{"id":760,"date":"2012-01-24T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2012-01-24T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/geekygirl.ca\/?p=760"},"modified":"2016-05-18T07:50:17","modified_gmt":"2016-05-18T12:50:17","slug":"7-steps-to-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geekygirl.ca\/7-steps-to-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Steps to Happiness<\/h1>\n

I found this picture and thought it was so fitting to share with you, not just because it has a great message, but because I am making it my personal mission to test a statement that I have been using since November, and I wanted to literally take this picture apart and see how it measures up to my new idea:<\/p>\n

“Happiness is not an emotion, it is a choice”<\/h2>\n

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This statement could be taken the wrong way. \u00a0I am a big thinker, in fact thinking is why I write many of the blogs that I have here. \u00a0I see something or hear about something and start thinking and wondering about how it works, or how it applies to my life and the people around me. \u00a0I don’t think this statement has anything to do with that kind of thinking, in fact I am sure it doesn’t.<\/p>\n

The kind of thinking that this statement is referring to is “stinking thinking” that is a phrase that I have heard many times in my life. \u00a0This type of thinking is what leads to unhappiness. \u00a0If you are thinking (focussing) on negative things that have happened in your life or even things that you feel you need to take responibility for, if you continue to think about it over and over and over again without making changes to either correct the situation or to absolve yourself of the guilt that you are holding onto, you will be unhappy.<\/p>\n

This is a choice! \u00a0Things that happen to you can not be undone, and sometimes they are down right horrible, but you do have a choice to find your way through it to the light on the other side, or to continue to relive it over and over again. \u00a0I am not saying it is easy, but every step you take in the direction towards the light the easier it will become.<\/p>\n

Allow yourself to feel the sun on your face, or the touch of a loved one. \u00a0Feel life and enjoy it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Many people will tell you that if you are feeling down the quickest way to pick yourself up is to smile. \u00a0Your brain can actually be altered by your facial expression. \u00a0It may feel silly, but even if you are really upset or angry you can choose to smile. \u00a0I dare you to try it the very next time you are upset.<\/p>\n

When our daughters used to get upset as young children we would tease them by turning them upside down and say that we were turning their frown upside down, and sometimes it led to giggles :)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Talking can be just as bad as thinking. \u00a0If you are so busy talking, either to yourself or others you don’t have time to hear everything around you, you can miss out on the joy.<\/p>\n

Take a minute right now and listen to your surroundings… can you hear a baby coo, your favourite song, a puppy breathing? \u00a0What is it that you can hear that brings you joy? Perhaps it is your children playing together. What ever it is, choose to hear it and enjoy it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Judging causes all kinds of problems. \u00a0First if you are judging yourself all the time, you could be holding yourself to expectations that you will never be able to reach, or that once you reach you will be quick to raise the bar before patting yourself on the back and enjoying your accomplishments. \u00a0Perhaps you judge others in that way? \u00a0Regardless of who you are judging, you are spending precious energy on a task that is completely useless.<\/p>\n

Acceptance could be translated into love – Love more. It is harder to judge if you are busy loving.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Standing on the sidelines isn’t fun, it’s safe. \u00a0I think this one should have come a little later in the grouping but I will keep it in the order that the original picture shows :) Standing back and watching everyone else have fun, or being a part of the action will not bring you happiness. \u00a0Think of \u00a0the last time that you were asked to participate in an activity where you chose to abstain. \u00a0Perhaps it was a work volleyball tournament, or a different work sport. \u00a0It might have been a night out with your good friends at karaoke\u00a0night, whatever it was you probably\u00a0regretted\u00a0your\u00a0decision\u00a0to sit back and let the others have fun. \u00a0Think of all the\u00a0laughing,\u00a0\u00a0joking and carrying on that was happening around you. \u00a0How many times did you think, I should have joined in.<\/p>\n

Stop SHOULDING on yourself and do!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a very important concept in my household, I talk to the kids about this all the time. \u00a0The saying “What you think about you bring about” applies here. \u00a0If you are constantly complaining about all the things you don’t like about the things around you, the more of that you will get. \u00a0On the other hand if you change your thoughts to focus on the things that you are grateful for, you will get more of that.<\/p>\n

So choose to focus on the\u00a0positive\u00a0and appreciate everything you have.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Now this one I thought should have been in front of “Watch Less Do More”. \u00a0These two tie in together quite well. \u00a0Fear leads us all to do some silly things, and by silly I don’t mean fun. \u00a0Fear holds us back and keeps us on the sidelines of \u00a0life. \u00a0When we let fear\u00a0creep\u00a0into our lives, we choose to be more cautious and take less risks.<\/p>\n

Stepping outside your comfort zone and making choices that you wouldn’t normally make, actually help you enjoy life more. \u00a0It can be a foreign idea for some, but think about a time when you stepped outside your comfort zone and learned something new, or made some new friends. \u00a0You grew as a person, and chances are it brought a smile to your face. \u00a0This is not to say that\u00a0every time\u00a0you step outside your comfort zone you will succeed, you may fall down, and that is awesome because it gives you the opportunity to pick yourself up and try again, and once you succeed it will bring you even more joy to look at that accomplishment.<\/p>\n

I can honestly conclude that these 7 steps are choices, and I choose to take them and be happy. \u00a0How about you?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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