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What Is The Key To Happiness?

We all want to know how to be happy, don't we? What is it, how can we get it? I came to belief that it does not have anything to do with what I have, but it's a state of peace and content inside of me. I make a lot of vision boards, read a lot about vision boards and happiness comes up all the time. I dedicated a whole vision board to happiness, it reminds me to be happy, I practice it, I know I always have a choice. I found this article by Allen Gregoire and thought you might like it.

The role of the mind: An inside job

This may seem like a fairly obvious truth but, happiness and suffering all originate in the mind. Despite such an obvious truth, many insist that their happiness lies "out there" and that their suffering is also the result of some external force beyond their control. Once we understand how our mind works and we come to terms with the fact that we can indeed control our mind, our daily reality becomes much different.

Each of us, at some moment in our lives, has either knowingly or unknowingly detached ourselves from any emotional involvement in the face of a particular challenge or adversity. It is in these moments, that an illuminating lesson is presented to us. If our conscious mind has been listening, we realize that the only power anything has over us is the power we give it. The mere knowledge that you can revoke that power at any time is liberating mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.Speaking of detachment, one of the key principles of happiness centers around your "focus". What you choose to focus on has an enormous impact on your happiness and well being. Are you one of those people who consistently sees the good in people or are you instead focused on human "failings"? It's true that both good and bad exist in all people but, which side of the fence you choose to look at will govern your view, your life experience, and your happiness.

Another aspect of focus has to do with things within your "circle of influence". Those things and situations in which you can have a direct impact and some measure of control over are your circle of influence. Often, we spend too much time and energy on things that we can have little or no impact on. In doing so, we end up frustrated, exasperated, and unhappy. Focus instead on those things you can do something about. With a measure of success one feels satisfied and therefore, happy.

Another viewpoint comes from the practice of Buddhism. One of the key tenets is not to become attached to things or outcomes. It is our attachment or coveting of things and our desire for certain outcomes that can be a great source of suffering. When you take the view that everything happens as it should and you have faith that events are unfolding in a way that helps you fulfill your destiny, you are filled with a sense of peace and calm and the unease of "wanting" subsides.

The organizing principles of happiness

1. Taking care of mind and body: You must always stand guard at the gate to your mind. You must be extremely vigilant at this as negative intruders are lurking and waiting for the weakest moments when they can storm the gate to your soul. When the attack comes, you must be quick to respond and defeat the enemy. Also, it is important through nutrition and exercise to keep the body strong so that you have the tools and the will to fight the good fight. Body and mind are interdependent, there is no getting around that.

2. Positive social circles: It is extremely important to associate with those whose presence is uplifting. Take care to associate with those who generally have a positive outlook on life. Don't underestimate the effect of associating with negative people and don't delude yourself into thinking that you are so strong that their negativity will not affect you. It's okay to help people but, also understand that no matter the amount of help, some people will never possess the awareness to manage their lives and their own emotional states. Give yourself the gift of association with positive minded people.

3. Live in accordance with your own moral code: At all times, ensure that your actions reflect your moral beliefs. Sometimes, it is tempting to set those beliefs aside because of things like convenience or social acceptance or avoidance. But, it is YOU who will always know that you did not act in accordance with your beliefs. This will create a sense of uneasiness in you that your soul will never let you forget. However, the peace and happiness that comes with standing up for your convictions is priceless.

"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom, courage". – Thucydides

In other words, have the courage to stand up for your principles. If you don't, your heart and your soul die a little bit every day. It isn't worth it to compromise your principles.

4. Giving to others: Something profound happens to us when we take a moment to step outside of our own world and enter the world of others through giving. When you give of yourself to another, that gift is automatically doubled and now becomes two gifts, one for the recipient and one for you. Giving feels good and reaffirms your worth as a human being. That you would think of another so selflessly is a testament to the power of love and good in this world. You realize that you have the power to bring a ray of sunshine and happiness into someone else's life. What a beautiful source of happiness!

5. Purpose, goals, and direction: It's been said in various ways that a life without purpose is a life not worth living. One of the primary sources of happiness centers around our meaning or our place in the world. What is your purpose in life? Is it to fight for and secure justice? Is it to alleviate the suffering of others and care for them? Is it to promote peace in the world? Is to create something of beauty for the world to enjoy?

In Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search For Meaning, he explains that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. It was this emphasis that allowed Mr. Frankl to survive his experiences in Nazi death camps. His focus on how he could and ultimately would find meaning in his life enabled him to "escape" mentally from the daily horrors that were his life in the camp.

6. Love for yourself and others: It's been said that there is no greater force in the world than love. It's also true that it's a tremendous source of happiness. When you feel good about yourself and truly love yourself, how can you not experience happiness?

When you love others and feel that love in return, how can one not experience a state of happiness? When you give of yourself to others and demonstrate that love through your actions, you are responsible for creating a source of happiness in that world. Whose happiness have you contributed to today?

Happiness is a state available to all but it requires a little bit of effort just like everything else in life. But, with the right amount of control over your own mind and emotional states and by utilizing the organizing principles set forth above, you can find your own key to happiness.

An enduring fascination with peak performance systems and human motivation and achievement led Allan Gregoire to a career as an author. The author has worked in the resort industry, financial services, and the legal profession. The author writes content for his website http://actionmaxims.com, a site devoted to exploring your calling and destiny and achieving high levels of success.

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Allan Gregoire has some very good points, happiness depends on how you perseive things, the world or your- self and how you look at all this can be changed, a different view on life can be practiced. I know it because I did it and so can you. It's all a practice and you can get help and work with a good therapist, life coach, EFT or NLP practitioner, or a good spiritual guide etc. We are so lucky that we ave all these wonderful choices these days.

Let me know what you think and how you practice being happy, leave a comment at the end of the post, we love interaction.

Do you have an inspiring story you would like to share? I am looking for guest bloggers:

Who? women over 40 who changed their lives and finally allowed themselves to do do what they love to do.

What? Either a blog post about the change or a good vision board story. Click here for more information.

My new creative adventure:A membership site: Creative Life Now

"Nourish your spirit" is the motto. How to find joy and fulfillment in life, in a community of like minded women. Click the blue link, or the image to join our community of women at Creative Life Now. Are you looking for, support, friends, ideas, tips, motivation and inspiration? The subjects are: Creativity as meditation, Vision Boards, Collages and Creative Writing. Let's support each other and share ideas. A melting pot of experts in the fields of Creativity and Healing, Vision boards, Collages and Creative Writing and women seeking expert advice and inspiration.

All About Mind Power

Marita here, I am obsessed with the power of mind, it is such an important part in the creating and power of vision boards and how to live a great life. If we learn to control our mind and use it to our benefit and not be used by it life will be a bowl of cherries. Great article, thanks to the Author for writing it.

Mind power is the ability to direct and focus the power of mind to create specific outcomes in life.

Mind power is not magic. Mind power is not about being able to make someone else do something they don't want to do. Mind Power is not about controlling another person's mind or imbedding your thoughts, beliefs, memories or images in another person's mind.

Mind power is personal. Mind power is something that you work with personally to create a specific outcome that you want.

When the mind is focused, directed and working toward a specific goal you begin to tap into the power of the mind. This kind of mind power works in conjunction with the subconscious mind. The mind can directly impact the subconscious mind with

thoughts and repeated phrases. This is the real power of the mind. It has the ability to interact with the subconscious mind.

Once you understand the power of the mind you can begin to develop your mind power.

You can begin to work with mind power to create specific outcomes that you want in life. There are specific techniques and methods that you can apply to develop mind power so that you are directing the power of your mind and subconscious mind to help

you achieve specific goals.

I outline all of these techniques in my free mind power e-course. All you have to do is register today and you'll also get my mind power mp3 download – which gives you all the techniques you need to direct your mind power so that you achieve the

success you want.

To work with mind power correctly you should pay attention to your thoughts and beliefs. Your thoughts and beliefs are the real power behind mind power. Because these shape your views on the world and eventually dictate what actions you will take. If you believe it's difficult to make money then you will take actions that make it difficult for you to make money. In this example – you're actually applying mind power to create what you don't want – more financial struggle.

Now you can turn things around and being applying mind power to make it easier for you to make money by changing your thoughts and beliefs.

You see your thoughts and beliefs are picked up by the subconscious mind. The subconscious then goes out and creates the situations that appeal to you that mirror what you believe and think.

The real power of the mind is in the ability to change those thoughts and change those beliefs. When you work with mind power you realize that you are in control of your mind. You have the power to change thoughts that don't help you succeed. You have the power to create new beliefs. Once you plant new thoughts and beliefs in your mind you begin to direct the power of your mind to work with your subconscious so that you enjoy greater success.

I hope this article was useful to you, I would like to end it with this quote:

"Men and women are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.

– Franklin D. Roosevelt"

Now get out the poster board and use the creating power of your mind! Leave a comment and let me know how it goes.

Do you have a story you would like to share? I am looking for women over 40 who changed their lives and finally allowed themselves to do do what they love to do, or a good vision board story. Click here for more information.

"Nourish your spirit" is the motto. How to find joy and fulfillment in life.Click the blue link, or the image to join our community of women at Creative Life Now, my new membership site. Are you looking for creative community, ideas, tips, motivation and inspiration, how to find joy and fulfillment in life? Let's support each other and share ideas. A melting pot of experts and women seeking expert advice.

How Your Thinking Will Effect Your Life

Beware of how you feel and think, your life depends on it. This is a huge part of making a Vision Board work. What you focus on expands, or like energy attracts like energy. There is nothing woo woo about it. It's a quantum physics law.

Positive emotions will change your reality, effecting what happens in your life and especially the condition of your body and mind. Since you attract conditions that reflect your thoughts and feelings, positive emotions create peace and happiness within your body and spirit. Relaxation of stress and fear will start dissolving the blocks to your energy flow.

This is great and it is scary at the same time, because it is normal to constantly think negative thoughts but that's what we get in corresponding energy. So the most important action is: Be aware of what you think!

Negative emotions keep you angry, afraid and so full of frustration that you get ill and stay that way.

To achieve a state of well-being and improve your own health, practice feeling gratitude for what you already have in your life, for the people in your life, that you have a bed to sleep in, food to eat just this alone will develop a sense of humor, love and well being.

Improving your attitude and beliefs about yourself will increase your own power to heal yourself and attract good things into your life. For example believing that you will get well will start the process of actually getting well. Feeling the money you have coming in, even if it is not much will help to attract more, seeing yourself in the career you want to be in will help you get there and so on.

Do you get the strategy? Humor and play- fullness are required and do not try and understand it, just do it!

What do yo do in order to be more positive? Let me know leave a comment below.

What Makes Your Life JUICY

I am so delighted to present my friend and super talented Designer, Artist, Creator: Holly Emrick. We have a lot in common as my background is also Interior Design and Art. We both love to create beautiful things out of nothing, like scraps of cardboard, pieces of paper, shells, plywood pieces, fabric remnants etc. I hope you enjoy her post as much as I do. In order to be happy we need to nourish our spirit! Let's start now to make our lives juicy!

GOT JUICE?

Friends, family, travel, adventure, music? Mmmm. For me it’s all about creativity. My name is Holly Emrick and I am an Interior Designer, Teacher, Writer, Artist and Creator. I was born to create and nothing makes me feel as good as when I’m doing it. I am so honored Marita has invited me to do a guest blog. Her passion for sharing is such a blessing for us all!

I’m often asked what inspires me in my design and art. All I can say is that I am a master observer. Every day I am bombarded by colors, textures, scenes…..you name it. It certainly isn’t always visual….rather often a composite of different senses. I might catch a scent on the wind that brings forth a vision. Or discover a taste in a dish that inspires creating a new recipe. I feel we are all surrounded with stimulus that can help us create, in fact; perhaps it is that great wealth of stimulus that stifles people. With so much around you it’s possible to feel it’s already been created….or someone else has done it better. Here’s the thing: No one can create or give forth unto the world what you do. Period. And it isn’t all about cooking or painting or taking an amazing photograph. It is as simple as turning right someday where you previously always turned left. It is “allowing” something to come to you instead of chasing after it. It is making a conscious decision to be open and discover.

So I say, step out, hold no preconceived notion about what you can or can’t “do” and release yourself onto a piece of paper…or on the chopping block. Just let go and see what presents itself. It’s fun. It’s magic and it’s your gift back to your creator!

Holly Emrick works as an Interior Designer and Artist in The Rocky Mountain Region. She has been involved in design and art for over 20 years. Last year she debuted her new website http://www.greenhomedesignsource.com in order to share fun and inspiring ways to green your décor and live sustainably. Her newest dive into design and play can be found at http://www.greenyourselfsilly.com a membership site centered around living your best green life with tips on everything from design to desert.

I love Holly's site she has wonderful tips on design and art projects. If you need design advice, or some inspiration you will find it there.

Being Authentic Helps To Achieve Your Lifegoals

I learned one important thing over the last few years of transformation: To be aware of my thoughts and actions. Lately I noticed that I have lots of judgements coming up, not big ones but it still bothers me and makes me feel weak and kind of jucky.

So my practice is that as soon as I notice the judgement, I say to myself: I forgive myself for my judgement and I really would like it if I would not judge people and things any more. I try one step at a time and I do it less and less, but it requires constant awareness.

The other thing is complaining, I do not like myself when I do it, it makes me feel bad, but it is such a habit, that it still sneaks up on me. The practice is always the same, the key is to not beat yourself up, but be gentle and patient with your self.

This method works for all different kinds of habits, I use it like a game. It is important to know yourself if you want to be successful and achieve your goals, the more authentic you are the easier it is to achieve your dreams. Try it out!

What do you think? do you have a practice you would like to share? Please leave a comment below.

Never Give Up

Well done, I am sometimes in a funk and life looks bleak, it is wonderful to be reminded that it is ok, breathe through the challenges and it will turn around. It always does.

We all have good times, where we are inspired, feel creative and all is well. At other times, we might feel stuck, uninspired and not very creative with our lives. It is so good to be reminded that everything is changing all the time and that we can make a difference, in our lives and the people around us, by being grateful and positive. The good news is that it can be learned, it is a habit to default to negative thinking and we can learn the habit to go into positive thinking. Let's start. What do you think, do you want to try, please leave your comment below.