Monday, January 19, 2015

The Practice Of Being Happy Is the Best Workout; An open letter to a friend I know (Part 1)


We are not all born happy and many have to work at it for a variety of reasons throughout our lifetime. Whatever the cause of our unhappiness it can only be reversed by practicing happiness, and like any workout it takes effort until it becomes as natural as breathing. It starts off by getting rid of the clutter in our lives. 

Clutter is normally the people who make you feel negative about life and yourself. Make a list and make sure you give them the exit door and don't look back. The next step is to ask why you ever took yourself so serious before, why you worried so much what other people thought of you. The reality is, aside from a precious few friends that you think you have, and Facebook does not count, nobody cares about you. Sad but true and when that reality sets in, it can and will become liberating when you accept it. That's when the real workout begins.

It starts off being selective in what you read and what you view and who you hang out with. No more re- run documentaries of the Holocaust for you, no more books about serial killers either! There are better visual and audio aids for self development than this, and anyway, this stuff went on long before you arrived and be still be going on long after you leave this mortal coil. 

If you haven't being physically exercising lately start today. At least a walk and work you way up. If it gets a bit boring put on the music and no sad songs here either. Buy more than a few happy and positive books about anything and everything. Get busy by socialising more or help in a soup kitchen if you can for those less unfortunate, and they are many of them. It just feels good to give too. 

The mind is where it is all at, and what ails you in the moment will pass. A push or two from you will make it pass quicker as well rather than it be an all day affair. If you are not in charge of what and how you think, then you are influenced by things that ultimately do not matter!! 

The mind also shows itself in the physical as well, betraying to others what you are feeling. That is if it could be called a betrayal at all because, for the most part, no one is thinking about these things except 'victimised' you. I know that part hurts but no worse than you have felt before, whether something bad happened to you where you had no choice, or where it did when you had a choice. The latter position will always prove more powerful moving forward in future workouts. But you can bet also that being depressed - that you look it too. This can be turned into a positive as well.

Barry Clifford


( to be continued....)

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