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Click here for happiness!

Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
First of all, know that, while learning to let go is the key to happiness, it is not easy. Unless you were born into a Buddhist monastery, it is probably counterintuitive.

And, like all habits, “letting go” is learned by practice…and usually in the fires of difficult experiences that are outside of our control.

Life will sometimes lead you in a direction that forces you to question, if not let go of, the way you expected your life to go. And other times it will step in and take from you those things — even those lives — that matter most to you…no questions asked.

You could choose to hold onto what is no longer there or even possible, resulting in bitterness, anger, anxiety, and even depression. Or you could realize that true happiness lies in being so strong within yourself that the loss of even your most cherished attachments will not destroy you.

Comes from this site -

7 Reasons Why Learning To Let Go Is the Key to Happiness | Let Go Now

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Happiness learn from a dog -

Dogs understand the world better than humans. There, I said it. Actually, the lack of verbal communication might be working to their advantage, because somehow, the canine population has a much better grasp on how to achieve complete happiness more so than any human I’ve ever met. We analyze, we obsess, we complain, and we live in that destructive cycle following every interaction. We also doubt our own potential and we constantly let fear get in the way of what we want. Dogs don’t have time or interest in any of that.

Dogs live in the moment and they love harder than any other species. Sure, they don’t have jobs or make money, or have the ability to live 80+ years so there are obviously some aspects of life that dogs cannot fathom. However, the way they live in their short time on this planet is truly a beautiful practice in unwavering enthusiasm. There are lots of lessons we could all learn from dogs, and when it comes to being happy, here are the most important ones.

They Don’t Overthink Anything

They are blissfully unfazed by an awkward interaction, a clumsy misstep in front of a pack of other dogs, or their strange reaction to the sound of the vacuum. They just live, never caring what others think. You know how people say, “just do you,” when they’re encouraging you to be yourself? Yeah, dogs started that whole thing.Nov 16th -

9 happiness lessons we can all learn from dogs - Happier

Cheers!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
If you have been dwelling on negative thoughts for many months or years, allowing things to pass may be a challenge. Many people allow thoughts to enter their mind, and they sit on these negative thoughts. Negativity stews and festers, and it becomes increasingly difficult to let go. Understand that you are only hurting yourself by holding onto negativity. It is natural to have negative thoughts, so do not be angry or ashamed about them. Instead, recognize your thoughts as being separate from you. Allow your thoughts to enter your head. Recognize that they are there, and let them pass by. It may be helpful to visualize those thoughts as being on a cloud that passes overhead or on a leaf that is floating down a river. They drift in, and they continue to travel until they are out of sight. As is the case with meditation, this takes practice.

For more tips -

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/how-to-let-go-of-negative-thoughts/

All the best!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Happiness compassion wisdom -

Quite a few? ...

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Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
If you want to be happy, learn to be satisfied with what you’ve got: like all the best ideas, it’s both irresistibly simple and surprisingly hard to put into practice. For Christians, it will be familiar as the idea of accepting God’s will with grace. For the rather more secular, it’s the basis of all those jaunty “If life gives you lemons … ” fridge magnets.

But it took Google’s chief business officer to turn it into an algorithm. Having noted down as many data points as he could about what makes him happy, and plotted them on a graph, Mo Gawdat duly produced the formula expressed in his new book Solve For Happy thus: happiness is equal to or greater than the events of your life, minus your expectations of how life should be. And if that sounds somewhat like a statement of the bleeding obvious, an interview he gave Channel 4 News last week has just become its most heavily downloaded video clip ever.

Comes from this interesting site -

There’s a formula for happiness, but will it make our world a better place? | Gaby Hinsliff

Enjoy!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
You realise that most of the bad behaviour of other people really comes down to fear and anxiety – rather than, as it is generally easier to presume, nastiness or idiocy. You loosen your hold on self-righteousness and stop thinking of the world as populated by either monsters or fools. It makes things less black and white at first, but in time, a great deal more interesting.

You learn that what is in your head can’t automatically be understood by other people. You realise that, unfortunately, you will have to articulate your intentions and feelings with the use of words – and can’t fairly blame others for not getting what you mean until you’ve spoken calmly and clearly.

More signs pof emotional maturity at this site - sep thread?? -

When Do You Know You Are Emotionally Mature? 26 Suggestions -

Enjoy!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Good advice from happiness gurus -

Quite a few ...

Here is one interview -

Ancient philosophers and contemporary scientists would agree that relationships are a key. To be happy, we have to have strong, intimate bonds and feel like we belong. We have to feel like we can confide. We need to be able to get support, and just as important for happiness is we need to be able to give support. If you look at people who are happier, they are people who have more relationships in their lives. Think of anything you would do to expand or deepen your relationships, whether it’s joining a book club, planning a party, going to your college reunion or going to a destination wedding. In my family, we believe in warm hellos and goodbyes. You don’t just grunt out a “hello” when someone is coming. You really acknowledge that someone is coming.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/03/05/gretchen-rubin-happiness-advice

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
One of the suggested searches was - I hate self help books - first one to catch my attention -

I was a self-help guru. Here’s why you shouldn’t listen to people like me.

Apparently, I learned, gurus are people too, even gurus lining the self-help shelves of friendly neighborhood bookstores. They aren’t infallible, all-knowing oracles above worrying about their generous muffin top or widening backside. They are businesspeople — businesspeople with books, keynotes, and openings in their consulting practice to peddle.

“It’s all smoke and mirrors,” my friend Cherise, a ghostwriter for a number of these bestselling gurus, told me the following week over tea, her Mission District apartment stuffed with piles of self-help books, CDs, and videos. “Many of these people are no more qualified to dole out life lessons than you or I.”

Read the rest here -

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/1/23/14238530/self-help-advice-bogus

I guess it's a big generalisation to say they are all frauds who don't practice what they preach??

All the best!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Happiness make world better place -

“As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.” ~Paul Shane Spear

I have always wanted to change the world.

I remember being four years old, sitting glued to the television on Sunday mornings, not watching cartoons, but utterly captivated by World Vision. I cried about the injustices in the world, and begged my mother to let me sponsor Maria, the girl with the large, sad eyes who was around my age.

My mom patiently tried to explain to me that we couldn’t afford to send her money. I couldn’t understand, since we seemed to live in luxury compared to Maria.

Having been raised in a middle-class community of about 800 people in rural Newfoundland, I had never seen a stark divide between the rich and the poor. We all seemed to be the same to my four-year-old eyes.

My heart broke for Maria, and all of the other children on the show. I vowed to myself that someday, I was going to help people like her.

10 Simple Ways to Make the World a Better Place

Cheers!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
From another page at that site ...

I am forever amazed at the capacity of those who live difficult lives to treat others with kindness and compassion. I was welcomed into many homes, treated with great respect, and graciously thanked for my time in the community.

It is humbling to think that I have so much to give, when the truth is I have so much more to learn.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that…

Each and every one of us can change the world!

Too many of us believe we have no power to make a difference. I have entertained the thought many times.

Making a difference often takes time, and our kindness may not grow roots until long after we’ve fertilized the flower beds. Focus on the act of giving, rather than the results of your actions. Detach from outcome, and you’ll be free to make a difference in ways you never imagined.

For kindness thread?

Choose to Be Kind and Change the World

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Happiness take responsibility -

To me, those are the wrong questions to ask. The right question to ask is whether we can be happy given the types of negative events that routinely occur in our lives. In other words, rather than ask yourself if you can be happy even in extremely negative circumstances, ask yourself whether you can be happy in the more moderate circumstances in which you find yourself on a day-to-day basis. Can you, for example, entertain the possibility of being happy despite the fact that it's raining outside? Can you be happy if a meeting with your client did not go as well as you would have liked?

To read more -

Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Happiness

Enjoy your day!
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Simple? -> happier person

here is one page of suggestions -

Don't let anger steal your happiness. Don't let little things anger you and rob you of your happiness. Save your anger for significant injustices and situations where you can help make a difference.

Remember that you're valuable. One of the best ways to cultivate happiness is to remember how valuable you are--simply because you exist, not because of what you've done or what you can do, but because of the unique set of gifts and traits you bring to the world.

Spend time with open-minded people. People who appreciate multiple perspectives and are open to change are the best companions you can have. They'll inspire you to open your own mind in turn and be receptive to new ideas, new experiences, and new people.

Read the rest here -

25 Tiny Changes That Will Make You a Happier Person

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
So if happy people tend to be more successful, live longer, have better connections with family and friends, miss less work and support causes more, how can we become happier? Acts of Happiness is a campaign aimed to help us draw inspiration and motivation from one another – to share and spread happiness in our communities, at work, within our families and social circles. A landmark study showed that it’s as simple as showing gratitude to just three people a day. After a week, subjects in the study reported higher levels of satisfaction and happiness.

Acts of Happiness offers scores of ways you can create more happiness in your life and by sharing how you spread happiness on the Happiness Walls around the US and online (see list at actsofhappiness.org). In New York City for example, the Happiness Wall in Union Square will feature a wedding, free cupcakes and more.

Read more at this location -

Dud link in that text I just pasted ...

Acts of happiness walls -

Kindness Counts When Sharing Happiness

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Fortunately, there has been an abundance of such research in the last decade. Emmons and McCullough (2003) conducted some of the first experimental studies of the effects of gratitude on well-being. In one study, college students were randomly placed into one of three conditions, (gratitude, hassles, or events), each of which lasted for nine weeks. Participants were given weekly packets in which they were to write down different things depending on their condition. In the gratitude condition, students were asked to write down several experiences for which they were grateful. In the hassles condition, students wrote down annoyances they experienced in the previous week. Finally, in the events condition, students wrote down a number of events that affected them in the past week. No instruction was given about what types of events to include, and responses ranged from “learned CPR” to “cleaned out my shoe closet”. The events condition acted as a neutral control condition to which the other two were compared. Students also completed a series of measures assessing physical symptoms and overall well-being. Students in the grateful condition reported significantly greater life satisfaction, greater optimism for the upcoming week, fewer physical symptoms, and, perhaps most surprisingly, exercised significantly more than students in either the events condition or the hassles condition. However, the gratitude intervention did not have a significant impact on positive or negative emotions. Thus, while being grateful caused students to assess their lives as more satisfying and made them more optimistic about their futures, it didn’t change the overall emotional tone of their daily lives.

Comes from here -

Positive Thinking: Optimism, Gratitude and Happiness

Cheers

:)
 
Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Interesting interview -

I have a confession to make—I sometimes cringe when someone tells me to “just be positive.” I’ve often assumed this really means, “Your sadness is making me uncomfortable, so please stop talking about it.”

To be fair, I wouldn’t classify myself as a negative person—not now, anyways—though I have my moments. I do, however, feel for anyone who might be classified that way, as I know from experience that deep negativity often comes from deep pain.

We all face our own battles in life, some more overwhelming than others. And sometimes it seems nearly impossible to nurture a positive attitude.

But it is possible. And sometimes, it’s the only thing that keeps us going when it seems unlikely we’ll find our way through the darkness.

Interview/Book Giveaway: 10 Habits of Truly Optimistic People

All the best!
 
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