Details

Published: 21 April 2021

Happiness! Everyone wants to be happy, right? Even animals are instinctively driven toward comfort and away from discomfort. Yet, so many of us feel that becoming happy is too difficult. We look for the “trick” or the quick fix in finding happiness.

But what if being happy is simpler than you think? What if I told you that you can be happy every day, regardless of what’s happening in your life? I’m not naive. I, too, had to learn happiness and to find my inner peace. That’s why I know it’s possible. Because I’ve done it! 

There are many simple and easy things you can do each day to increase the odds of feeling happy. You’ll even enjoy doing them since their self-rewarding behaviors.

Take control of your happiness with these ideas:

Listen to music that you love

There aren’t many things that can influence your emotions faster than hearing a song that you love. You can find just about any song you please online for free these days. Set aside a few minutes each day to listen to a song or two that boosts your mood.

Be grateful

It only takes a moment to think of the good…

Read more: Happiness: 10 Things You Can Do Each Day to Enhance Your Happiness

Details

Published: 09 February 2021

Inner peace and happiness are possible even during a long-lasting pandemic. The "new normal" is a phrase that has entered our everyday speech, along with terms such as "social distancing," "physical distancing," or "PPE." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our lives have been changed.

To think that almost a year ago, we weren't living under the restrictions of a pandemic! I still remember the day I was told to leave work. We all were under the impression we'd return in a couple of weeks. Just a brief "vacation" of sorts. Who knew that almost a year later, I'm still working from home. Life has changed for all of us, and we don't know when it'll end. And that not knowing is the origin of our stress taking away our inner peace. 

The idea of a "new normal" is problematic and causes many of us to feel anxious. Friends and clients of mine worry that life may never be how it was before the pandemic. Yes, that may be true. But I wonder if a return to life as it was is in our best interest. 

How The Modern World Necessitates Inner Peace

"The modern world takes a…

Read more: How To Find Inner Peace And Happiness During COVID

Details

Published: 13 July 2020

Why aren't you happy? This is a question we often ask ourselves, answering ourselves with excuses we tell ourselves. Can I be happy? Sure, you can, but are you sure you want to be happy? 

I find that today, listening to the news and hearing people bickering about politics is not easy to be happy. Even if I am happy, once I hear about more violence in the country, I'm no longer happy. So why aren't you happy? Try to be happy in today's culture!

Fair observation. Outside forces and experiences can and do take away our happiness. Being happy isn't always easy, but it does happen. You may want to check out a previous article of mine I titled: "Happiness Is Not The Answer But Here's What Is."  

In that article, I wrote: "Happiness is a fleeting emotion which comes and goes. As such, happiness can't be a life goal. This is why I don't encourage people to seek happiness as a life goal." My premise is that we need to focus on inner peace instead of a fleeting of happiness. But for the purpose of this article, I'm content with using the word happy. 

Many…

Read more: Why Aren’t You Happy? How To Change That

Details

Published: 29 June 2020

Angry at society appears to be the primary emotion of our time. As this angry feeling festers, it can lead to feeling hatred. Yes, there is also kindness found in society, and I do know people who are not angry. What can we do with our angry emotions so that we can turn them into a sense of being peaceful, and we don't end up feeling hatred?

Angry at society? Why is there so much anger? We see it in the streets, in demonstrations, on social media, etc. I have my theories, but the focus of this article is not on the why, or the origin, of the anger. Instead, I write this article on anger from the perspective of mindfulness. 

In mindfulness, we are urged to remain in the moment, non judgmentally. Following that suggestion, I don't necessarily need to understand why someone is angry. Assuming anger is taking a person from their peace, I guide that person to shift their perspective and so take action in the hopes of returning that person to a sense of peace.

As a counselor and practitioner of mindfulness, I don't perceive anger as either positive or negative. The feeling is the…

Read more: Angry At Society - how to feel peaceful not hatred