Joy & Happiness

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Dalai Lama

Life does not have to be complicated. Happiness doesn't have to be difficult, and yet, we frequently make it so. We are responsible for our own happiness. It comes from within, which is great news because it gives us control and makes things possible!

It takes effort and it may not be easy, but you can accomplish it. Happiness is a practice. It’s on us to learn it. While some days are easier to find a smile than others, happiness is a daily choice. It’s a mindset we can nurture and train. 

That does not mean it’s there every second, but when you notice it's missing, often the tiniest shift can put you right back on top of the world. Life is an open-ended horizon. Nothing is impossible.

We often mistake joy in life as something provided to us. We make joy, the world does not make it for us. Every moment, every activity we engage, offers us an opportunity to create the joy we seek. Life changes when we realize we are the gatekeepers of our joy. 

Get back to basics

 

Trust me, anyone can go back to basics. It’s all about setting an intention and following through with consistency and discipline. 

Everyone I speak to is feeling a sense of grief, insecurity, frustration, and concern right now. I know that going back to basics won’t magically dissolve the real difficulty and mix of emotions we are all experiencing. But they truly do help us feel better.

A - Z Journey: You can begin to develop and strengthen your spirit when you listen and trust yourself.

A - appreciate the gift of life

B - blessings are all around us

C - how we choose to respond to every experience we encounter. 

D - discernment  through ongoing attentiveness to our experience

E - becoming the most encouraging person you know.

F - Keep it simple and focus on what you care most about.

G - grateful for all things big and small that every day brings

H - hope; let this positive emotion fuel your dreams, actions and attitudes

I  - inspiration: Commit to starting and ending your day with inspiration

J - choose to become joyful.

K - kindness: Let’s work on being the kindest human being we can be.

L - love instead of fearing.

M -  make today so full and meaningful there’s no room to dwell on yesterday.v

N - nurturing; take good care of the best that is within you. 

O - open up to opportunities

P – Infinite possibilities

Q - questing; savor questions and see your life as a journey

R - receptive: self exploration and personal growth continue  

S - soul solutions; cooperating, participating and working together

T - trusting; healing self and relations,

U - understand that pain is unavoidable. 

V - vocalize your feelings; feel them, acknowledge them, express them

W - wonder; cultivate a vibrant curiosity 

X -  x factor; accept the unknown as part of life

Y - You: There is only one you. That is your superpower.

Z - zen your now: Experience, appreciate, enjoy, and let go to new experiences.

How we experience the world is largely a result of how we internalize it. Instead of telling yourself dramatic stories about the past—how hurt you were or how hard it was—challenge your emotions and focus on lessons learned. It won’t always be easy. 

Just know you have the power to choose from moment to moment how you experience things you enjoy: with a sense of ownership, anxiety, and fear, or with a sense of freedom, peace, and love.

The most important question: What do you choose right now?

Good enough!

“There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don't allow yourself to become one of them.” ~Ralph Marston

What Is Good Enough?

I could have done that better. I should have gotten more done. Likewise, I wish I had been more sensitive. For many years, “never enough” was a chronic habit of my mind, and I could run endless variations on the theme.

We sometimes make excuses for why we don't deserve the best.

Isn't it time to stop letting fear control your life? Isn't it time to stop making excuses for why things aren't better in your life?

Feeling good enough has been one of my biggest struggles, and something I've realized will possibly be a lifelong process.

Our destiny is not fixed; it is constantly changing. One that we constantly influence and shape as we progress along our journey towards enlightenment.

I realize now that I can only embrace all the good I deserve in life if I stop fixating on others' opinions of me and fully acknowledge that, just as I am, I am good enough.

We are all good enough, and we all deserve the best. We just have to believe it.

There are many different paths to the same destination, and the right path for us is the one that aligns with our values, feels truthful, and enables us to connect with our true selves.

Today, believe what is true. You are an amazing, wonderful, and powerful human being that the planet is lucky to have walking on it.

Pause and gently say to yourself, “There's nothing to do." "I am enough."