Happiness U

Do you ever look at other people’s pictures on social media and think how perfect their lives look without being conscious that you are seeing only a curated stream of the happiest and most successful highlights? It’s easy to feel like you are falling short somehow in the happiness or fun department. I’m sure that, at times, social media has caused millions of people to feel inadequate when they compare their very real two-sided lives to the mythical one-sided lives they see online. It’s easy to fall into thinking that a perfect life means having all of the good and none of the bad, and being happy and never sad.

When you are beating yourself up for not doing what you think you should be doing, use this affirmation: "I always get done what I need to get done when the time is right." Whenever you procrastinate or feel unproductive, you are forgetting that you are, in fact, doing what you want to do or need to do in that moment. Remember, it's okay to be "inspired" to be lazy! It's not natural to always be productive. It truly is all about balance. As soon as you embrace this, it won’t be long before you will feel inspired to do something else. Just as there is an exhale for every inhale, so also do you need an even balance of doing "nothing" and being active. Do both this weekend with consciousness, and let's have gratitude in our hearts for simply being alive!

Your time and energy are yours. It's easy to forget sometimes that you are the 100 percent full owner of them. As an owner of your time, this means you can choose how you want to spend your time and energy, because they are yours to spend. If there are people in your life who expect you to freely give them your time or energy without paying for it with some form of value or an equal exchange of energy (money, appreciation, reciprocation, etc.), then it's either time to either start saying No or start making plans to clear out your "people clutter." Is it time to reclaim your time and energy so you can do with it as you please?

If you love and accept yourself, it is much easier to love and accept others. This is because everything you see in others mirrors what is in you. Whenever you put someone down or get irritated with a certain trait in them, it’s actually because you have the same trait within you, and you either don’t want to admit it, think you don’t have it, want to get rid of it, suppress the expression of it, or judge it to be wrong. Make life easier for yourself: instead of trying to change others, which never works, work on accepting yourself for all that you are and watch how it almost magically stops the other person from getting on your last nerve.

The people you complain about are actually assisting you by forcing you to face what it is within you that is holding you back. If you keep complaining, you’ll never see it, let alone face it. Sometimes the people you complain about—you know, the ones that stress you out and create obstacles—are actually assisting you the most. Why? Because they force you to face what in you is holding you back from achieving your goals. Remember, it’s not about them. It always is about you, and it always will be about you.

Take the time to identify what is truly most valuable to you, and give yourself permission to start letting go of your low priorities. When you concentrate on your higher priorities, you begin the process of mastering your life. Why do this? Because at the end of your life, you want to be able to say that you did everything you could with everything you were given. You are an extraordinary human being, and you have what it takes to be successful. So, do what is meaningful to you. Put your focus on what is valuable to you and give yourself permission to shine.

Strive to find balance each day. Right smack in the middle between positive and negative emotions, between good and bad feelings, and between infatuation and resentment is the core of the human experience…and it is nothing other than love. So instead of wishing for a life with “perfect” partners, friend, spouses, children, boss, employees, appreciate everyone in your life for what they bring to you. Without their contribution, your life wouldn’t be the same.

t’s natural to think that when you get something that you don’t currently have, life will get easier or better. “When I lose ten pounds, my life will be better,” or “When I have more money, life will be easier,” but all it really does is transform the challenges of your current experience into new forms. Have you noticed in the past, that when you get what you imagine you wanted, there was a twist to it or something unexpected happened? Go for what you want, but just remember to appreciate where you are, and not get caught up in a fantasy about the future.

It is wise to be mindful that there are endless perspectives and opinions about everything in this world, and yours is simply one of them. Often, we want to be right and feel we need to push our opinions on others, but is that really the best approach to interacting with people we care about? Listening to other people’s viewpoints expands your awareness. Being a good listener pays off, and truly listening before you speak opens the door to heartfelt communication.

Anything you do takes time, and your time is valuable. To make the most of your time, every day make it a point to prioritize how you want to spend it. Others may want your time and may think you are being rude when you say no. Caution: If you don’t firmly decide how you want to use your time, others gladly will, and this will lead to resentment in the long term and create a time shortage for you in the short term. If you are feeling overwhelmed, it would be wise to raise your standards about time.