives of others around you, you become a love magnet, and even more love comes to you from others and the source of love, as you become more connected to the ever-expanding world of love by which you are swathed.

 

 

 

 

Make Time for Fun

You are awakening and you’re in the process of forging your new path through the world which is emerging before your very eyes and every day is an uncharted adventure. It’s easy to get so focused and enthusiastic about learning, growing, changing, seeing, and getting to know more and more about things that you barely could have imagined before (if you dared), that sometimes you can forget to make time for fun.

Then, every once and a while, you ask yourself,

“Is this supposed to be fun?”

And the answer is, “Yes!”

Make Time for Fun

It’s like all areas of life, you can achieve much greater heights of fulfillment if you find ways to take breaks and make time for fun, having more joy in life, balancing work and play. For what is the point of this life, if you’re so focused on your mission that you’re not taking the time to enjoy all this life has to offer?

Becoming spiritually enlightened is not just about moving from thinking with your head to getting in touch with your heart’s central nervous system, expanding your consciousness, and creating a greater connection to God. It should include having more love and fun in your life.

Sometimes, you get so wrapped up in doing the work of solving your personal equation of Perception + Purpose = Prosperity, that you forget to PLAY.

Joy and love are the chief components that raise your vibration to masterful levels. The journey of the spiritually enlightened is not one that can be conducted by pure force of will. You can review all the statistics, do the research, understand all the quantum sciences, and have all the knowledge of the secrets of the universe, but without joy and love your quality of life is lost in the pursuit of evolutionary expansion.

Your evolutionary expansion includes balance. To achieve your highest and best, make time for fun to enjoy the good things this life has to offer. Take time to smell the roses, to love more, and to have fun.

Find ways to actively progress spiritually while creating opportunities to have fun for increased happiness and joy.

When I do energy work with clients, to seal the work I infuse energy for love, health, wealth, freedom, and fun (among other energetic infusions, depending on the client’s needs). For what is life, if it is not fun? It is empty.

Besides the work that we do to continue our spiritual awakening, growth, and expansion, there are other forms of work which may be necessary for our survival. We may have day jobs, the highest form of which would be doing what you love so much that it doesn’t even seem like work at all.

Whatever you do, make time to play and have fun. Make time every day (or at least 2 or 3 times a week) to have some fun.

Remember, as being a full human (including the latest evolutionary version) you are a multifaceted composite being comprised of body, mind, and spirit. It is your responsibility to care for yourself in a holistic manner paying attention to all three areas of life.

Neglecting any of these areas will diminish your quality of life, ‘ere the need for balance in all things.

Even me. Sometimes I get so caught up in the work, that I forget to make playtime for myself. So grateful that I have friends looking out for me ensuring that I make time for fun.

Shiny Happy People How to be one

There are some people who live the most amazing lives. shiny happy people get up every morning to a bright, new day, full of magical opportunities as if every day is a perfectly wrapped gift with a bow just waiting to be opened and enjoyed. Many of the happiest successful people start their days, like this, and they don’t let up, keeping that sense of childlike awe and wonder as they progress through the day.

If life’s not turning out as you thought it might, and you’re feeling down, lonely, betrayed, victimized, unworthy, and/or worthless, not to fear. You can have a more optimistic and fulfilling life and journey ahead, all it takes is a little hacking to reprogram your life and get onto a track that will take you where you want to go.

Some purposeful redirection of your thoughts and energy, looking for the things that you desire from life and expecting them to appear, unfolding in their natural way (not necessarily like you thought they might), the way that it best for you and your journey, and suddenly your starting to climb back into the driver’s seat of your life.

Just thinking about the good things in life releases endorphins which make you feel better and can help pull you out of a slump. See? You’re already making progress.

Shiny Happy People: How to be one

Scientists who study the characteristics of shiny happy people and learning about how to be one are understanding that it doesn’t take much effort to shift your vibration enough to significantly and demonstrably change your mind and your life by hacking the computer which runs your life, your brain.

By studying shiny happy people, they way they look at life and integrate with it, we can learn the steps necessary to achieve the dramatic shift and actually start to enjoy life, living among the shiny happy people as one of them, and it starts with changing the way you look at life, them how you feel about it.

Looking for good things, and avoid ruminating on bad things, is a key activity of shiny happy people. There is a synergy which kicks in which brings to your life more of that which you focus on. Therefore, if you are focused on things that are not going well with the world, you will attract more of those types of things in your life. If you focus on the good things in life, and the world, you attract even more of these things, like a magnet.

Shiny happy people are optimistic promoters of good and have a desire to see an even better world tomorrow and for the generations to come.

The most successful and happiest people in the world aren’t just thinking about it, they’re doing something. The something they do doesn’t have to be enormous, in fact, it can be minute, but it all has a cumulative effect on the world as the efforts of all shiny happy people create a wave which changes the world energetically. This positive energy infiltrates all areas of life on this planet and makes the world a better place, leading the human race through a positively expanding form of evolution for an even better world.

Challenges and obstacles will often interrupt the lives of the shiny happy people. Just because they are more optimistic than their peers doesn’t mean their lives are free from problems or trouble. The difference is, what they do about it.

They apply their optimistic outlook to anything which presents itself as a challenge. If something goes wrong, if they’ve made a mistake, or something didn’t turn out like they planned, of course, they are disappointed, but as quickly as possible, they try to look for the good, extract knowledge, learning from the experience, and taking that experience and learning into the future with them.

So, if you know what you want, what makes you feel good, and you spend time focusing on that, the happier you will be, and you will start to shine.

It’s all about how you look at things, how you see and think about everything frames your life. You wrap it up beautifully and tie it up with a pretty bow, and admire its beauty and magnificence.

Although it might sound like living in fantasy land, shiny happy people are very practical, down to earth people, who are clever, practical, and purposefully control their minds, their thoughts, and their feelings.

They are more motivated than their peer to take action, and they don’t depend on exterior circumstances to make them feel motivated to do something. They look within themselves for motivation, make plans and execute them to the best of their ability.

They do not isolate themselves. They interact with others, are congenial, and find opportunities and ways to network with others (even if it is contrary to their individual personality type). They also create their own support networks, building strong relationships with a core group of often like-minded individuals, who they can share reciprocal common bond and trust.

Shiny happy people are confident in their ability to find provision for all their needs from within, and they are strong and wise enough to reach out and ask for help if they need it. Their high self-esteem and personal confidence are what adds the sheen to their shine.

Their positive outlook also encourages them to look after themselves, as they are more apt to find ways to get the proper nourishment, exercise, and rest necessary to maintain a healthy body and outlook on life, staving off fatigue and depression which might be rooted in physiological decline, or lack of maintenance.

Choose to be a shiny happy person

Happiness is a choice. By choosing to adopt the lifestyle of shiny happy people, you, too, become a shiny happy person, affecting both you and the world for a brighter future.

Blessings await all who join the ranks of the shiny happy people. All the best things in life are already there, waiting for you to join them on your new happy shining journey.

Start today with a smile. Get out in public and smile, even if you don’t feel like it, and see how the world smiles back at you. How shiny you are…

You are headed in the right direction, keep going.

The more you do it, the happier you will feel, and your world will change with you.

Happiness vs Joy

Wait-a-minute, Happiness vs Joy? Aren’t they the same thing?

Vibrationally, happiness and joy are so similar you can hardly tell them apart, somewhere around the mid-500 range. We get them confused because they feel the same, though they are quite different.

Happiness

Happiness is a feeling you feel passively, like if you think of holding an adorable new baby who is fascinated with your face, with its firm grip around your finger, or being in a room full of happy, celebratory children (who are not out of control), going to a (non-offensive) comedy show, or concert.

All these things (or whatever the equivalent is for you) make us feel happy by the brain’s administering the release of the happy hormones, oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Who wouldn’t be happy after being injected with this happiness cocktail.

Happiness comes from external sources, whether they are imagined, witnessed live, or self-inflicted. That is to say, you can visualize something in your mind that you have witnessed live and still release the same happy hormones, you can watch a movie, post on social media, self-administer some substance, or otherwise trick your brain into releasing them.

However, you feel happy, it’s all good because knowing how to be happy and achieving the state of happiness is an awesome state of mind and it is so much better than not being happy at all. Happiness is a relatively easy state of mind to achieve if you want to feel better.

Good thing for us mere mortals, we can find ways to get ourselves into this happy state, particularly if we’re not feeling happy, or finding it difficult to find any happiness at all. We know there are things we can do to get a shot of the good stuff.

Joy

Then, there is joy, which releases the same hormonal cocktail, but it has a decidedly different feature of having an active component, which happiness doesn’t require.

Enjoying something is not a passive observance, it is an active participation, it includes the action of doing something to achieve the state of joy. For instance, for artist-types, getting lost in the creation process sustains the state of joy. For the sports enthusiasts, actually playing a round of golf, or taking a hike, or a little volleyball on the beach, whatever your thing is, doing it takes you to that place of joy.

For those with a motherly instinct (even if you’re a man), actually holding and interacting with a baby takes you to joy, while merely thinking about it makes you happy.

To enjoy something comes from within, the feeling in your gut which vibrates throughout your whole being when you are actively engaged in doing something you love to do. Joy is seated in your heart and lights a fire that spreads throughout your entire system.

The joy of enjoyment has a more self-sustaining mechanism due to having the activity associated with many psychological and physiological components. The more active and focused your various skills and attention is, the more sustained the state is, as well as more easily and effectively triggered via recall.

For instance, happiness will take a bit of imagination to re-establish the state and release the hormones, while recalling a joyous activity can trigger the release at the mere mention or thought of it.

Both happiness and joy are essential to achieving your highest and best while experiencing all the good things this life has to offer. Living a better life will have you experiencing both enjoying activities more as well as being happier most of the time.

Here’s to more happiness and joy for you,

-Amen.

Obsession vs Moderation

You want to feel good about life, enjoying the good things this life has to offer, but there is no doubt that when you’ve found something that makes you feel good, you want to do it again, and again, and again… And as you do, you seek new and exciting ways to have the experience, so that you can feel even better.

Sometimes, your search for that feel-good reaction is so great, that you can begin to ignore other areas of your life that need tending to, and when you find yourself compromising your moral fiber to accommodate your need to achieve your next “feel good” your people start murmuring, using words like, “addicted,” or, “obsessive.”

This is the scary part about seeking happiness. I am a huge promoter of achieving happiness, encouraging others to get all the happiness that is available to them, because if you could have everything you’ve ever wanted out of life, what’s it worth if you weren’t able to be happy, enjoying all the good things this life has to offer.

So, I encourage people to do or be anything you want. “Do it, if it makes you feel good.” If it feels good, that’s a huge indicator that this thing – whatever it is – is good for you.

If you’re like me, right about now, you’re hearing the voice of the robot from Lost in Space insisting, “Danger! Will Robinson, Danger!” as that rational side of your brain harkens, “Too much fun can kill you!” and, like Dr. Smith, calls the robot a, “nincompoop.”

It’s like the common imagery depicting a tiny devil-you which floating over one shoulder, taunts you to seek pleasure at any cost, and the angel-you, floating over the other shoulder, gently urges you to be more responsible and safe.

When I encourage others to get all the happiness possible out of this life, what I mean is to find happiness, to do the things that make you happy.

Obsession

Feeling good is the best thing, but to focus entirely on pleasure-seeking and neglecting you’re achieving your highest and best, is the excess that leads to addiction and obsession. You could get addicted to fun.

And we have the good-lord who endowed us with dopamine to thank for that one. A lot has been aired in the press regarding dopamine and its effect on us in addiction. It’s been referred to as the pleasure and reward seeking neurotransmitter. It has a four-phase loop that it runs, that goes something, like this:

1. Recognizably pleasurable experience
2. Anticipation of the pleasurable experience
3. Elation during the pleasurable experience
4. Creates desire to re-experience the recognized pleasurable experience

There is no dopamine injected prior to your first pleasurable experience because your brain has not determined whether the experience is pleasurable yet. First-timers jump-in on phase 3, as your brain releases dopamine for the first time anchoring itself to this particular activity. Phase 4 also seeks out new and different ways to alter the experience, because doing a thing differently creates a new experience, which releases even more dopamine. Phase 4 keeps triggering you to seek more.

As you traverse your life’s journey you discover these things along the way that release dopamine in the brain, and it’s easy to lose track of other things that have an even higher sense of value and meaning. This applies to all activities that make you feel good from gambling to holding a newborn baby. Dopamine has no regard for moral cues, it sees nothing as good or bad, that’s something you do independently of your dopamine rush.

If you were to reduce yourself to an animalistic creature without any other resources, the dopamine chemical reaction would suffice in defining who you are and how you operate. Thankfully, you are far more than that. Left to your own devices, you might become the addicted, pleasure-seeking zombie, without a conscious, letting nothing get in the way of your pursuits to feel good at any cost.

Moderation

The key here is to successfully find a place of moderation. Find the things that make you feel good, find ways to responsibly integrate them into your life. Don’t let the pursuit of “feeling good” keep you from doing the things in life that add value and significance to your life.

Balance is the secret to a healthy, happy life, and moderation is an effective way to balance all the details of your life, thereby maximizing your life-long experience at a higher level of vibration.

To moderate a potentially addictive behavior takes integrating other systems to override your dopamine pleasure center. It means you’re going to have to do some work to keep it under control. And the same God that gave you dopamine, gave you all the tools you would ever need to exercise moderation. You are not a victim to your neurochemistry, you can be in the driver’s seat if you choose to do so.

You may call on your sense of dignity, raising your awareness, engaging diligently, and calling on your spiritual powers. Whatever it takes, it’s different for each of us. You need to find your own way and determine what works best for you.

Even so, proceed with caution, as your dopamine center could attach itself to your activity of moderating. You don’t want to (or need to be) obsessed with or addicted to moderation, so moderate your moderation, too, if necessary.

Motivation

For me, motivation is the main factor. I am motivated to serve and contribute. While this is a top priority, for me, it does not take over all the rest of my life (moderation here, too). I like to be happy, and following my mission, living my life’s purpose brings many opportunities to enjoy all this life has to offer and to remain in a relative state of happiness along the way.

If your motivation is to be happy, if that’s your top priority, then your purpose in life takes the back seat (and it’s never more in the back seat than in the case of a psychopath whose brain releases four-times the dopamine than a normal person, but that’s a different story).

Putting your motivation to achieve your highest and best out front allows you to do all the good things that could potentially bring joy to others while adding meaning and a sense of purpose to your life, then happiness comes as a result of you’re being true to your individual calling.

By all means, seek to be happy, but serve first.

 

You’re Addicted to Fun

Might as well face it, you’re addicted to fun

You’re obsessed with the feelings associated with pleasure and happiness. You can function while you’re at work, but pretty much all you think about when your mind is not focused on work or problem solving is,

What am I going to do, who can I see, where can I go to get my next happy feeling?

Interestingly, the more difficult your next happy fix is, the higher (happier) it will make you feel. On the other hand, if you’re unable to participate in that difficult scenario, you’re going to feel bad, angry or depressed for not being able to do it.

It’s not enough just to do or have whatever it is that will make you happy; you derive even more pleasure from having it first. Buying the ticket, getting the latest tech gear, fashion bag, or collectible, etc. Getting these things make you happy, but being the first to get it, makes you feel even better.

This applies also to the people in your life. You judge people by how fun they are to be around, how happy they make you feel. The more fun they are, the more apt you are to go to great lengths to keep them around. If they’re a bummer, or a downer, you are less likely to have the time for them.

You love to collect things. If you’ve found owning a particular type of product has made you happy, you’re likely to get more of them, thinking the more you have, the better you’ll feel. This applies to people in your life, as well.

You know what you want, and you want it now. And you will compromise, throw caution to the wind, put relationships at risk, or suffer financial hardship for getting it now, with as little effort as possible.

Want to see where your loyalties are? Check your bank statement. You will find your pursuit of fun clearly indicated on your balance sheet, and might be inclined to rack up credit card debt to have the fun you so desperately desire.

Your moral compass might also be at risk as you try to find less scrupulous, or questionable (if not illegal), methods to finance your need of happiness.

You spend sleepless nights obsessing about the next shiny object, and the thought of it dominates your otherwise idle thoughts throughout your day. You know that if you can get this thing, you will be so happy, but after you get it… it just lacks the shimmer that you thought it would have.

When your latest acquisition does not meet your expectations (make you as happy as you thought it would) you’re going to reject it, put it down, possibly attack yourself (or someone else) for being responsible for your disappointment. You might take it back, demanding a refund. Or try to find a way to recapture the loss of money, time, or make a new (or better) friend who will make you happier than one you might have discarded.

You often compare what you have to what someone else has. You achieve a sense of joy from having something better than someone else, and when you find someone with something even better than you, your happiness about the particular item you have begins to fade.

Everything and everyone that surrounds you in your life supplies you in some way for your need to be happy. If someone, or something, fails to do so, it is quickly discarded.

Fear of loss will find you jumping through hoops, and making sacrifices, to sustain your long-term happiness provided by any activity, person or object. Since you are always concerned with maintaining all the things that make you happy, and little else, you have few resources or energy to devote to more meaningful activities or your loved ones.

You find yourself afraid of boredom. If you are not in a state of happiness, you get anxious because the withdrawal from your state of happiness is depressing, makes you feel like you’re imprisoned, can’t breathe, sad, lonely, or depressed.

You would rather risk all, sacrificing financial strain, loss of support, not following through on social commitments, humiliation, whatever it takes to prevent your dejected state of unhappiness. Your schooling or job may be at risk as the stress of trying to find ways to support your happiness become more elusive. Being unable to live in the now, or focus on the tasks at hand, can result in demotion, poor grades, or exclusion.

Your spiritual quest is one which must also support your need to feel joy and/or a sense of superiority. Your faith may help to mitigate the damages of the sacrifices you’ve made, or losses you’ve suffered in your attempt to maintain your happiness. The idea of making the world a better place appeals to you, but you’re unwilling or unable to do the work necessary to make the difference, but your recognition for supporting others doing the work, can bring a sense of accomplishment, gleaning what credit you can for their efforts.

Your attempt to fill the void with activities, material possessions, food or people will never satisfy, and will always see you wanting more. You will always be in search of the next car, trip, event, phone, gadget, handbag, bobble, restaurant meal, drink, orgasm or ten pound weight loss. And none of it will give you what you’re looking for.

Just as with other addictions, denial seems to be the first order of business as the addict protests with phrases, like, “I’m just enjoying life. What’s wrong with that?” Justifying, with statements, like, “Everyone else does it.” Or claiming not to be a slave to their uncontrollable behavior, by saying, “I can quit whenever I want.”

What Do You Want More Than Anything?

If you’re anything like the people that I encounter in my life on a daily basis, you’re answer would be,

“I just want to be happy.”

With everything that we have today, tablets, cell phones computer, WiFi, facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and the many other conveniences we have. It wasn’t that long ago and none of this existed and if you would have brought it up in conversation, people would laugh at how preposterous the idea might be. Even after having gone to the moon, and watching the fantasy TV space-western, Star Trek, they still laughed.

Now, only a few years later, we cannot conceive of life without everything we have instant access to, how we are all connected, no longer separated by distance, geography or time zones.

Yet, it doesn’t matter who you are, whether you’re barely making it on a minimum wage job, or a multi-millionaire, if I ask you what you want more than anything, if you dared to be honest, you would say,

“I want to be happy.”

Happiness is that illusive state of heart and mind that few of us are able to entertain for any period of time. Sure, we’re able to find things which bring us happiness, it is not long and these things which once were so sparkly and exciting, lose their luster and no longer make us feel good, and we seek some other form of happiness, or after a while, we might even give up on the idea altogether.

After a while, if you’ve all but given up on the idea of having any degree of happiness, you might think that no one has your back, you’re unable to trust other people, if you see other people being happy, you think they are delusional or faking it.

It’s difficult to get a grip on the idea of happiness, because it means something different to every one of us. And then you might actually be quite happy, but aren’t afraid to perceive your own happiness. We’re so busy relentlessly running the rat race, that we can’t possibly slow down enough to smell the roses, or even have the time to think there are roses at all, except for some inspiration for romantic poetry.

The pace of life, the calling of technologies clamoring for our attention, the stress of the struggle to survive and just make it through this life as best we can, keeps us from enjoying what we do have and joy floats further and further away. You might be surprised, if you could take a sabbatical from these constant pressures of life, you might be able to find enough peace and calm, to appreciate what you do have.

If you are but a victim of life, you need to find a way to stop life from having this power over you… and this also looks very different to different people. You need to carve out a place for you to enjoy some peace and contentment, keeping in mind that the things that bring true happiness may not be as large, expensive, or far away to find great joy in them. If you had the time and peace enough to appreciate them, you might find (as others have) that happiness can be found in the smallest of things.

So, whenever you can find even the smallest sacred space to ask yourself the question (maybe now) ask yourself, “What makes me feel happy?” Or, if you dare, ask yourself, “What could I be doing, right now, that would bring me joy, and make me so happy?” The answer to the second question is your happiness wake up call.

If you want to be happy, you need to take responsibility for your own state of happiness. It’s up to you to determine what you want, where you are, where you want to be, and to take the action necessary to move you from here to there. No one else can make you happy (you may have learned that the hard way). You must do the work to get there; it is all up to you.

You know what happiness is to you, you know what makes you happy, just by the thinking of it. Your heart, your feelings do not betray you in your quest for happiness. These feeling are your compass that you can use to guide you to what your heart desires and brings you a great sense of meaning and happiness. And you might find that these things are neither expensive, nor difficult to attain, but you must take the action to vector in the circumstances and opportunities for you to be in the right place at the right time in the right state of mind to manifest and experience your happiness.

No fairy godmother can wave her want and magically make you happy (at least, not for long). Your journey to attaining your personal state of happiness is on you, and you alone, and within you are all the tools and resources you need to make it happen.

Find opportunities to be happy in all areas of live, including family life, work environments, in nature or in the adoration of a pet. Seek happiness and put yourself in the stream of it (as it is flowing all around you) and you will find yourself in the flow of it, instead of watching happiness flow all around you.

Priceless Success and Happiness

If you’re a material girl, like Madonna, you might think that happiness can be found in the things that money can buy.

Americans (as well as industrially advanced populations all over the globe) are programmed from the moment they breathe their first breath to desire the finer things in life. As an adult, it is fully ingrained in your being to equate certain material things with success and happiness, though the mix is a little different for each one of us. You’re likely to believe nice cars, a big fancy house, wearing garments and baubles made by designer labels, and a bank account with lots of zeros to the right of an integer are considered to be signs of success and happiness.

Then there is also the school of thought that is the total opposite, where people think that people who have a lot of material things are inherently bad people or evil. These folks are all over the map in their disgust of people who have much more than they do. You might find them saying,

  • The Bible says, “Money is evil”
  • How many bodies are hidden for the acquisition of their wealth?
  • How much does a person really need?
  • They have so much; they should give me some of their cache.
  • People are starving, yet they live in the lap of luxury
  • They are so selfish and narcissistic, they only think of themselves
  • It is an honor to be pure of heart and poor.
  • A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.

It’s as if these people want the nicer things in life but are reticent to acknowledge their own hidden desire and must demonize others who have what they believe is out of their reach or not within the realm of their possibility.

I remember a recording artist (I am not going to cite who, as there have been many, and I do not desire to engage in mudslinging or name calling) that was a struggling independent singer/songwriter who publicly put down successful artists signed to labels, claiming they had sold out or sold their souls to the devil for their success and fame. That is, until this particular artist was signed to a major label and selective amnesia set in, as if the words were never spoken.

The very same thing happens when a mediocre family experiences an unexpected windfall. One day, they’re putting all the haves down, while they are suffer through lives with all the other have nots, and they make their disapproval of the “one percent” well known. Then silently sneak off to greener pastures following hitting the big one (sung to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies).

Even if you’re not living in a $50 Million home with a 90210 zip code, going to nightclubs with a $1,500 bottle of wine table minimum, or laughing it off when one of your kids pushes a Lamborghini off a cliff and into the drink for fun, doesn’t mean that your life is any less happy, or your are less successful. Because it’s true:

Success and happiness is not dictated by what you have.

Rather, success and happiness is found in the heart, and unfortunately, for the people who have the most money, it is often heard that their hearts are empty. We all can think of people who were at the peak of their income earning potential who have taken their lives. And it’s not because it’s the fashionable thing for rich people to do (though it does bolster the ideal of “live fast die young leave good looking corpse”). No, it’s usually because even though they had it all, they became painfully aware that all the money in the world does not have any value if your heart is empty.

Among those of us on a more spiritual journey, emphasis is placed on loving and focusing on our hearts. This is where true happiness lives, and is the vibration we seek to maintain for our lives. If you’re one of us, you do not put down others for what they have, instead to bless them and hope that one day they, too, can find deeper meaning in life and true love.

You may be attracting this kind of wealth to you. While it has yet to materialize, you find joy in the little things, for many things in our live are priceless. If you don’t believe me, watch someone with low income run into a burning building to retrieve something that may be more meaningful to them than their own life. Their priceless treasures might include photographs, letters, cherished mementos, or their beloved pet.

You may also be guilty of imbuing something intangible with such admiration, like poetry or a particular song. Or the priceless love-filled moments in time that are forever recorded in our memories, which allow us to relive that moment just by the mere thinking of it. Money cannot buy these things, nor can it replace them if they are lost.

Society has twisted us up and fouled up our priorities so badly that we become addicted to the sense of lack, focusing on the not having of a thing so much that we can find it difficult to focus on anything else, as we are overwhelmed by jealousy and a feeling of worthlessness. You might even catch yourself think, “If I only had” (fill in the blank) “then I would be happy.” Yet something inside you knows that things do not satisfy, they only leave you wanting other things.

Sure, we all desire to have life just a little bit easier, to have enough left over after paying the bills to reward yourself for all your hard work and dedication, but to acquire ill gotten gains may be too much a price to pay for you. So, you focus on your vibration, embrace you happiness quotient and remain open to receive the abundance that is in store for you.

Think on those things which are precious and priceless, and treasure these things because, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Ask yourself what does success and happiness mean to you?

And remember, nothing is more precious than authentically true and loving friends, your family (as dysfunctional as it might be), your stellar and integrous character, your health and wellbeing.

Review your truly priceless things which you surround yourself with and have a joyous and grateful heart for having the things that few of the wealthiest people in the world could never have.

You are so blessed.

 

If You’re Happy and You Know It

I was out having dinner with my friend, Norman, and he couldn’t help but notice the uplifted countenance of our server. Unable to help himself, he asked, “Why are you so happy?”

If you're happy and you know it

Somewhat surprised the he’d even notice, the server smiled and told us about her painting she had entered in the State Fair and that she’d just received a text on her phone that she’d won first place in her division.

Her exuberance was apparent. I remembered a song we used to sing with the kids that went like, “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…” No hand clapping was needed here. You could tell she was happy.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you can pretty much tell when anyone is really happy, even if they’re trying to conceal it, you can just tell.

So what makes people happy?

Good News

Good news, like hearing that you’ve just won an award for your artwork, would certainly make you happy, Even if you were depressed moments before, good news can fire up you happiness hormones and usher you into joy in a heartbeat.

Ever know someone who was happy all the time?

I know it’s harder to come by these days, but most everyone knows someone who is disgustingly perpetually happy. You probably think to yourself, “No one could really be that happy,” assuming that they must be faking it, have something to hide or are full of crap; all reasonable thoughts for a person who finds it difficult to maintain a high level of joy for very long.

Now, ask one of these annoying happy people the same question, “Why are you so happy?”

They’re likely to go on and on about how the whole world is comprised of beauty, kindness, benevolence and goodness… enough to make you think that either they’ve taken some amazing illicit hallucinogen or simply lost any sense of reality and their mind to boot.

They are also likely to be thinking about all the good things in life they are anticipating, as well as what they are doing to move themselves closer to the things they truly desire for themselves or their loved ones. How could they not be happy, thinking thoughts, like those?

You might walk away, shaking your head, thinking this person might be better off suited for a straight jacket.

Nonetheless, they aren’t hurting anyone – if anything, just the opposite – their positive and outlook directed at the right person at the right time might just save a life, or in some small way make the world a better place. The cumulative effect of happy people, like these, can have enormous impact on the planet and its peoples.

Yes, you think, but what about all the pain, violence, poverty, injustice, etc…?

The people who are happy likely know about and acknowledge all the evils of the world but choose to focus instead on all the good things of the world. For every bad thought you could think, there is a good one that you could choose to spend your time dwelling on instead.

One thing for certain: Bad thoughts make you feel bad and good thoughts make you feel good.

So, when it comes down to it, happiness is a choice.

And if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

Peace

I’m old enough to remember the sixties, when young, rebellious Americans protested in the streets clamoring for peace and a better world. While they were able to voice their opinion for the most part, sometimes their making a stand against the machine turned to tears and fears when met with violence which turned to anger and more violence.

peace will only come when we realize that it cannot be achieved by violence

Peace will only come when we realize that it cannot be achieved by violence.

That was then, this is now. So much has changed. We the people wield so much power held in the palm of our hand that we can potentially expose evil cloaked in righteousness or send love to the world by tapping a button on our cell phone.

This power can be used for good or evil; even in the quest for peace.

How will you use your power(s) to promote peace?

It is exponentially more effective to lovingly and peacefully promote peace than it is to battle against those who would stand in the way of the peaceful world you envision for the future.

Yet there are those of us who are called to do battle as warriors, some who are steadfast lovers or saints and those of us who are warrior saints, a combination of both.

It is the belief held by the steadfast lovers and promoters of peace that by maintaining a loving and peaceful vibration will enable you to enjoy a peaceful life but also to live a better life and make the world a better place.

How?

By example.

When the peace-lovers exemplify the living of a peaceful life less complicated, more abundant, filled with contentment and higher degrees of happiness, this cannot go on without others taking notice.

I’m not talking about flower-child hippies. I’m referring to enlightened individuals and holistic businesspeople in all stations and walks of life awakening to their destinies and achieving their highest and best in the most love-fueled dignified fashion. These are the counter leaders, those who lead by example not by dominance. They approach life, challenges, obstacles and celebratory opportunities with tolerance and enthusiasm, while maintaining an even keel, both in the boardroom and in everyday life.

This awakening is taking place right now as you read these words and its spreading like a sacred virus.

There is a dichotomy that exists in the stark contrast between the people who use their energy to promote lower level vibrations, and those who use their energy to lovingly promote peace. You can instantly tell which who is who by looking at their social media profile.

Where is the love?

Although to utilize love as an energetic component, you must have some love to work with. In many cases, when I meet people, I take a look inside their heart – as if it were a canister meant to contain love – I open it and look inside. More often than not, I discover it is empty.

We are all born with all the love we could possibly use, yet as we travel our life’s journey, we tend to squander our love, and as an act of self-preservation discard it. Many of us would rather have no love at all than to risk loving and having it unrequited.

Healing, embracing love and learning to live life again are key components to the awakening.

A better world awaits

It is a highly regarded belief that when this new awakening and subsequent enlightenment reaches critical mass, this new peaceful and abundant planet will emerge, celebrating all life and a better world.

You are an important piece in the proliferation of peace today.

Thank you for taking the high road for peace.