Mind & Emotions Archives - Page 18 of 25

Happiness Is Not For Wimps

“When I am happy, I see the happiness in others. When I am depressed, I notice that people’s eyes look sad. When I am weary, I see the world as boring and unattractive.” ~ Steve Chandler

Happiness is not a quality easily had by those who fear challenge and difficulty. Happiness, as a matter of fact, can require quite a bit from us if we would develop those traits that produce it at its highest potential.

In other words, happiness is not for the squeamish. It requires us to get our hands dirty in the ditches and mountain sides of life. It requires us to climb and learn and overcome and develop in ways that are not always easy. Here are four reasons happiness is not for wimps:

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Cultivating Patience

By Deborah Fike / 16 Comments

We live in a “now” culture. If it takes more than five seconds for a website to load, we won’t view it. We want to call our friends now, even if we’ll see them in 10 minutes. The “now” culture is one of convenience, and let’s face it, convenience can make our lives easier.

Unfortunately, by gaining convenience, we’ve lost some of our patience. Waiting has become a common enemy. We get irritated when the guy in front of us jokes with the cashier because it takes longer for us to buy milk. We want pills and surgery to lose weight instantly, rather than streamlining our diet and exercising. We want to have the best life possible right now, not tomorrow, and certainly not next year.

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7 Reasons Why You’re Not as Miserable as You Imagine

By Ryan Rivera / 19 Comments

Do you ever feel as though you’re at wit’s end? Do you keep wishing for some kind of break? Are you hoping that your life may eventually turn around for the better? We have good news: no matter how bleak your life outlook may be, that is ultimately a matter of perspective. And the good thing about perspective: once you change it, reality often follows suit.

No, we don’t mean to say that you may suddenly become enlightened. This is not to encourage you to remain idle waiting for some kind of magical secret to unfold. You are not to rely on the whims of the universe and get caught up in delusions, not unless you fail to miss the point.

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The Habit Changing Formula – MBTA

By Noch Noch / 23 Comments

Many of us are aware of habits we need to change or establish in order to live the life we want. But how exactly do we change our habits? Unfortunately, forming a habit doesn’t come out of reading as many blog posts as possible about the topic.

One aspect I was struggling with was to regain my physical health, which I believed would then support my quest to recover from major depression. I recognized that exercise is one key to my physical and mental health. Yet, knowing is one thing, doing is another.

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Harnessing the Power of Fear

By Gail Brenner / 27 Comments

“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” ~ Henry Miller

Fear can be so incredibly powerful. Have you noticed? It makes us doubt our gifts, squash our creativity, and leave our dreams unfulfilled. If you ask me, that’s no way to live.

I have been studying fear for years, and here is what I have learned. You can’t beat it, overcome it, ignore it, suppress it, or deny it. Push fear away or pretend it doesn’t exist, and all you get is more of the familiar effects of fear – limitation, confusion, and disappointment in yourself.

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5 Sure Ways to Find Happiness for Free

By Surabhi Surendra / 22 Comments

They say there is no free lunch. But the title of this post suggests that there can be sources of happiness that are absolutely free!

It is true that one can get happiness for free as it is not a commodity. Happiness is a feeling and largely depends upon one’s thoughts and reactions. Most important things that one seeks in life are all free of cost. Blessings of parents, happiness and values for children, peace in life, trust on spouse, harmony in community, happiness in personal life, all these things are absolutely priceless and cost nothing at all.

The following ways are sources that give us abundant joy for free. Not that there is anything new or different about them but just that sometimes in our busyness and stress we ignore them. This post is simply a reminder of some of the life’s best gifts.

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How I Became a Singer

By Matthew Checker / 10 Comments

Back in the days where I wrote my first songs, I hated my voice. I saw myself as a songwriter and guitarist but never a singer! I tried working together with a male singer for a short period in Scotland before moving to Germany. I had to record my voice with my song-arrangements, so as to give him an idea of the vocals I was looking for. It ended up as an embarrassingly thin, unconfident and out of tune sound to my ears. He told me I should stick to playing the guitar and I agreed promptly. Any singing career was seemingly buried for ever in that moment!

Once in Germany, I continued to write songs and embarked upon an endless search for the perfect singer. I heard many styles and levels of accomplishment along the way, from both female and male voices, but I was never satisfied. I knew what I wanted – a clear, highish pop voice – but nothing fitted the bill entirely and sometimes there was a chemistry problem.

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Taking Responsibility for Your Decisions

By Deborah Fike / 14 Comments

When we’re teenagers, we hate the thought that our parents can limit our decisions. I remember my father not allowing me to stay out late with my boyfriend and feeling utterly defeated. How could he do that to me?

Obviously, parents have every right to restrict their children’s decisions during their formative years. Looking back on high school, I’m grateful for all the decisions my father made for me. Without his guidance, I wouldn’t have become the person I am today.

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3 Tips For Killer Self Confidence

By Rascall Morrison / 10 Comments

Contrary to what most people think, self-confidence is not something you can pull out of thin air. Neither can you get it from an external source, such as your credentials or material possessions.

To cultivate a genuine belief in yourself that comes from within, you’ll need to develop certain mental habits:

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I Need a Hero

By Justin Sellers / 17 Comments

“Well, that was great,” my friend began as we drove away from the newest Batman flick. “But now I have to go back to the real world, instead of the Batman world.”

I asked him what he meant. After all, Bruce Wayne and Gotham City aren’t real, but my friend here seemed to mean something more than that. He went on to explain that there are no heroes like that in the real adult world. In the real world, heroes just aren’t practical. In the real world, we must occupy ourselves with the gray repetition of maintaining our fragile lives. Optimism bows the knee to routine. In the real world, there’s no Batman.

Bull.

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How to Hack the Thoughts Keeping You From Your Dream

By Jeff Munn / 11 Comments

We all have a way in which we secretly want to change the world, but we’re scared to death to try. I want you to bring that secret desire into your awareness, to feel it in your heart and soul, right now. Maybe you want to publish a novel, or leave your job and start a business. Maybe you want to paint or sculpt or write poetry.

But if you’re like me, every time you try to get out of the box that it feels like you’re in, a thought or two pops up and says “No. Not You. Not Now.”

I’ve found a way to push through those thoughts.

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