“Happiness is like a
butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you; but if you turn your
attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.”
The anonymous author who
wrote this passage had his heart in the right state of mind. Happiness truly is
like a butterfly. Too many times, we lose our vision because we’re too busy
trying to become content, when contentment has been there all along. I’m going to give you five tips on how to live
in happiness so you, too, can catch
your own metaphorical butterfly of bliss:
1. Get physical. Remember the old grade school song where the music
teacher would sing, “If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to
show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands”? Well, you don’t
have to physically clap your hands (unless you want to) -- but to make your body
feel healthier and free your spirit from daily rigors, a brisk walk, an
impromptu happy dance, or a good physical workout can boost your immunity and
improve your mental clarity. So go ahead, clap your hands, stomp your feet, and
get your body moving!
2. Meditate. You don’t need a Guru to whip you into a meditation
routine, but you must be committed to practicing daily positive affirmations to
reinvent your mental thought processes. Focus on a time when you were most
happy, or a place that makes you happiest. Once you have that mental picture in
your mind, concentrate on it. Put yourself in that place. Smile. Close your
eyes and take slow, deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat this
mental exercise as much as you need to calm your nerves. It’s amazing what a
little meditation can do for the mind, body, and soul.
3. Skip the junk food. I’m no nutritionist, but I know what junk foods
like greasy French fries and potato chips can do to my body. But junk foods
just don’t affect your physical wellbeing; they affect your emotional state of
wellness, too. When you put garbage into your body, it limits your mental
capacity to think positively. Eating healthy, whole foods like nuts, and raw
veggies and fruits can perk your mind, body, and spirit.
4. Journal. Why do you think diaries are such a popular-selling
item? It’s not just because little girls want to share their deepest, darkest
secrets – diaries, or life journals are superb emotional healing and
self-growth tools that help individuals understand and resolve life
problems. They’re also great to
write out dreams, goals, and desires of the heart. The coolest part about
journaling is that you don’t need a degree in journalism or any other special
training to write out your thoughts and ideas. Think of your life journal as
your personal mind notebook. When you put your goals to paper, it’s so much
easier to concentrate on those goals without losing touch with reality. Try
it – once you do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
5. Smile. Do you know that
frowning brings down your whole spirit? When you smile, you can feel your eyes
lifting, your cheeks wincing, your forehead rising, and your whole body feels
light and like it’s atop of the world. Frowning, on the other hand brings your
whole composure down. Don’t be a sloucher. Smile. Laugh. Read a joke. Share a
joke. Watch a comedy or a cartoon. Think back to a time where you laughed so
hard that it made your stomach hurt. What made you laugh that way? Smiling is
the ultimate in living in happiness. If you practice active smiling every where
you go, you will attract more smiles and positivity toward you. Go ahead and
smile. Because remember, when you smile, the whole world smiles with you. When
you cry, you cry alone.
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