Because You Can

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Be kind,
Be happy,
Help others,
Be strong,
Do wonders,
Enjoy life.

Not for money,
Not because I want you to,
Not because you should,
Not because you need to,
Nor because it's expected,
Do it because you're human,
Because you have magical abilities,
Because you can.

"I believe in everything until it's disproved." ~ John Lennon


If you would like, check out my new photo blog My Apophenia.  I'll be posting pics almost daily.

Dan

Zen Presence - Ideas for Meaningful Living

Kick the Dog or Not?

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I awoke in somewhat of a foul mood this morning. A particular problem was on my mind.  The old me would have stewed in this state of negativity for most of the day.  I would have kicked my dog and cussed my wife - after all isn't it their fault my life is so miserable?

Right now, this moment I'm turning it around.  I'm going to do something positive with the situation.  I'm going to spend a large portion of my day learning new skills and improving my knowledge in order to solve this problem.  Then perhaps I'll spend a nice evening with my wife enjoying the sunset. I might even pet that miserable hound of mine and take him for a walk.

We can do this with our lives as a whole as well. We can ask, "Why did this have to happen to me?" Or we can ask, "What can I, with my skills, knowledge, and abilities, do to transform my life and how can I share my solutions with others to make their lives a little easier?"

When we see a successful person we can ask, "Why aren't I that lucky?"  Another option is to ask "With all of the opportunities to learn - through reading, watching, asking questions, and networking - what new skills could I add to my arsenal?"  "What value can I add to this world?"

I'm not just speaking of positive vs. negative thinking; I'm speaking of the words and actions emanating from your thoughts.  Will you change yourself?  Your life?  The lives of others?  

Positive or negative?  

Adding or subtracting?
  
Ultimately you are responsible, not the dog.  

“Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin

Zen Presence - Ideas for Meaningful Living
Making a difference, attitude, learning, Seth Godin, blog.

Remembering How to Be Happy

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It's hard to be happy when you are stressed, resentful, or afraid.  We all go through periods of time where events in life make us feel one or more of these negative emotions.  When we experience these feelings for too long of a stretch, our brain establishes these emotions as a routine - it forgets how to be happy.

The first steps along the road to happiness are very simple.  You may have to force yourself at first.  If you are depressed, angry, or unhappy you can easily feel justified and become attached to these states.

• Be grateful - about anything - your spouse, your home, your life, the sunrise, your dog, your job - it doesn't matter what, just be grateful for something.  Make it a practice to take a few moments every day and be grateful.  Establishing a practice of gratitude first thing in the morning and again just before bed time in the evening can be very effective.
• Be generous - smile, forgive someone, give to charity, buy someone a cup of coffee, send someone a check in the mail ( for no reason ), offer your time.  Knowing that you have more than enough ( time, money, love, whatever) will help you to acknowledge and share in the abundance of the world around you.
• Love yourself.  This one always sounds corny to me.  If it seems to cheesy or mushy to you, start off with loving life; you'll learn to love yourself later.  Fake it if you have to.  Tell yourself over and over - I LOVE LIFE!  I LOVE MY LIFE! It may take a lot of repetitions to re-wire your brain, but it will happen eventually.  The human mind is very malleable. 
• Do something fun.  Think back to something that you once really enjoyed doing and DO IT!  Try doing it again.  Give yourself permission to have fun.

There are many things that you can do to be happy.  Below I've listed a few great resources, but for now, try  with the few steps above.  Establish these routines as habits - baby steps.

Zen Presence - Ideas for Meaningful Living