Stressful times don’t exactly churn out happier people. But, CHI FOR YOURSELF knows that happiness is an inside job. You can bypass society’s noise if you keep some points in mind. These will help you get to your “happy place.”7 Days To A Better Happier You
So what is the aim of personal development? To make you a better person, or to make you a happier person? Hopefully, it’s both.
One of the most important things to realize is that happiness is not something that other people bring you like a birthday gift. It comes from living in line with your own ethical values in a way that brings you closer to your personal goals.
So here are 7 steps you can take to bring you closer to happiness over the next week.
1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health, and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.
This may seem tricky at first when you find yourself in a tight corner or facing a dead end. But identifying your purpose will help you to find the way out, even when it seems there isn’t one.
2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for the year, check your goals against your values. If a goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values, you may want to reconsider it or revise it.
3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be heard, to be fed, to be loved in some way that is not being met right now? There are so many people who live their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed. List your top five needs and be creative in thinking of ways you could have them be met. It’s never too late!
4. Know your passions
You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm may hinder you, but need not prevent you from becoming the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become who you are.
5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. At times it’s hard to even find the peace and quiet we want, even in our own home. You may choose to meditate, to walk in a quiet place or to sit and listen to gentle music. Silence does not necessarily mean no sound at all but it does require a certain inner silence.
6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List five of them – if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you recognize your skills and use them to teach or share with others.
7. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop a sense of being connected with all forms of life. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you are expressing your spirit, your essence. At the same time, you are able to connect with the essential good in others. At this point, serving others is no longer a chore.
We can’t change others. We can only change ourselves and thus live more peacefully and happily with the circumstances of our lives.
JohnK 3-13-2017
Overheard: “To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” ~Albert Camus
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