Posts Tagged ‘Happiness’

The anniversary of the moon landing reminded me of the anniversary of a life-changing journey I created.  Twenty five years ago this summer I was riding my bicycle solo across the United States.  I was in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks on 7/24/84 sharing two lane roads with gigantic motor homes – worse than the east coast traffic!

One of my big aha’s this week as I remembered this bike trip with a coach, is that I had a plan for the trip.  It was simple.  Every day I got up and pedaled at least 60 miles down a very clear path – the road – unless it was dangerously hot or pouring down rain.  The road took me east every day.  Not north, south or west.  East towards Boston and the Atlantic Ocean.  As long as I followed the road, and kept safety precautions, I would get to Boston, to Deborah D.s house – my best friend from high school.  Now, the problem with me in my business is that I keep changing plans.  I change marketing plans, I change my goals, I change niches. I doubt my vision.  I worry about money.  I take exits off the road to visit giant balls of string and two headed snakes.  I wander north and south and wonder why I’m no closer to Boston.

The road and my goal focused all of my energies. It kept me true and on task.  Sure, I never saw the two headed snake, but I reached Boston, I accomplished my goal.

Action

Take stock of your plan. What is it to honor it?  What are your two-headed snake detours?  What are three changes you’ll make to your plan or how you honor it?  I invite you to respond in the comments.  Thank you for the courage to invent yourself everyday into your greatness.

I’m not saying anything earthshaking when I write that happiness is a choice and it doesn’t come from outside as much as the advertisers and transformation gurus want us to believe that it does. “Buy this sexy car; great hair color; get your lashes thick, long, with no clumps and then you will be happy. Get the relationship, the promotion, the wealth, the fit body, then you will be happy.” Our culture and language habits make happiness appear to be achieved by accomplishment or product. This is like people believing the sun revolves around the earth because that’s the evidence. Happiness doesn’t revolve around things or accomplishment. Things and accomplishment revolve around happiness and joy. Watch babies learn to walk. They don’t deprive themselves of happiness until walking is achieved. In fact, they’d take a lot longer to learn if they weren’t happy. I was doing sit up/ crunches yesterday and I didn’t feel all that happy so I didn’t feel like doing them. Then I decided just to laugh as I counted out my allotment of crunches, and it was easy to laugh! It was contagious and kept itself going and lifted my mood for the rest of the day! Hah! I didn’t have to buy a new car, get my hair colored with the latest and greatest, lose that extra weight, or solve global warming. In the moment, in the present, in the now, we can choose.

According to my friend and Law of Attraction Coach, Noelle Sharp, ” …You ALWAYS get back what you put out; NO EXCEPTIONS!” So put out joy, fun, whimsy, glee, laughter, chuckles, jubilance, happiness, smiles, giggles, jokes, cheer, ecstasy, playfulness. Noelle is the happiest person I know – she watches her thoughts and nearly always allows the thoughts that feel good, and discards the thoughts that don’t. She does this in the midst of challenges that would put many of us on a downward spiral of despair because we forget we can choose.

What on earth good does it do to dumb down our joy because the world is in a pickle, a spouse is mad or we haven’t succeeded in that goal yet???!!! Eric Butterworth writes, “At the very time when we need more light, we reduce the flame of jubilance, and walk in darkness.” How that applies to today’s time – let’s turn up the flame of jubilance, my dear friends! That will turn YOUR economy around!

To turn up the flame find one small thing to be grateful for – and then another. Also, we can recall and talk of successes and what works. Simply smiling or laughing changes your energy.

“One of the great discoveries of human unfoldment is that happiness and joy are not effects, but causes…The happy person is forever encountering things…to vindicate his happy spirit.” Eric Butterworth

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)

“Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.”
Roy M. Goodman

“When you relinquish the desire to control your future, you can have more happiness.”
Nicole Kidman, in The Scotsman

“There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.”
Eykis

Action
OK, go ahead and laugh. Make up a belly laugh. I was struggling with writing this article – so I just started laughing. Much easier to have ideas flow in a joyful mood. I also invite you to see if you can make others happy. Notice if it’s their choice or you can force it on them. Just “don’t worry, be happy” this week.  And tell me what you discovered, OK?
Peace,
Nancy