Be honest.
How many articles have you read recently that were filled with ideas on how to live a happy and meaningful life?
And how many did you put into practice? A couple? None?
Reading ‘how to’ articles, yes, even this one, is easy but putting the ideas into practice seems like much harder work.
Maybe we can change that.
I’m much happier in my life today than I’ve ever been before. Yet I’m not much richer, not in as good shape as I’d like to be, and still have a lot of things I haven’t yet accomplished.
To live a happy and meaningful life doesn’t require that much from you – other than a tweak to your mindset.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
1. Manage your mind
If you want to be happy today and tomorrow and for most days thereafter you can do it by making your mind a centre for positivity.
Stop sweating the small stuff. Your mind is powerful, and you must rule it, or it will rule you. Fill it with constructive thoughts.
Choose your mental images with care and take control of your moods.
Read “The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want” by Sonja Lyubomirsky.
2. Eliminate the clutter
Clutter is more than messy cupboards or drawers or an untidy desk, it’s freeing up the space in your head. Toss out all those toxic memories that continue to poison your heart.
Start a visioning zone and train your mind to see the best vision you can come up with for your day, for your week for your year. If that’s too challenging, then simply train it to look for the good in every experience. Refuse to waste space on worries and complaints. Be ruthless with what you allow to remain.
Ask yourself does this thought support a happier more meaningful life?
3. Handle old emotions
It’s not always easy to rid ourselves of bad feelings associated with our worst memories. They have a firm grip on our hearts and can be stirred up by a song, a scent, a scene, any tiny thing.
When it’s really difficult to let go of unhappy feelings and memories this study from The Beckman Institute might be helpful. Dr. Florin Dolcos suggests:
Looking away from the worst emotions and thinking about the context, like a friend who was there or what the weather was like, will rather effortlessly take your mind away from the unwanted emotions associated with a negative memory.
It’s definitely worth trying. Let me know if you did and how it worked for you.
4. Release your imagination
You have much more say over your life experiences than you might realize. And if you want to change the way things currently are and be happier and more fulfilled then you must first change the beliefs that have taken you there.
Throughout the centuries, the great spiritual teachers have encouraged us to view life from a perspective of unlimited potential.
Release your imagination from the restrictions of what now is and allow it to soar into the higher planes of what is possible and become more of who you really are.
Affirm new beliefs about yourself, your capabilities, your amazing creativity and abilities and begin to use all your God given gifts and talents.
Take this quick quiz and see how healthy your mind is right now.
Would love to know how your mind looks…
2 Comments
Hi Elle,
I’m so with you on the clutter thing. I used to think that the mess I made was actually organized to me. But over time I was able to realize that is actually contributed to my mental stress and kind of distracted me.
Having a clear space as an incredible positive impact on my mental space, as you said, it’s deeper than the physical mess.
I’ve even taken my decluttering to the next level and started to clean out closets and drawers. The way I see it we tend to keep more than we need and it ends up building up over time.
~Lea
Hi Lea…I need to be more on top of this myself. Leads to a greater sense of harmony in my life. 🙂