Enjoying a Wonderful Day

Enjoying a Wonderful Day

How about living and spending one day in a different way from your other days? You can create and enjoy a beautiful, satisfying and wonderful day. You can do so, by making small changes in your daily life.

Your preparations have to start the night before.

Sit down on your bed before lying down to sleep, and tell yourself that tomorrow morning you are going to wake one hour earlier than usual. Repeat some autosuggestions or affirmations to make the mind accept this idea. Think for a while about the benefits you will gain by waking and getting up earlier, and about the things you can do in this extra hour.

It is not enough just to wake up early. Often, after waking up, we do not get out of bed, but stay for some more minutes, and then fall asleep again. You have to persuade and explain to your mind that you have to get out of bed immediately after awakening. It is pleasant to cuddle under the blankets, especially on a cold morning, but on this special day you need to get out of bed immediately.

Set your alarm clock to the appointed hour and enter your bed. While in bed, watch the thoughts that pop up into your mind, but try to do so detachedly and without any tension. Just watch them dispassionately, calmly, and in a relaxed manner, until you fall asleep.

When the alarm clock rings in the morning, get up immediately, with a smile on your face. Don't give in to the desire to stay some more minutes in bed. Don't listen to your mind, which will probably persuade you to stay in bed a little longer, because it is too early. The feeling of pleasure and power you gain by getting immediately is greater that the pleasure of staying in bed.

Get up, wash, change your clothes and sit for meditation for about twenty minutes, using any meditation technique that you know. If you do not know how to meditate, just sit down and visualize some pleasurable and happy events from the past.

I am not going to describe how to handle each and every action and situation during the day, as every individual has a different life and schedule. However, I am going to give some general examples and hints to help you design your own day.

# Waking up earlier gives you more time in the morning, so why not enjoy a nourishing and tasty breakfast? Prepare something you love, something that you usually do not have the time to prepare in the morning. You have got the time today.

# Endeavor to be aware of what you are doing throughout the day. When you eat for example, pay attention to your food, and don't read the newspaper or watch the television at the same time. If you do so, you will enjoy your food much more. In the same way try to focus your attention on your other activities. Concentrating on what you are doing helps you do it better and more efficiently.

# Remember to smile more often during the day. It is important that the smile is not a artificial, but that it comes from inside you. Smiling makes you and other people feel happier.

# Expect the best and do your best.

# Be patient and tolerant toward others.

# While driving your car, decide to be kind and tolerant toward the other drivers. Stop at street crossings to let the pedestrians cross the street. Be courteous and considerate on the road. This behavior will make you and the other drivers and pedestrians feel good. As a consequence, they too will be kind to other drivers and pedestrians, at least for a little while.

# A good morning with a smile has a great influence on everyone. Greet the people who work with you, even if you have never done so before.

# Coming to work with a strong intention to have a great day, and handling everything in a positive and decisive manner, will have its influence upon the people whom you come in contact with. This will help you to broadcast peace, good will and happiness.

# Do your best to be nice and polite today, to your family, colleagues, friends, the seller at the grocery or supermarket, to the bus or cab driver, to the delivery boy and to anyone else you meet today. It is all a matter of inner attitude and choice. Exercise your power to choose a polite and considerate attitude.

# Make a decision that during this special day you are going to handle everything in a cool and calm way. If you need to meet someone or do something that usually makes you feel nervous or irritated, have a talk with yourself beforehand. Tell yourself that you are going to stay calm and relaxed, and that you are going to handle everything in the best way. If you feel you need it, make several mental rehearsals. Visualize yourself going through the situation in a very efficient way, and achieving a positive outcome.

# In this special day act unhurriedly. Do your best to stay relaxed. Remind yourself often that it is your beautiful, wonderful day. Invite into your mind thoughts and feelings of happiness, satisfaction and competence. Imagine scenes and events from your past experiences, when you felt good and happy. By concentrating on these mental images you let the associated feelings and emotions well up again. Enjoy these good feelings, and try to go on enjoying them, even after you stop thinking about them.

# When back home from work, what about a flower, a book, or some other small gift to your spouse and children? Even a smile, a hug or a kiss will do. You have tried all day to be kind to other people and stay positive. Do this at home too. Devote some quality time to your family. You have been out the whole day; now enjoy being together with them. Earning money to suppurt your family is not enough. They need to feel your love and attention too.

# During this special day, make also some special effort to use your time more efficiently. Do not watch too much TV, and shorten the time that you read the newspaper. It is better to use this time to read something inspiring that will help you improve your life, or devote a few minutes to meditation in the afternoon or evening.

# Don't forget to devote some time for yourself. I have talked about meditation, but do also something that you love, such as reading a book, writing, devoting some time to your hobby, walking or any other physical exercises.

The above are suggestions to show you what you can do. You can adapt these hints to your specific situation.

Try to live one wonderful day. Then enjoy another day like it. If you continue, this will become a habit.

Remember that today is a special and wonderful day. It is different from the other days.

The Happiness Factor

The Happiness Factor

If you analyze people's actions, you will come to the conclusion that they all seek happiness. Every act is in fact a search for it, even if on the surface it doesn't look so. Happiness is always the main target.

Going to the movies, eating in a restaurant or going to a party, are motivated by the desire to be happy. Sometimes the movie is not interesting, the food is not good and the party is boring. Then the search goes on. Maybe the next time the search will be more successful.

If the activity is pleasing, there might be a feeling of happiness, and then this activity is sought again in order to repeat this pleasant feeling.

Who does not dream of a vacation in some fascinating location, a new car, a new house, or the ideal match? All people daydream, and some even try to make their dreams a reality. And why is that? In order to be happy.

What about people who endanger themselves by climbing steep mountains, entering unexplored caves, or diving into the deep of the ocean? They too are looking for the few moments of happiness and rapture.

A thief may steal because he loves the thrill of danger, or because he desires to have quick money to spend. He is actually looking for happiness, though in a criminal and perverted way.

The list can be endless. It is the happiness factor that is dictating the behavior of each and everyone. It is sought in many ways and forms. Sometimes though, it is sought in a selfish way, or by hurting other people through stealing or taking by force.

Of course not all actions end in happiness. The motive is happiness, but the results not always bring the coveted desire.

According to some spiritual traditions, we are spiritual beings in physical bodies. The spiritual part is always happy, or rather is happiness itself. The body covers this happiness essence, but it is there all the time. There is a constant desire to be aware of this happiness. This is the reason it is constantly sought.

No matter what activity is sought, at the moment that happiness is experienced, something happens. Whether it is the thrill of arriving to the summit of a high mountain, eating a delicious cake or winning the lottery, there is a common element that is always present.

At the peak of happiness there is a stoppage of the thinking process. There is inner silence. Worries are dropped away. There is peace. The competition or dangers are over. This may last for a brief moment or a little bit longer. In this vast peace we feel happy. It is not the object gained or the successful performance that brought this feeling. It is something internal and independent of the outside world.

Happiness is always here, but covered by thoughts, desires and fears. It is experienced when these covers disappear for a while. When fear or worry come to an end or a desire attained, there is a temporary disappearance of these covers. The ego and personality stop moving for a while, and a great satisfaction and inner happiness is experienced.

In order to experience it on a daily basis, one has to learn to quieten the restless mind. One has to dive inside, because happiness is an inner attribute and is not in the objects or circumstances. It is in this world, but out of this world.

There is no need to search for happiness or to create it. There is no need to have all kinds of outer experiences and actions in order to feel it. On the contrary, everything has to be dropped in order to experience it.

Every technique, which helps to relax the mind and quieten the rush of thoughts will lead to happiness. Developing concentration and engagement in meditation are the main ways towards this goal.

When the ability to have a quiet mind under all circumstances is gained, one enjoys constant happiness, no matter what he is doing and where he is. This is quite attainable, but to gain this peace and happiness you need to work towards it. By making the first step today, happiness will start to fill your life.

Happiness and Security Are the Primary Desires

Happiness and Security Are the Primary Desires

What do you really want to attain or achieve? Do you have some clear goals, or you don't know what you really want? Do you go through life, wherever it takes you, or you have definite plans, and work on accomplishing them?

Not everyone has goals. Many go through life wanting this and that, but never something definite. Some even feel bad for not really knowing what to do with their lives.

We read and hear so much about the importance of having goals, but the truth is that most people don't have definite goals. Actually, all people have two important goals, though they are not consciously aware of them.

What are these two goals? What is it that you really desire, money? A better job? Love? A house? A new car? To travel abroad? Do you wish to do something big, or maybe you are satisfied with your life as it is, and don't want to change it? If you analyze your goals, small or big, you will ultimately discover that what you really want are happiness and security. Everything you do is motivated by the desire to gain happiness and security, whether it is money, a TV set, a house, a car, a new job, love or losing weight.

You desire this and that because you believe their attainment will bring you happiness and security, and therefore freedom from stress, anxieties and fears.

Too often, people devote a lot of time and efforts for getting something that in the end does not bring them the happiness or security they have anticipated. Ask yourself, what would bring you a sense of happiness and security? Analyze each goal sincerely, and think whether it would bring the coveted happiness and security you desire. If it does not, why not find some better goal?

True happiness does not depend on possessions and circumstances, true happiness emerges from within. True security begins as a mental state, as inner strength, as faith in yourself, and in the power that has created the Universe. If you feel happy and secure it will be easier to attain happiness and security in the material world.

You can awaken inside you feelings of happiness and security, even if now they are absent in your life. Awaken these feelings several times a day, by visualizing and feeling that you are happy and secure on the mental and material levels. Feel and imagine how fulfilling it is to experience and enjoy these feelings.

It is a sensation of inner harmony, peace, and the conviction that you can attain whatever you want.

If you persist with this action, and do not destroy this feeling by negative thinking, doubts, worries or disbelief, it will start to affect the way you think, act and react. You will become optimistic, energetic and motivated. You will see new opportunities and have the motivation to follow them. There is no magic here, just simple natural laws at work.

Everything starts in the mind. Start the sense of happiness and security within you, and it will manifestin in the material world.

All actions are motivated by a subconscious desire for happiness and security and their derivatives, which are inner peace, harmony, love, good relationships, success, money, possessions, etc.

It is good to have at least some definite goals. They give you direction, something to aspire for, motivation and something to live for. However, even if you don't have anything definite, just focus your mind and feelings on the sense of happiness and security, feel that they are real in your life, pretend they are real, and have no doubts about it.

If you continue doing so, you will soon see how your life changes and improves, as you truly desire.

Happiness Is Within Us

Happiness Is Within Us

What is happiness, and why is this incessant running after it? What does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between happiness and pleasure?

It is a hot summer day, and you feel thirsty. A friend offers you a refreshing cold glass of lemonade. How do you feel when you see the glass? How do you feel when to drink it?

Will you describe your feeling as happiness or as pleasure? I believe you will say it is a feeling of pleasure. There is a connection between these two kinds of feelings, and sometime one evokes the other, but they are not the same thing. Pleasure is more dependent on the five senses while happiness is independent of them.

Pleasure is a good feeling that comes from eating good food, watching a good movie, feeling the warm caressing rays of the sun on a winter day, enjoying a party, etc. Pleasure has to do with enjoyment through the five senses and is dependent on circumstances, objects and people.

When you are happy, minor unpleasnt events usually do not disturb you. When you are unhappy, you feel as if everything is against you. You may compensate for it by eating chocolate and sweets because this gives you pleasure; yet you stay unhappy.

A person may smoke cigarettes because it gives him pleasure, yet, this does not make him happier, especially if he acknowledges the fact that it is not be good for his health.

There are people who fear that if they experience happiness, it is soon going to be taken away from them. They regard it as a temporary state and are afraid to experience it. In this way they avoid the pain that may follow when it goes away. They believe that happiness is always followed by unhappiness.

Others may go to the extreme of not seeking it at all, because they feel unworthy of it, and prefer to avoid it. There are also people who upon experiencing it, always look around, wondering wherefrom will come the blow.

The physical world is always in a state of flux. At each moment a new thing is being created, sustained, changed, transformed and then destroyed. This is the normal state of affairs and no one can change it. If we attach ourselves to a certain state, we are bound to experience unhappiness sooner or later. No state remains as it is. These are the laws of nature. When circumstances change, and the changes are not to our liking, we experience unhappiness. On the other hand, if we exercise detachment, nothing can influence our moods. Then outer events have nothing to do with our inner joy and peace of mind.

From the moment of birth there is yearning for happiness and endless race towards it. It is considered as one of the greatest positive attributes. If we analyze our actions we see that all of them are in some way or another, happiness oriented. Everyone wants to feel good and happy. When circumstances and events are to our liking we are happy, and when they are not, we feel miserable.

When do we experience this coveted state? This feeling emerges when some problem has been solved, a burden has been lifted, a fear has disappeared or a desire or ambition has been fulfilled. We also experience it at a time we acquire or receive something we wanted very much. It comes when we are assured of the love of someone dear to us, when we win a sum of money in the lottery or when we get good grades at school.

What happens at these times? The tension that has been accumulating while we were pursuing, waiting, expecting or desiring is released. There is no more any need to run after the coveted object or evade a fear. Some tension, worry or burden has been lifted. At this moment happiness appears. It is a kind of feeling that erupts from the inside.

When something happens that puts to an end or brings to a happy conclusion, a search, a worry, a fear or anything else, our minds become calm. We then have no need to think, worry or desire the object, event or circumstances. There is a kind of a mental relaxation, which makes happiness manifest.

The room of the mind was filled with desire, worry or fear. Now the room has been emptied, and the mind freed of the compulsion of thinking about them. There is freedom, a feeling of ease, inner peace and joy.

Watch your mind next time you experience happiness and see what is happening. You will find out that the mind becomes quiet, and its constant chatter stops for a while. You will see that happiness comes from the inside.

Happiness Is Inside Us And Is Attainable

On a cloudy day the clouds hide the sun, but the sun is always there. The clouds of thoughts, worries and desires cover and hide our happiness. We have to disperse them in order to experience it. Then the happiness that is inherent in the soul and is always there shines forth.

Happiness is not something far away and unattainable, and it does not depend on circumstances. Objects and events are not its causes. It is an inseparable part of our consciousness, only that as mentioned previously, it is hidden and covered from sight by our endless thoughts, desires and worries.

The experience of mystics down the ages has been that happiness is inherent in our souls; it is not something to be gained anew. All that is necessary to do is to uncover it.

If we can silence the chatter of the mind we will experience this inherent happiness. It is dependent only on one thing, the silencing of thoughts. This means that in order to experience happiness intentionally we have to make our mind silent, calm and relaxed.

What have all the mystics, yogis and saints pursued down the ages? They have not been looking for pleasure, but have been searching for inner happiness that no one could take from them no matter where they were. It is independent of outer events.

This happiness I am talking about is constant and eternal. It is our nature; only our thoughts stand in our way of experiencing it. Dispel the thoughts and you are happy.

You cannot see a treasure at the bottom of a stormy and muddy lake though it is there. Make the water still, and let the mud sink, and you see the treasure. The treasure is there whether you see it or not. So is happiness. It is always here, only covered and hidden.

Now you may ask, what one has to do in order to gain happiness? One of the key factors is detachment. Endeavor to be detached, and do not let your feelings be influenced by each little blow of the wind. If you can convince yourself to stay relaxed and calm in every situation, this will be the first step.

Activities such as learning to concentrate and control the mind, developing will power and self-discipline, practicing meditation and reading spiritual literature bring happiness, because they calm the mind.

In the East they say that if you are in the presence of a realized teacher, your thoughts slow down and you experience elation and bliss. The mind of such a teacher is completely calm and undisturbed by thoughts. It is also very powerful and causes the minds of people in his vicinity to behave similarly, as if influencing them by telepathy. The mind being calm, it stops being an obstacle to the welling of happiness.

Happiness is here, within you. Just calm your mind and stay relaxed, and you will experience it. You do not need to wait for it to come. You do not need outer circumstances and events to bring it. A calm and detached mind is the gate to true happiness. It is your decision to choose happiness.

Tips for Happiness in Daily Life

Tips for Happiness in Daily Life

Daily life can be made happier. It is a matter of choice. It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy. It is true, we meet all kinds of situations during the day, and some of them may not be conductive to happiness. We can choose to keep thinking about the unhappy events, and we can choose to refuse to think about them, and instead, relish the happy moments. All of us constantly go through various situations and circumstances, but we do not have to let them influence our reactions and feelings.

If we let outer events influence our moods, we become their slaves. We lose our freedom. We let our happiness be determined by outer forces. On the other hand, we can free ourselves from outer influences. We can choose to be happy, and we can do a lot to add happiness to our lives.

What is happiness? It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced when there are no worries, fears or obsessing thoughts, and this usually happens, when we do something we love to do or when we get, win, gain or achieve something that we value. It seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered by outer events.

For most people happiness seems fleeting, because they let changing outer circumstances affect it. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation. As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.

Here are a few tips for increasing happiness in daily life:

1) Endeavor to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side. The mind may drag you to think about negativity and difficulties. Don't let it. Look at the good and positive side of every situation.

2) Think of solutions, not problems.

3) Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.

4) Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.

5) Each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.

6) Watch your thoughts. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start thinking of pleasant things.

7) Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't.

Sometimes you may begin the day with the desire to accomplish several objectives. At the end of the day you might feel frustrated and unhappy, because you haven't been able to do all of those things.

Look at what you have done, not at what you have not been able to do. You may have accomplished a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated, because of some small things that you did not accomplish. You have spent all day successfully carrying out many plans, and instead of feeling happy and satisfied, you look at what was not accomplished and feel unhappy. It is unfair toward yourself.

8) Each day do something good for yourself. It can be something small, such buying a book, eating something you love, watching you favorite program on TV, going to a movie, or just having a stroll on the beach.

9) Each day do at least one act to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. The possibilities are infinite. When you make someone happy, you become happy, and then people try to make you happy.

10) Always expect happiness.

11) Do not envy people who are happy. On the contrary, be happy for their happiness.

12) Associate with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, happiness is contagious.

13) Do your best to stay detached, when things do not proceed as intended and desired. Detachment will help you stay calm and control your moods and reactions. Detachment is not indifference. It is the acceptance of the good and the bad and staying balanced. Detachment has much to do with inner peace, and inner peace is conductive to happiness.

14) Smile more often.

Bruce Lee

Inspirational and Motivational Quotes by Bruce Lee

• I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations and you're not in this world to live up to mine
  
  
• If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of
  
  
• A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at
  
  
• Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick
  
  
• If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them
  
  
• To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities

Bruce Lee
1940 - 1973
Chinese Kungfu Movie Star/Instructor, founder of Jeet Kune Do

Walt Disney

Inspirational and Motivational Quotes by Walt Disney

• When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do
  
  
• We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths
  
  
• All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them
  
  
• You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality
  
  
• I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter
  
  
• The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing

Walt Disney
1901 - 1966
American Cartoonist, Film Producer