Today's Checklist for Happiness

Life is simple so why do we insist on making it complicated? I found this short checklist and believe it's a good place to start towards making every day a happy day. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I truly believe that there are lots of reasons to be thankful for. Have you tried making a list? It truly helps...

Happy thanksgiving!

50 Things Money Can't Buy

Post by LOLComics - The Tickle Troll.

When I saw this on my Facebook news feed, I felt that I just gotta share this. I totally know and understand that it is a material world and the quality of your life sometimes depends on how much financial wealth you have. Sad but true! However, not having lots of money doesn't mean you need to be depressed. Money alone can't buy you happiness.. that's a state of mind! >.<

How about taking this checklist and see how many on the lists you enjoy right now? Remember that they can't be bought by money! >.<

Good vibes and positive thoughts always!

The Beautiful Simple Things

Post by Miss World - Philippines.

At this time, the whole Philippine nation is celebrating her win as Miss World 2013. Megan Lynne Young posted this on her Miss World - Philippines FB Page 10 days before coronation night. I'm a big fan of hers from the time I began watching her in a TV show that became my favorite -- TV5 Misibis Bay. Then she joined Miss World Philippines and won the crown to represent the country in the Miss World 2013 competition that held its finals last 28th September 2013. I believe posts such as above show us that Megan Young is the real deal and that she's truly worthy of representing Miss World Org. even for a year. 

When have you stopped to appreciate the beauty in simple things? If you haven't been doing that lately, it's time to step back and go slow. Life is too short to be missed! ^_^

The 18 Rules of Happiness by Karl Moore

I came across this book some months back. It came with a free opt-in to some list I signed up for. Come to think of it, I can't remember which list it was. LOL! Still I'm glad to have received a copy of this e-book by Karl Moore.. The 18 Rules of Happiness.

It just strikes me as I wonder is there really a list of rules on how one can become happy? And why is this happiness concept rather elusive? Isn't happiness simply a state of mind? I mean, if you believe and know that you are happy, then you are happy. Apparently, it's not that simple for a lot of people.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed reading the e-book and thought of sharing bits of it with my own insights. Read on to rediscover your own happiness. It may be a lot closer than you think.

Rule #1 -- Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself!

"Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world." - Helen Keller

I think the quote I borrowed says it all. After all, we all tend to wallow in self-pity once in a while. Sometimes, we even tend to blame everything or everyone else for things that have happened or are still happening to us. We take pleasure in blaming the weather, the government, and most everything else we have no control over.

Totally foolish and ineffective.

You may not have all the riches in the world. You may not have all the talents. Yet it's no reason to feel self-pity. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You can do so much more if you start there.

Believe that you are  a wonderful being. You were created for a reason and purpose. That should be more than enough to make you feel good.

If you truly want to be happy, stop feeling sorry for yourself.


(to be continued...)

8 Habits of Very Joyful People

1 - Decide to be happy.

Happiness is a state of mind. If you want to be happy, think happy.  And  yes, it's a choice -- your choice.

2 - Apply the power of positive thinking.

Being positive doesn't mean you're only counting on the good things to happen. It  really means believing that no matter what happens, it is for the best.

3 - Maintain emotional wellness.

Nothing beats emotional wellness. How do you maintain it? Find time to reflect and meditate.  When things get a bit overwhelming, step back, detach yourself, take a walk and see the good things in life.

4 - Have an attitude of gratitude.

When you wake up in the morning, say thanks. Be thankful for another day, another chance to make a difference. In a values enhancement camp I attended some years back, we were made to chant "Today is better than yesterday. Success!"

5 - Live in the present.

There is no point in dwelling in the past. Even if you had a sad childhood, face it, it's over. Live in the now. Today is a gift, that's why it's called present. 

I remember reading a short cartoon strip of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. Pooh asked Piglet, "What day is it?" Piglet replied, "It is today." To which Pooh remarked, "Ah, my favorite day."

6 - Love what you do and do what you love.

Find the meaning and purpose in what you do. Then you won't have reason to complain or wish you're doing something else. Life is short. Spend your time wisely. Doing what you love and loving what you do makes waking up mornings super fantastic!

7 - Approach life with humor and laughter.

Laughter is the best medicine. No, you don't need to be a clown or to act as silly as one in order to find humor in every day situations. Enjoy life! After all, it is great to be alive. 

8 - Observe a healthy spirituality.

For me, it helps a lot that I have faith. For whenever I find myself lost, troubled or weary, I pray.  

Have a joyful life! :-)

Have a Fulfilling Life

Here's another really good read that I found. Some steps to take in order to have a fulfilling life. A life that is meaningful and fulfilling can be yours. All it takes is a little self-knowledge, a plan and some hard work.  The work however doesn't seem as difficult if you are doing what makes you happy and allows you to be fulfilled.

Below is a twenty-step plan that will set you on your path to a life of fulfillment. Taking the time to follow this plan step by step will help you reach the life you want a lot quicker than just allowing life to take you where it will. Take a deep breath and get started. I'll be cheering you on each step of the way!

Step 1: Find a purpose for your life.

Step 2: Figure out what bothers you most about the world and do something about it.

Step 3: Determine what is most important to you.

Step 4: Align your new goals around what is most important.

Step 5: Have a healthy perspective of yourself.

Step 6: Replace old beliefs that are no longer useful to you.

Step 7: Create new possibilities for your life.

Step 8: Figure out who you want to be when you grow up.

Step 9: Practice living the life you want now.

Step 10: Figure out what you are passionate about.

Step 11: Align your abilities and your interests.

Step 12: What would a perfect vocational day be for you?

Step 13: Write your autobiography five years from today.

Step 14: Downscale your lifestyle now to create the opportunities that you seek.

Step 15: Strengthen your relationships and support systems.

Step 16: Grow strong emotionally

Step 17: Give yourself permission to follow your heart.

Step 18: Laugh a lot and enjoy the ride

Step 19: Live with integrity as a path towards an authentic life.

Step 20: Eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep.

Discovering Intentions to Improve your Personal Life

How to discover your intentions

Good intentions are the ultimate choice of improving your life. If you have bad intentions, it is a sign you are filled with greed, envy, hate and so on. You want all these negative influences out of your life. Intentions are powerful. Intentions tell others where our goals are heading. It is our purpose. Intentions are our motive that helps us to achieve our objectives.

To learn your intentions you must put forth effort. Sometimes you will feel grouchy, and grit your teeth, yet as you continue to learn you will see light at the end of the tunnel. So what if some of your intentions are bad. Welcome to reality, humanity and imperfection. Yet, you can change those bad intentions to good ones. The key to finding your intentions is to consider self-discovery. Acquire the determination to reach for the stars, learn about yourself, decide what you want and move ahead. Take the action so that you can develop healthier thoughts, habits, behaviors etc. that guide you to success.

The system of entry

It always helps a person to write down their intentions. When you write down your intentions on paper, it helps you to discover yourself. Many people do not like to write, however if you keep a journal you can look back later to see your growth stage. It only takes a few minutes daily to jot down your feelings, thoughts, ideas and so on.

Accessing your interests and strengths within

To access your interests, first you have to sit down and consider what you want. Once you decide what you want, you will need to write a plan, set goals and take action. Move to get what you want. To access your strengths, test your abilities and skills. What can you do best? How can you use your skills and abilities to improve your personal life?

Once you access your inner you, you can move to set your own standard of living. Do not live for others; rather learn to live for you. As you move ahead, explore your vocation paths. Do you see you in the future enjoying the job you love? Do you see you in the future working at the same company going nowhere? If you see yourself stuck, check your options to find a way to better your situation. You can start by identifying the jobs that peak your interest. Once you discover what you want to do, set up strategies to achieve your goals. Take action and move ahead.

How it is done

Discover yourself and what options you have available. Pull up resources. In fact, build resources. Resources are the key that unlocks the doors to success. Check your intentions. What is the ideal vocation for you? Pull up your assets and use them to your advantage. Do a job search to help you find a new career that makes you happy. Always follow through with your plans. Never give up and demand results.

To achieve your goals discover your wants.

Take action by recording your specific needs and wants. Review the inner pictures you develop and listen to the voices that tell you how you can improve your personal life. Learn to train your conscious self to live healthily. We have a cutie inside us, which is called instincts. Learn to re-establish your instincts and listen. Listening is the key to help you improve your personal life. Learn how to recognize your body's needs also.

Life is About Choices and the Decisions We Make

Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

There are no guarantees.

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent.  There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

Take the risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist of life.  But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:

·    Get as many information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

·    Identify and create options.

What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

·    Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

·    Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight.  So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.