How to be happy

BY BERNICEWOOD, ON NOVEMBER 28TH, 2011

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Do the things that happy people do.

Some might say that happy people do certain things BECAUSE they are happy. Others might propose that many times doing these things can MAKE people happy. My own personal opinion is that it is probably a combination of the two.

My regular readers know that I suffer with depression, though under control now with medication. Even in a depressed state, by doing some of these things listed below, you can affect a change in your mood. If you begin acting AS IF, you will probably start to feel that way. Regardless, it can’t hurt to try, now can it?

6 things that happy people do (and you should too!)

Happy people express gratitude and thankfulness for what they have in their lives. We all have things to be grateful for, even in the darkest of situations, one can usually find things that they are appreciative of. And when you start to show appreciation for something in your life, it tends to open your mind and heart for you to receive more.

Avoid comparing your situation to those around you. There are a lot of people who are doing better than you are and if you focus on them, you will continue to stay down. If you want to compare yourself to anyone, compare yourself to those who have things worse than you. If you live in America or another developed country, you are better off than most people in the world. (see #1)

Learn some coping strategies for dealing with stress. Think about how you respond to stress. Do you get in a panic? Learn to breathe deeply when you feel that panic rising up. Do you overeat? Learn to munch on celery sticks or go for a walk instead. Do you get angry? Consider how your response is not productive and instead think of some action items you can do about the situation instead.

Learn to enjoy the things of life. I don’t necessarily mean the big things. Open your eyes to the little things, such as: the smell of coffee brewing, the fresh air when you step outside in the morning, the big grin when you get your little one from the bed in the morning, the loving look you get from your partner. One way I like to do this is to buy fresh flowers often (I look at the clearance buggy at the store!) I put them on the island in the kitchen where I can enjoy them throughout the day.

Connect with your higher power. For me, that is with God. I understand that others may ascribe to a different philosophy, but there are some similarities. Belief in something bigger than yourself gives you a sense of purpose and meaning in life, something to strive for, to make something of yourself by helping others. People who are not happy tend to be focused inward, if you believe in something bigger than your life, you will begin to focus on those around you and how you can contribute to their life.

Take care of your body. I am not saying you have to be an athlete, but get into the habit of moving on a regular basis. Increase your heart rate a few times a week. Doing so increases the endorphins in your body which helps lift your mood overall. Regular exercise has been shown to do as much good as antidepressants in some  people, with no side effects.

http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2011/how-to-be-happy/

A Walk Down A Country Road, A Church In The Woods, A Lesson About Life

By Dr. LenJuly 28, 2011

It was a day not unlike other days my wife and I have spent at our home in North Georgia. It was a bit warm, sunny and otherwise reasonably comfortable. The day itself was a bit special, because we were there to take a quiet weekend interlude to celebrate our birthdays. We were glad to have some much needed time together to get away from all the tumult of our everyday lives and basically just relax, to do some of the things that we wanted to do.

We decided to take one of our favorite walks, down a gravel county road, much of it by a river that is near our home. In order to extend the walk to make it five miles when we have the time--like we did today--we took an extra "loop" which goes to a small wooden church tucked deep in the woods.

The sign outside the church says it was founded in the latter part of the 19th century, but some of the gravestones are dated even before then. They still have services there every Sunday.

When we got to the church, we were drawn to a freshly dug grave in the cemetery.  On the top of the dirt was a beautiful bouquet of several dozen yellow roses. Like the turned dirt, these flowers were fresh and just opening, an indication that whoever rested there was only recently buried.

My wife and I started to wonder out loud: Who was this person? What happened to them? Apparently a woman, who loved her so much to have placed those beautiful flowers on her final resting place?

Many questions, and no answers. No name plate, no date of birth or death. Just the flowers on the grave.

For reasons that I will never understand, my wife and I had a few tears in our eyes. We had a prayer together that she didn't suffer in her death, that she had others to pray for her, that although she was missed, she hopefully will be remembered.

And then it struck me that so much of what we do as part of our every day lives is to care for those we rarely meet, many whom we never know.

I thought at that moment of the many colleagues, friends, and volunteers I work with every day. I thought of their commitment to our cause and our effort to reduce the burden and suffering from cancer for others. I thought about how we try to improve the quality of life of so many in their time of need. I thought about how many we touch every day who we will never know personally, and serve them in ways we can never measure. I thought about how much we hope we can bring with just a little bit of good into an otherwise difficult day.

Many of us run through our days without thinking too much about who we are and why we exist. In that moment, in that cemetery by that wooden church in the middle of nowhere, the answer to that question became just a bit clearer for my wife and me.

If you can find a place in your heart for someone you never met and never knew, then perhaps our humanity for each other hasn't been dissolved by all that is going on around us. If we can be touched by a stranger, then perhaps we are still able to touch those who look to us for help and guidance in their times of need. I know thousands of people-along with millions of volunteers--who do that every day.

Sandra and I spent our minutes by the church, then continued our walk. We didn't have much to say to each other for a while, but sensed that the moment in the cemetery told us a lot about who we are and who we aspire to be.

The comforting thought is that we are very grateful we are not alone.

http://www.cancer.org/AboutUs/DrLensBlog/post/2011/07/28/A-Walk-Down-A-Country-Road-A-Church-In-The-Woods-A-Lesson-About-Life.aspx

Ageless Living ... A Wonderful Perspective

I went to a great seminar the other evening to listen to Kelly Ferrin www.kellyferrin.com. Kelly is a Gerontologist with a great perspective on living and aging. The two major points that impacted me were:

• Live Well, Be Independent, Great Quality of Life
• Ageless Living

Her Web site has wonderful information and her book "What's Age Got to Do With It? ... Secrets To Aging in Extraordinary Ways" is well worth the read. I think it's a good perspective for all of us.

www.SusansSpecialNeeds.com