How To Be Happy Now!

We have heard (and possibly even made) comments like:

• I will be happy when I can spend summer at the beach.
• I will be happy when I get promoted.
• I will be happy when I live in my dream house.
• I will be happy when I reach my ideal weight.
• I will be happy when I get my bright red Cadillac.
• I will be happy when I win the lottery.
• I will be happy when I _________ ______ (fill in the blanks).

The problem with this kind of thinking is that happiness waits until you have some possession or a certain event happens. In the meantime you have pushed the pause button on your life and are simply going through the motions like some robot. Supposedly real living will only start when you get all the “things” on your list of wants.

No one deliberately chooses to put their life on hold or to live somewhere in the middle—neither good or bad, just okay. All these circumstances are the result of the thousands of little decisions, which are reached as a result of the thoughts you give attention to.

Be conscious of all the negativity, fear, anxiety, and lack in the messages you receive daily. It pummels you from every direction. It comes from television, radio, the internet, your friends and family. The quickest way to get you to buy something new is to make you dissatisfied with what you have.

Being conscious of negativity is one thing but wallowing in it is quite another. Our minds are like a garden. We can intelligently cultivate our garden, or we can allow it to run wild. Something will grow. Either we choose what that will be or we can let things happen by default.

We all avoid the individuals, whether family, friends, neighbors or co-workers, who are constantly whining, complaining or bitching—on any subject. It is no fun to be around them. Yet, without really trying, we can fall into that habit ourselves if we stop monitoring our thoughts.

Be happy and appreciative of all the wonderful things you have in your life right now! It all depends on your perspective on what has happened.

A teacher once suggested that we end each day by making a list of 10 things for which we were grateful. After a week of trial, everyone was groaning that it was impossible to list that many things day after day after day!

Put your mind towards looking at things in a different way. Here are some ideas from an unknown author that will help you get started. For instance:

Be thankful that you do not already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you do not know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary, because it means you have made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

I choose to be grateful for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

I choose to be grateful for the parking spot I find at the far end of the lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

I choose to be grateful for all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

I choose to be grateful for my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

I choose to be grateful for the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

I choose to be grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

I choose to be grateful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

When we start appreciating the simple pleasures of an ordinary day, it takes the pressure off. The cumulative effect of a series of ordinary days is actually extraordinary. You create a kind of exceptionality that everyone can share. Most importantly, you will wake up each day happily planning how to have another successful day.