Today’s lesson in happiness.
Happiness comes from the inside. Many people chase the latest and the greatest things to come around and that’s a good way to stay on top of the world around you. But sometimes the latest and the greatest can knock you off course. For example let’s say you are feeling really frustrated and you want to take control of your life, so you hear of a new CD set that will “Change your life forever”, It states that all you have to do is listen for the next 30 days and you will be free of all that frustration. Wow, sounds great! So you run out and buy it and 30 days later…. You’re even more frustrated because you spent $79 on this stupid CD set that didn’t work.
Sometimes the best plan of attack is to keep things simple. I know what you’re saying, how can it get any simpler than listening to a CD set? It doesn’t, but what the CD set doesn’t have is a plan of action and when I say simple, I mean just take back control of your life. Don’t make it a hard long dragged out process, simply go back to the basics and start over. WHAT START OVER, NOOOOO! Don’t worry when you start back at the beginning, things will fall into place really fast, your growth has memory! So just look and feel to see what’s going on inside of yourself and you will discover the cause of your set back and you can deal with it from the inside out, not the outside in. Never go outside of yourself to find the root of a problem, always look inside and find the solution, it’s there if you just go back to the basics, make a plan and take action to resolve whatever it is that’s got you stuck.

Today’s lesson in happiness.
Become the observer. In order to understand the changes we want to make in our lives, we first have to understand the things we would like to change about ourselves. Begin by paying attention to your behavior. What do you do that blocks your happiness? For many years, I use to say the words: That wasn’t very good, now was it?” Yea, this was real empowering. When I discovered this one small part of my behavior, it was like a ton of bricks were taken off of my back and I got really excited! I started searching for other bricks that I could remove from my path, so I could get that dump truck off my back (Yes, I have a lot of bricks, HA, HA).
As it turns out the simple act of observing, has become one of my most powerful tools for creating happiness. When I’m observing my thoughts and behavior, I do it from a third party perspective. I get my heart to throw a party and I invite my brain so I can watch it like a hawk! You know how the brain is, if you don’t watch it, you never know what it will do. It picks up bad habits, tells you that you’re not good enough, finds ways to block your progress, and it finds all kinds of things to make you feel like $#@&%&#. You get the idea. If left alone the brain can be your biggest road block. Becoming the observer allows you to keep the brain in check, to take control of your own mind. I know, I know, at first I was nervous too, thank goodness that now, I just weird (LOL).
Observe your body movements also, stay relaxed and calm through your movements. As I scan my body there are a few things that I look for. How do my shoulders feel? Are they tight and high up on my neck or are they relaxed and below my neck? What are my hands doing? Are they always moving, trying to find something to do, like shaking a pencil or fumbling with something. Or maybe my hands are tight, their balled up in a fist or maybe they’re stiff. What about my feet? When I’m sitting are they always moving, like I’m running a one legged race? Do I curl my toes? Am I relaxed when I walk or am walking like I have a strait jacket on? Ok, when you get that picture of me in a strait jacket out of your mind and stop laughing at me, I have one more point.
You are in control of your own life, how do you want to live it? Do you want more happiness, joy, love, compassion, excitement, adventure, romance? Then observe your behavior and begin to make the changes you desire and you will begin to create the life you want to live and one of the side effects is more happiness! Now that my friends is a side effect I can live with.
Until the next time, smile long, laugh hard and be joyful!

What do you do when your in pain?

Yesterday I went to Va. because I was in so much pain. While I was at Va. I met a man that was getting ready to have brain surgery, I gave him one of my Smile and a Wave Day wrist bands and told him that when he needed a lift, to play with the wristband and to see the word smile and it would remind him that life is good and to smile. When I got home I got on facebook and asked for emergency laughter to help me deal with my pain! It’s funny how the universe hears what you ask for. I had some friends send me laughter and then today I receive this e-mail.
Evening Eddy Tom was very glad to meet you at the hospital and enjoyed the bracelet tremendously, he wanted me to inform you that he would be in the hospital April 14 for surgery and would very much enjoy your company. Sincerely yours Shawn (Toms care giver)
Life is very rewarding when you ask for what you need! I needed some happiness, I asked for it and look at how I was rewarded. When you need something in your life ask for it and help someone who needs the same thing, then allow what you asked for, to find its way to you.