Interesting Article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-bartolotta/happiness-tips_b_3956114.html

This article came with the title How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy steps... and it sparked something within me.  When I read this, this morning, I was thinking of how overweight I am, how if I lose twenty pounds by Christmas I will be happier, if Baby Max would just quit throwing fits.  Of course, none of this will make me any happier.  In the article it states "We chase this idea of I will be happy when...."  and then it goes on to say "if you can read this right now, your life is pretty awesome."  And she is right, my life is pretty awesome.  Then the last thing she says before giving those eight tips are:  Because you are alive, everything is possible!  WOW!!  Just because I am alive everything is possible??  When did I lose that childlike sense of wonder and that all things are possible?  So I am going to take her tips to heart, and remember the eight steps...

1 is stop believing your bullshit!  Time to resurrect the dreams, and quit with the negative talk.  I am good enough, I have dreams, and quit living like it is someone elses life.  This is my life and it's the only one I got.  I choose to be nice to me, and to believe in me.  How else will I teach Baby Max to believe in himself, if I can't do it for me?

2 is to be Happy Now.  What??  Be happy right now just because I can.  The article says "It's a small, significant shift in perspective.  It is easier to look at whats wrong or missing in our lives and believe that this is the big picture."  And it is easier, misery loves misery.  I am going to stop that right now, and just well Be Happy Right Now. 

3 is to look at the stars.  Remember you are a part of this Huge, vast universe.  Enough said, besides the stars are beautiful to look at. 

4 is to let people in.  I do this pretty well, but I do admit to sometimes playing it cool.  And I am very shy, so I tend to be really quiet when meeting new people. 

5 is to stop with the crazy making.  We invent problems that we can worry about all day long.  Just quit and don't take things personally. 

6 is to learn to apologize, sincerely.  Nuff said.

7  is to practice gratitude.  Sometimes I think this is really silly, but it really works.  I am so thankful for a lot of things when I stop and really think about it.  And usually the things I am grateful for are the things I am complaining about.

8 is to be kind.  The author states, "if the biggest thing we do in life is extend love and kindness to even one other human being, we have changed the world for the better."  Another wow, by being kind we can change the world.  One kindness at a time. 

So for today, I would encourage all of you to be kind and to be happy right now.  It is all a choice we can make, and save the world one kindness at a time.  I know that just for today, I am going to do it.