Pursuing Happiness And Happiness Habits

Exactly how do we pursue happiness? We know happiness is far more than just money, fame or power. There are lots of people who have all three who are not especially happy. What are the secrets to living a happy, spiritually successful life? Are there reliable road maps to the state of happiness?

If you want to live a happy life, study happy people. Observe what they do, understand why it works so well and then adopt their behaviors and beliefs. We can choose to pursue and cultivate habits and skills we know will lead to happy, spiritually successful lives.

This is the approach we used to develop "How To Live A Happy Life - 101 Ways To Be Happier." Here are secrets from the habitually happy people we studied and interviewed:

Cultivate a sense of fun and share it with everyone you meet. Habitually happy people truly try to have a good time all of the time. Critics cry, "Don't be silly, you can't expect to have a good time all of the time!" Habitually Happy people reply, "I can!" Or, "with an attitude like that you will never be really Up or happy!"

Exercise your freedom to choose happiness. Decide who you want to be, what sort of person you want to become. Define yourself as a happy, spiritually successful person. Let that goal become a sort of role that is real and authentic for you. Try to be your best, spiritually successful self all of the time. If we don't consciously decide what sort of person we want to be, our environment and experiences define our identity and our destiny for us.

Rebel against people or situations that try to drag your spirits down. Don't hand control of your thoughts, actions, feelings and well-being over to annoying people or outside circumstances that can rob your happiness. Cultivate an indomitably strong, independent, positive good spirit.

Choose emotional independence. Decide how you want to think and feel. There's no rule that says just because something bad happens, you have to feel sad. Remember, you must be at your best to do your best. Choose actions and attitudes that help you to succeed and be happy.

Make Goodness a Guiding Goal. We are amazed how truly happy genuinely good people are. "Goodness for goodness sake," one said. Habitually happy people are extraordinarily kind, caring and compassionate. The Dutch proverb "Happy people are never wicked" was proven by our research.

Give freely and without strings attached. Habitually happy people are genuinely altruistic, they do good for the joy of doing good. They give without strings attached, they do not give just in order to get. Goodness is it's own reward. They rarely pass up an opportunity to be kind when it costs them or risks them little.

Don't be a people pleaser. Enjoy sharing joy and making other people happy, but don't depend on other people's approval to be happy yourself. Feel good by knowing and appreciating your achievements and all the things you do well.

Take care of yourself, value yourself. Habitually happy people value their time, their talents and their resources. They continually seek to develop themselves, strengthen their skills and gain a greater understanding of the world and the people around them. They value other people's time and resources as much as they value their own.

Be adventuresome. Habitually happy people continually explore, try new things and do new things to stay fresh and to continually experience difference and change. It helps them grow and maintain their enthusiasm and positive spirits. One commented, "I get bored with the same old stuff, I want each day to be new, different, something special." They try to make each day special.

Don't beat yourself up. Habitually happy people move from problems to solutions quickly. They know time spent dwelling on problems tends to reinforce mistakes they want to avoid. They don't condemn themselves for errors. They channel their angst over mistakes toward finding solutions or rectifying problems. They do not intentionally hurt themselves.

Avoid The Fault Finding Feel Goods - Criticism, blame, ridicule, bigotry, all falsely elevate our sense of power and self worth by finding fault with something else. These feel goods are fed by a negative focus. You cannot be truly happy by continually finding fault, focusing on what's wrong, judging or criticizing. Habitually happy people don't complain and they avoid people who do.

Have high integrity and live according to your values. When you live by the highest and best values you can feel confident that, even if you stumble, you have done YOUR best. Few things are worse than compromising your integrity and then failing too. Habitually happy people cherish good values and they live by them. They know happiness only comes with a clear conscience.

Love is an active verb. Love is an action, it is something we decide to do. It is an emotion we can choose to feel and to project and share with others. Love can be expressed in everything we do. It's not just something that happens to us. Love propels happiness. The more we love, the happier we become.

Don't be a snob, value everyone. Happy people don't have to feel better than others in order to feel good about themselves. They try to find something of interest and value in everyone they meet. They try to touch each person they meet with a smile and a bright, positive spirit.

Continually celebrate success. Habitually happy people continually celebrate success, their own and other people's successes. This fuels everyone's positive energy, confidence, desire to do well and propels people to achieve more. Celebrating success provides positive role models.

Michele Moore authors the Happiness Blog http://HappinessBlog.com, serves as CEO of Happiness Habit, Inc. and recently released "How To Live A Happy Life - 101 Ways To Be Happier" which is available at bookstores near you and on Amazon.com

She is author of "Sound Like A Million - Super Charge You Career in 60 Minutes" and a line of Magnetic Voice programs available through http://MagneticVoice.com

Michele holds an MBA in Finance and enjoyed twenty happy years in corporate consulting and effectiveness engineering. She writes and speaks extensively about happiness, spiritual success and workplace well-being from her offices in Atlanta.

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Summer in December: Convert your car into an electric car

Summer in December: Convert your car into an electric car:
With petrol becoming more and more expensive and no respite in sight many drivers are looking for someothing else. Is a hybrid or electric c...

Why Not Take The Happiness Quiz And Discover The Real Meaning Of Happiness

Why not take the following short quiz to determine where in your life you could find more rewarding and lasting happiness. The one common denominator in every human is the desire for happiness. One of the most sought after traits is happiness. So, either you are happy most of the time with all aspects of your life or, you would like to be happier more often somewhere in your life. This quiz will help you self-discover; what happiness is for you, why you have it, why you are not happy, what it will take for you to be happy, or who or what you feel is responsible for your happiness. I recommend you make a copy of the quiz before you complete it. You might want to share it with a friend, relative or fellow employee. Please give me a call if you would like the answers to this quiz.

Other quizzes are also available on the following topics: Customer Service ¤ Relationships ¤ Sales
¤ Management ¤ Success ¤ Motivation

See the end of this quiz for quiz answers.

1. Happiness is:________________________________________________________________

2. Happiness is not:_____________________________________________________________

3. Who is responsible for your happiness:___________________________________________

4. Who is not responsible for your happiness:________________________________________

5. It is possible to be happy all of the time. True/False.

6. Happiness is: inside-out - outside-in.

7. If you had more:___________________________________________ you could be happier.

8. When you:___________________________________________________you will be happy.

9. Stuff can make you happy. True/False.

10. Happiness is: more, bigger, better. True/False.

11. Most people are reasonably happy most of the time. True/False

12. You will be happy when:_____________________________________________________

13. If you are successful, you will be happy. True/False.

14. If you have your health, you will be happy. True/False.

15. __________________________________________is getting in the way of your happiness.

16. Hanging on to old emotional baggage prevents happiness. True/False.

17. People who are happy smile a lot. True/False.

18. Living in the present moment is not important to be happy. True/False.

19. Happiness is easy to achieve. True/False.

20. One of the biggest things missing in people's lives who are not happy is:

_____________________________________________________________________________

21. Other people can make you unhappy: True/False.

22. Un-managed stress is a cause of unhappiness. True/False.

23. People who are happy have no regrets: True/False.

24. Happy people always want more of something: True/False.

25. Unhappy people are never satisfied with:_________________________________________

26. Happy people see other's as teachers: True/False.

27. Unhappy people tend to see themselves as:_______________________________________

28. One of the most important things to do to find lasting happiness is:

_____________________________________________________________________________

29. Most people take themselves too seriously: True/False.

30. Happy people have just as many problems as unhappy people: True/False.

31. The power of choice contributes to a person's happiness because:

_____________________________________________________________________________

32. Happy people lead with their head and let their heart follow: True/False.

33. Unhappy people would rather be right than happy: True/False.

34. Accepting differences in others is not important to your happiness: True/False.

35. Happy people are always doing, going, learning: True/False.

36. A lack of patience is a sign of:_________________________________________________

37. Happy people have more fun in life than unhappy people: True/False.

38. Unhappy people believe that other people need to be fixed in some way: True/False.

39. Happy people are interested in others and listen to them: True/False.

40. Something is always missing in the: happy person - unhappy person.

41. Unhappy people tend to:______________________ in life.

42. Happy people are always:_____________________________________________________

43. Unhappy people never:_______________________________________________________

44. Self-disclosure is a trait of:_____________________________people.

45. A lack of forgivenes is a trait of many unhappy people. True/False.

46. Happy people live for:________________________________

47. Unhappy people live for:______________________________

48. You know someone who would benefit from taking this quiz. True/False

49. You learned what as a result of this quiz:_________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

50. You are happy you finished this quiz: True/False

SCORING

50 correct answers..........You should be giving the quiz.
45-50 correct answers..........You are happy with most of your life.

40-45 correct answers..........You have it together unless you lied about some of your answers.

35-40 correct answers...........Read my book: The Road to Happiness. It will help you.

25-30 correct answers...........You live in fantasy-land most of the time. Get a life.

25 or less correct answers......You have really big problems. Get into therapy.

Correct Answers: Happiness Quiz

Keep in mind that the answers to several of the questions are subjective. In many cases there is no right or wrong answer only - a best or better answer. This quiz is not designed to give you an in-depth explanation for each answer but rather to stimulate your thinking. With this in mind let's take a look at what I believe - are some of the vital issues in the area of happiness.

1. Up to you.

2. Possessions, your address, success, power, fame, good looks, up to other people.

3. You are.

4. Anyone else.

5. True.

6. Inside-out.

7. You fill in the blank.

8. Again you fill in the answer.

9. False.

10. False.

11. False.

12. Your turn.

13. False.

14. False.

15. Your turn.

16. True.

17. True.

18. False.

19. True.

20. The willingness to take the responsibility for their life and happiness.

21. False.

22. True.

23. False.

24. False.

25. Anything.

26. True.

27. Victims.

28. Take responsibility for your happiness.

29. True.

30. True.

31. They get to chose their outcomes, attitudes, happiness.

32. False.

33. True.

34. False.

35. False.

36. A lack of trust, faith.

37. True.

38. True.

39. True.

40. Unhappy person.

41. Complain a lot.

42. Interested in others, listening, concerned.

43. Take responsibility for their station, position, circumstances.

44. Happy.

45. True.

46. The present moment.

47. Yesterday, tomorrow, always.

48. Up to you.

49. Up to you.

50. Up to you.

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website athttp://www.timconnor.com.

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Fields of Athenry

If I knew then what I know now

Almost every night on the news we watch our inexperienced politicians blunder about on the world stage, making our problems worse and getting us involved in situations that don’t concern us.

Watch this clip below and see another well meaning but naive young man interfering in a situation that doesn’t concern him

Turn your body into a FAT BURNING MACHINE

If you have a Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) of more than twenty five you need to lose weight and I recommend you do so as soon as possible.

To lose weight you need to eat less and move more and this usually involves following a sensible diet and an exercise plan.

The most effective way to lose weight is to train aerobically.

Examples of aerobic exercise include, brisk walking, cycling, jogging, swimming and many others. If you train aerobically four times per week for forty minutes you will become progressively fitter, change shape and lose weight. You will also enjoy your training, sleep better and feel much healthier.

Traditional diet theory assumes that the human body needs a fixed number of calories, (the calorie is the old fashioned unit of energy) say 2000 per day to function and the human body obtains these calories by consuming food. Any more than 2000 calories and the result is weight gain, less than 2000 calories and you should lose weight.

However, traditional diet theory assumes that the rate at which the human body burns calories, the metabolic rate, is fixed and this is wrong. Different people have different metabolic rates and the metabolic rate of an individual can change depending upon his/her level of fitness. We all know people who can eat what they like without gaining weight because they are lucky enough to have a naturally high metabolic rate. Most of us were thinner when we were younger because we were naturally fitter and our metabolic rate was higher.

Aerobic training increases your metabolic rate . It turns existing fat into muscle which continues to burn calories, twenty four hours per day, seven days per week even when you are asleep.

Aerobic training will turn your body into a fat burning machine.

For more wealth building tips - personal and financial. CLICK HERE

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The most effective way to lose weight

To lose weight you need to eat less and move more.

This usually involves following a sensible diet and an exercise plan.

If you want to lose weight, the most effective way to exercise is to train aerobically.

Examples of aerobic exercise include:-

- brisk walking

- cycling

- jogging

- golf (carry your clubs)

- swimming

- and many others

Maximum benefit will occur if you exercise 3-5 times per week for a duration of  30-50 minutes.

More specifically, to train aerobically you will need to raise and maintain your heart rate (H.R.)  to between 60% and 90% of an age specific Maximum Heart Rate (M.H.R.)

To determine your MHR in beats per minute (b.p.m.)

Subtract your age from 220                MHR =  220  -  age

The Upper Limit is 90% of MHR            Upper Limit  =  MHR  *  90 / 100

The Lower Limit is 60% of MHR            Lower Limit  =  MHR *  60 / 100

For example, a  30 year old

MHR = 220-30  =  190. 

Upper Limit  =  190  *  90 / 100    =171
   
Lower Limit  =  190  * 60 / 100    =114.

This individual would need to keep his HR between 114 and 171 bpm.

If this individual doesn't train hard enough, HR less than 114,  maximum benefit will not gained.

If this individual trains too hard, HR more than 171, training will not be aerobic and again maximum benefit will not be gained.

The talk test is a good indicator of how hard you are training. If you find it difficult to talk, you are probably training too hard. For aerobic exercise, you should be able to say a few words, catch your breath, and then continue talking. If you can talk throughout your session, you are not training hard enough.

There are many heart rate monitors commercially available.

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