5 Questions To Ask Yourself To Boost Your Happiness Daily

5 Questions To Ask Yourself To Boost Your Happiness Daily

How happy do you feel every day?

It probably depends. It’s not like it’s a predetermined state of mind, right?

Or is it?

I used to fall into a happy state and just as quickly fall out almost every day. My state of happiness was as delicate as a butterfly and just as susceptible to the slightest breeze. I was forever flitting in and out of happiness, buffeted by the least emotional turbulence.

And then one day I read that famous quote by Abraham Lincoln and realized it didn’t have to be that way.

Imagine waking up smiling, looking forward to your day, every morning.

Now that’s happy.

And as Mr. Lincoln said so well, it’s entirely up to you. Your happiness needn’t ever “kinda depend” again.

So take some quality time and ask yourself the same powerful questions below that I did to find out how to be happier every day.

1. What does happiness look like to you?

You are naturally primed, pumped, and on fire with the desire for living a joyous life, right? No arguments there.

Shame you’re not so sure about what the hell it looks like.

Confused?

OK, talk for 60 seconds on the subject of your job, your friends or partner. OK, your cat or dog. Or how about this, talk for 60 seconds on anything that pisses you off.

Your time starts … now!

Simple isn’t it?

Now talk for 60 seconds on the subject of what happiness looks like for you? Can you describe it or even define in one sentence what happiness is for you?

Difficult, eh?

That’s the tricky part about happiness. It’s so tantalizing, so amazing, yet so ethereal.

How can you ever hope to master a concept? How can you possibly ace an abstract?
By giving it physical, tangible, concrete qualities, that’s how.

The key to picturing and measuring happiness is to see it as something that physically exists. After all, you know exactly when you’re in pain or angry. They both have physical attributes, a broken toe for instance or a red face and raised voice. So does happiness:

a new baby and a huge smile
a lover and a passionate kiss
a handshake, a new customer, and a high-five
a funny movie and a belly laugh
a winning strike and a fist punched in the air
a garden sanctuary and a deep sigh of contentment
Wait up; before you shoot me an email saying that happiness is an emotion and as such non-physical, think about this: you can’t actually see electricity, but you can see the result such as heat and light.

And it’s the same with happiness. None of the above examples are happiness itself, but they are the physical signs of happiness.

So to hunt down happiness, you need to be able to describe, at least to yourself, what the results look like and truly feel like.

You need to be certain of what is going to light your happiness fuse. So if spending time with your partner, kids, or a good book does it for you, and you can accurately picture this so it feels as if you are actually there doing it, you’re good to go.

To transform how happy you feel every day, you need to see happiness as something concrete and unique to you. Make sure you’re clear on your unique vision of happiness.

2. How much do you value happiness?

Money often costs too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
If someone offered you $1,000,000 or happiness, which would you take?
Now, this is like one of those game shows filmed in front of a live audience. As a contestant, you’ve probably been primed, so you go right on and choose:

“Happiness, Bob!”
“Correct answer!”

But later maybe you’re thinking, “Hey, that $1,000,000 is sure to make me happier as well as richer. I could have gone for both.”

Well, maybe, maybe not.

You see, money’s a truly awkward cuss. Oh boy, is it appealing, seemingly empowering, but ultimately just self-revealing. Money and all that it “buys,” including status, is a cruel yardstick to measure your success in life by. It totally warps your sense of self-worth.

However, money could buy you happiness, despite what your grandmother told you. If you are struggling financially, winning $1,000,000 on the lottery could equal greater happiness.

Or certainly for a while.

Unfortunately, people have a tendency to return to a base level of happiness even after such a huge life-changing event. This is known as the hedonic treadmill in psychology terms. In some studies, it takes as little as four years for Rollerball winners to feel no happier on average than before they won – and won a lot more than $1,000,000.

To secure happiness, you need to flip any thoughts you hold that your happiness in life can be quantified by any external props such as wealth, possessions, or social status. You need to figure out how to be happy independently of these often transient trappings.

To transform how happy you feel every day, treat happiness as priceless – and make life’s material goodies a by-product of your happiness, not the aim.

3. Whose standards are you judging happiness by?

As humans, we need validation. That’s not need like it would be nice; that’s NEED as in can’t operate without.

But which judges will you listen to? Whose happiness rules will you abide by?

Looking around at others to determine what makes you happy is a perilous path. In fact, it’s so fraught with hazards that you’d do better to start out on your road to happiness with your legs bound, hands tied behind your head. Honestly, you’d stumble less.

Comparing yourself to others in this department is happiness suicide.

Remember, only you know your version of happiness. Trying to draw parallels with anyone else will be as helpful as a killer whale at a seal rescue centre.

There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. – Aristotle
Choosing your own path to your unique brand of happiness is the only answer. After all, it’s your happiness, no one else’s. What makes someone else happy is irrelevant. Validate yourself on your own terms, and accept that some people will disapprove.

To transform how happy you feel every day, be certain that you are using your own criteria to measure your success in hunting down the happy life you desire.

4. How much are you willing to work on other people’s happiness to get yours?

This isn’t some altruistic guilt trip; this is as close to fact as anything related to happiness gets – science, the Dalai Lama, and even Mary Poppins agree.

When picturing what happiness means to you, quite naturally you’ll get all caught up in you, you, YOU. As you should be. This is your time; work it!

No egg-sucking lesson here, but in order to hunt down your happiness, it’s probably going to involve others.

So the shortcut to getting where you want to go is to help others get where they want to go.

Between you and your goal stands little more than the cooperation of other people. Make them happy, and they’ll make you happy. It often doesn’t get more complicated than that.

For example, one big element to my happiness is living in a positive, caring community. So, for the sake of my happiness I go all out to be neighbourly. If any of them need something, I’m on it. If they fall out amongst themselves, I’m in there with objective, impartial ears and words. I love where I live, and I’m going to make damn sure it stays that way.

Helping others is a WIN-WIN deal:

Make your newborn baby giggle, and you’ll have a smile on your face a high-pressure hose couldn’t wipe off.
Make your partner happy, and you’ll have a wonderful, loving evening ahead of you.
Make your customer ecstatic, and watch yourself high-five as order after order floods in.
Make a friend belly laugh, and be swept up in their infectious happiness.
To transform how happy you feel every day, work as hard at making others happy as you do for yourself.

5. How much hard work are you willing to put in to be happy?

Happy people make it look effortless, don’t they? Smiling through life, sliding around difficulties, impervious to setbacks and negativity. Ah . . .

Yeah, stop. That’s actually just Hollywood seriously misrepresenting those good folk. That distorted image is a whole heap of baloney.

Happy people work hard at being happy. They take their happiness seriously. To be happy takes as much mental effort as building a successful business, growing a loving relationship, or chasing down a goal.

So how much mental sweat equity are you willing to put in to transform your happiness every day?

I assume you’re willing to work like a greased gorilla to make your baby happy, your partner passionate, or your customer satisfied? So if being happy is your meta-goal, you’re willing to work equally hard at it, right?

Think back to question #1 – What does happiness look like to you? – and make sure you take the time and effort to build that result into everything you do.

To transform how happy you are every day, put the work into making sure everything you do makes your unique version of happiness a reality.

Boost your happiness once and for all

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.– The Dalai Lama
Being happy will transform your day.

Staying happy will transform your life.

You have the power to create this transformation.

Answering these simple questions honestly will get you started down this road. Referring to them regularly will be your road map along the way.

To transform how happy you feel every day, make being happy here and now your only goal.

Become the master of your happiness, watch it flourish, and defend it at ALL costs.

Squeezing Joy Out of Angry Moments

Squeezing Joy Out of Angry Moments

Anger is an addiction. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is like a disease that suddenly comes over us, takes over our mind and does whatever it pleases. Once it subsides we realize how out-of-proportion our reaction was and how much damage we have caused.

Unnecessarily, usually….

But by then it is too late.

The worst thing you can do is feel guilty or feel like a failure. Self-loathing and guilt only strengthen the addiction and produce more latent anger that will erupt later. It’s a vicious cycle.

And, frankly, guilt is a complete waste of time and energy and has never solved anything.

Think about it…..

5 Power Tools to Transform Anger into Joy

Now let’s look at several ways to interrupt the neural response when someone is pushing your buttons and you are about to explode:

1 – You’ve heard it before – but, yes, TAKE A DEEP BREATH!

One of THE most powerful tools we have to control our emotions – any emotion – is the breath!

Our breath is directly linked to our emotions and you can use it to either calm yourself or erupt further. You can always tell by a person’s breath what emotional state they are in.

Try it sometime…..

When you feel even the slightest inkling of anger arising, drop everything, close your eyes and take one slow, deep breath.

It may feel like an eternity and your ego will be screaming to get your angry response out.

But make a commitment right now that you won’t speak until you have taken at least that 1 breath!

A temporary state of insanity

It only takes a few seconds, but it can be enough to break or at least slow down the rise of “temporary insanity” we go through when anger takes us over.

If you can do more than one breath, that’s even better – but for now make a commitment to take just one breath and keep on practicing it.

How do you practice?

Throughout the day whenever you remember, stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Close your eyes if you can. Take just a few seconds and then resume what you were doing.

Any little thing that might dull your mood, even temporarily – the weather changing, a loud noise, someone’s comment – take a deep breath.

Why?

Because by doing it over and over again you are re-training your subconscious mind to respond to any negative trigger with a deep breath.

When we get angry it often happens so quickly that we don’t realize it until it’s over and too late.

By practicing taking a deep breath even with small annoyances or challenges you program yourself for a different response when it really matters.

A Deep Breath Can Clear Stuck Energy

Another benefit of deep breathing throughout the day is the clearing of stuck energy – usually caused by negative emotions (sadness, anger, fear, guilt, etc.).

The less stuck you are, the less likely you are to explode. Pretty simple….

2: Create an Emergency Happiness Handbook

This has been THE most powerful tool for me and it may be the same for you.

What is an Emergency Happiness Handbook?

Well…..let’s create one and you will understand.

Get a little journal or notebook – ideally in a color or design you love that’s small enough to fit in your purse or back pocket (for men).

It will be your savior and best friend during an anger attack.

Step #1:

Create a page for each of the most amazing, most beautiful, most proud moments of your life. Whatever gives you goosebumps just thinking about it.
Keep it short – headline and a description, whatever you enjoy remembering – and paint a vivid picture full of feelings and sense perceptions. Make it as real as possible.
If you can, add photos – there is nothing more powerful than a visual reminder.
If a song is connected to the event – write down the title.
Create several pages of this and write only events that absolutely make your heart sing and your soul dance.
Step #2:

Add things you are grateful for, that you feel blessed with: the people in your life, your passions, hobbies, memories, pets. And again, briefly write down a specific event or story in vivid colors. Describe how they make you feel.
Again add music and photos where possible.
Step 3:

As a final backup think of someone who is suffering and going through great hardship. Don’t dwell on it.
Just write down their name, maybe a picture. But nothing else.
Applying the Magic

Now that you’ve prepared your Emergency Happiness Handbook, keep it close and look at it often, so these stories become imprinted strongly on your subconscious mind.

Next time you feel anger arising – immediately after taking your 1 deep breath – take out your little book and open it somewhere. If you can’t take it out, think of the stories inside. If you read some every day, this should be easy even without opening the little book.

Find something powerful enough to transfer your attention to, more powerful than the anger that wants to break though. It will be different stories at different times, but there is always one that works.

Sometimes being reminded of someone else’s hardship can put things into perspective and whatever you were angry about suddenly seems small in comparison.

And this is really all that’s needed – a quick shift in perspective, a distraction – so powerful that anger is transformed into a much lighter, more beautiful emotion of higher vibrational frequency.

3: The Awesome Power of Music

Another powerful tool can be a collection of powerful happy songs. The ones that makes you smile every time, you know the ones….

Emotions are vibrational energy fields. Negative emotions resonate at lower frequencies and positive emotions up high.

Music, too, is nothing but vibration. That’s why she has such power to transform our moods. When we love a song our emotional frequency syncs with and is raised by the vibrational frequency of the music.

The opposite can also be true in the case of a sad song, or one connected with a sad memory. Or aggressive. Many studies have shown the powerful influence of music to even effect political change.

Music is a powerful agent for change.

Adding a few powerful happy songs to your tool box will make a world of difference.

You can even ask a friend or loved one to hum or play your “happy tune” when they see you get lost in emotion – and you can do the same for them.

Anything to break the cycle.

4: How Do You Feel Right Now?

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we usually ignore this one completely.

A quick tool to interrupt your mind’s badgering is to ask yourself: “how do I feel right now?”

If you are angry the answer won’t be positive and by focusing on how you feel, rather than what you think, you have once again distracted your mind, even if just for a moment.

Realizing how crappy anger feels can often be enough to put things into perspective. It raises the question:

Is it really worth feeling this crappy, just to be right or get back at the other person?

5: The Healing Power of Nature

Finally, few things are more powerful for clearing your mind than a walk in nature. The sound of the ocean, the waves at your feet. Walking through a beautiful forest, listening to the birds and smelling the flowers and trees all have a wonderfully purifying effect.

They, too, can help you to step away, cool down and put things into perspective.

I would include your pets here as well. Playing with your dog or cuddling with your kitty and feeling her purr are powerful ways to shift your mood and perspective.

They make you laugh and when you feel their unconditional love the whole world suddenly looks different.

This option is not always available in an immediate situation, but whenever you don’t have to reply right away – in the case of an email or phone message for example – they can be wonderfully soothing before you respond.

Final Reflections

Once again, don’t ever blame yourself if you fail. That little voice in your head that keeps torturing you – often for days after the event has passed – is your Ego.

And guess what……you don’t have to listen to it!

That was one of the most liberating realizations of my life, because my little voice was very active and used to make me miserable for days.

Whatever happened is already done, nothing can change it and dwelling on it is just a tremendous waste of precious energy that could be used in much better ways.

If your anger still wins occasionally, let it go and move on. There is alway another day.

You always get another chance.

And if you are determined and apply a few of these tools, your reactions will change over time and your life will become a lot more peaceful and happy.

Then, when someone pushes your buttons, you will catch yourself in time.

You won’t snap, but instead keep your cool and focus on joyous things. You might even feel compassion for the other person, because angry people are never happy.

Imagine the elation you will feel when instead of an anger attack and all the horrible feelings that go with it, you remain in blissful joy.

You let the other person ramble, but it doesn’t touch you or drag you down. You are so engrossed in thrilling memories and joyful gratitude that nothing could ever tempt you away. It just isn’t worth the aggravation.

And how wonderful life can be!

Give it a try. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. And now you have a whole toolbox ready to help you transform anger into joy.

You have all the power now and what an amazing feeling that is!

To read more interesting stuff like this by Mary Jaksch, please 

The Little Guide to Inspiration

The Little Guide to Inspiration

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

– Jack London

We all have days when we’re just not very inspired, when we need passion and creativity breathed into us.

I know I do.

For anyone who needs a little shove, whose creativity has dried up, who needs to be moved … I humbly offer this simple guide.

While I never claim to have all the answers, nor that my way is the only way, I share here some things I’ve learned about inspiration, some tricks I’ve learned that work for me.

I’m often in need of inspiration, but in all cases I’ve found it. And it’s a wonderful thing.

What Is Inspiration?

Many people think of it as an elusive quality that can’t be forced, and yet it can be found if you look for it.

Others think it’s a way to find ideas, but it’s more than ideas … it’s being moved to put those ideas into action.

Inspiration is finding something else that is divinely inspired (people, nature, amazing ideas), having that inspiration breathed into you (“breath” is the root of “inspiration”), and then taking action on it. Creating, doing, inspiring others.

How to Find Inspiration

Inspiration is just about everywhere you can look, if you’re looking for it. That’s the key: to keep your eyes open. Too often we miss beautiful sources of inspiration, because we’re too busy thinking about other things.

Be observant. See everything around you as a possible source of inspiration.

Some possible sources of inspiration:

• blogs
• books
• magazines
• films
• people around you
• nature
• children
• art
• music
• history
• exercise
• religion
• great projects
• dreams
• social media
• photographs
• forums
• google
• success stories
• life, everywhere

Just keep your eyes open, at all times, staying present whenever possible, and allow yourself to breathe in that inspiration.

How to Stay Inspired

Inspiration isn’t just a one-time thing. You’ll need it on a regular basis.

When you practice the above method — keeping your eyes open, staying present, and breathing in inspiration — you get better at it. It becomes a skill you can use at any time, and you’ll use it often.

Some tips for keeping the inspiration coming:

• Work with inspired people – one of the best ways to stay inspired is to work with creative, energetic, positive people.
• Read daily – varied things, from blogs to magazines to books of all kinds.
• Get outside – nature is one of the biggest inspirations, and you’ll miss it if you’re inside all day.
• Talk with new people – they’ll always expose you to new and interesting things, if you’re open to it.
• Break out of your routine – see things from a different perspective. Take a new route home. Go to a new restaurant. Visit someplace new in your area.
• Find time for silence – it’s more inspiring than you might think. Unfortunately, not enough of us do it.
• Exercise – or at least get moving. It helps the blood to circulate, and gets ideas moving around. My most inspired thoughts come during runs.

Now Take Action

Don’t just feel inspired. Take this inspiration and use it, be moved, and do something. Channel that inspiration into creating something amazing.

Put that something out into the world, and in turn, you will inspire others.

Daily Vibes

Daily Vibes

When you think of vibes, does it conjure up images of hippies, surfer dudes, and peace signs? Perhaps you hear California 1960s beach music playing in your mind. You may even think that it sounds like something that came from the imagination of a New Age guru. While that can sometimes be the perception in the mainstream, vibrations, mindfulness, and manifestation are very, very real.

The Science Behind the Vibes

Subatomic particles make up everything in the physical, measurable universe. The most respected theory shows that these particles exist as vibrating strings. They exist within everything from the carbon atoms in your body to the neurons in your brain to the water bottle sitting in your cup holder. The difference between you and the water bottle is your consciousness and awareness of being “I.”

The thing is that your awareness, your soul, is also based in quantum mechanics, too. Your soul is energy that is stored in your body, and it also is made of tiny particles of energy. Your soul and your consciousness vibrates, and you have a vibe.

Studies on people exposed to breathing in molecular ions (atoms that have gained an electron and negative charge through natural causes), for example, have shown that it can lift mood and impact depression. A simple change to the energy around you can impact your thoughts and emotions. There is nothing about energy and its universal uses that are accidents.

Manifestation and Creative Consciousness

Different thoughts and emotions have their own vibration. When you put these vibes out, you don’t even have to be conscious of your mood for someone who is in tune with you to be able to pick up on it. Often, this can even draw negative experiences into your personal orbit and you might not even be aware what you are drawing to you. This can be turned around into creating conscious intentions by being mindful.

Studies done on mindfulness have shown that those who take care to consciously create and maintain their vibe are happier and more positive about their lives. This isn’t new, nor is it magic. Your vibe, when you choose to use it intentionally, has the powerful ability to draw happiness to you when you keep it at the right frequency. You get to create the reality you need to fulfill your desires.

Just by participating in SoulVibe, you’re raising your vibe every day. By exposing yourself to positivity and Daily Messages, you are already on your way. When you create an intention and put that vibe out into the world, you are emitting an energy from your soul that will draw people and situations to you on that same wavelength. The science and knowledge gives you a very powerful tool to manifest your best life.

Why Taking Chances is Worth The Risk

Why Taking Chances is Worth The Risk

Life never ceases to amaze me when it comes to handing out life lessons.

They almost always seem to come out of nowhere: a random encounter with an old friend, an unexpected moment of silence, an offhand comment made by a stranger.  They catch me off guard every single time they happen.   Because I can plan, plan, plan with the hope of foiling an unexpected event from being not so unexpected, but it doesn’t work.

It can’t work.  If it did, life would suck.

There would be no variety.  No change.  No surprises.

I was talking with a friend a while back, who was expecting his first child, and I asked if he and his wife knew the sex.  He responded, “In all honesty, we don’t want to know.  Once you reach adulthood there tends to be fewer and fewer surprises in life, so we’re taking this opportunity to enjoy the uncertainty.”

I’ve come to learn that the number of unanticipated events that can change our lives is directly correlated to the percentage of time we spend out of our comfort zones.  That’s when we grow.

Recently I’ve spent a lot of time living a life of comfort: relatively stable work, a consistent morning routine, and a calendar that plots out my every move.  That’s fine and dandy, but it’s time to start taking chances again; embracing risks that align with my goals and values, throw caution to the wind and see what happens.  Briefly think about the moments in your life that stand out, the ones that are burned into your memory as experiences that changed who you are.  Were the majority of them unexpected and during a time you felt some level of discomfort?

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, nails it on the head,

The days are long but the years are short.

Time can fly by in the blink of an eye.  If aren’t paying attention, it may just end before we had any idea it really began.  That’s a fatal error I don’t want to make…

Enjoy The Journey

P.S.  I’m going to be jumping on the bandwagon in the near future and embark upon a 30-day challenge of some sort.  Check back soon if you’re intrigued and want to join in on the adventure.  In the meantime, think of something you want to do or change, big or small.

5 Ways To Be More Present in Your Day

5 Ways To Be More Present in Your Day

“Everything is ecstasy, inside. We just don’t know it because of our thinking-minds. But in our true blissful essence of mind is known that everything is alright forever and forever and forever.”

— Jack Kerouac

Hello! Are you in there?

Are you sleepwalking through your days like a zombie?

Or are you wide awake, present to the infinite potential for peace, happiness, and fulfillment available right now?

If you find yourself lost in your thinking mind for hours or days on end, here’s the truth: you’re missing out on life. You’re stuck in repeating unhappy stories about what should have happened and ruminating about what you’re sure will go wrong.

This is how I lived for so many years.

I believed the contents of my mind, which left me thinking I was lacking, limited, and doomed to be dissatisfied. This was my living reality.

The Joys of Being Present and Aware

But I discovered how to be present to the flow of life. And when you do, you’ll realize that there is so much here beyond your thoughts.

When we’re not absorbed in thinking, we’re quiet inside yet fully alive. We tap into universal presence, the fundamental ground of being that is boundless and whole before thought tries to diminish it.

We discover we’re one with life, not separate from anything, and we’re infinitely at peace.

We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are not the limited person who lacks, strives, needs, fears, and defends.

Everything becomes sacred. We’re naturally wise and open-hearted, meeting everyone and everything with love and understanding.

Present in the Moments of Your Life

This magnificent truth is available to realize in any moment. If you’re interested in the deepest fulfillment, don’t live one more second in your limited ideas of yourself and the world.

Enjoy these five practices that joyously bring you home to yourself every time.

1. Consciously Be Aware

Living unconsciously leaves you spinning in unhappy mental habits. You know how it is. You play out old conditioning like a robot without even being aware of what you’re doing or why.

Take some time every day to consciously be alive to your present moment experience. It’s so simple! You’ll realize what a relief it is to just be aware.

• Sit quietly for 10 minutes or more of daily meditation where you rest as open space, doing nothing, allowing your experience to come and go. Even better if you take this time twice a day.
• When you realize a strong emotion is present, rather than letting it drive you, inhale and exhale. Welcome the feeling in the space of aware presence without acting on it.
• Stop once an hour and shift your attention away from the world and back to yourself so you’re alive to what’s present right now. This is what I do frequently, and it transforms my daily life experience.

2. Expand Your Mind

When we’re stuck in beliefs about ourselves and the world, we’re ignoring the fullness of what life is offering us right now.

What if you didn’t expect anyone to do anything? What if you forgot to believe that you’re fearful or unworthy? What if things are just fine as they are without your trying to control them?

When you notice a familiar thought pattern, let it fall away. Yes, that’s right—just let it go. Keep inviting your mind to open…open…open, clear and vast like a cloudless sky.

Consider the possibility that all this thinking is unnecessary (because it is).

3. Love Your Body

Many of us live in our minds, contracted into ideas about things, consumed by trying to figure everything out. And here’s what we’re missing.

Whenever you’re feeling an emotion or you’re lost in an unconscious habit, you’re experiencing sensations in your body.

While you’re worrying about getting everything done, there are places in your body that are tense and contracted. If you feel frustrated, your body may be agitated, pressured, or about to explode.

Instead of being stuck in your mind, shift your attention downward to bring a boundless field of awareness to these physical sensations. Let them come and go without telling a story about them. It’s the healing balm you’ve needed for so long.

And isn’t it delicious to simply be peaceful with what is?

4. Forget What You Know

Every moment is so incredibly fresh! Forget what you know, and live in alignment with this freshness.

• Stand before someone who triggers you, forgetting any history together.
• Clear your mind of any false, limiting ideas about yourself.
• Taste, touch, see, and hear things freshly, as if for the first time.
• Wake up in the morning and spend a few hours not knowing what you’ll do or say.
• Open to the possibility of experiencing awe and wonder in the simple things of ordinary life.

5. Notice Awakened States

Your true nature is awake, aware, and peaceful—whether you consciously know it or not. The simple act of noticing what’s already true aligns your mind, body, and heart with this infinite presence, overflowing with life.

As you go through your day,

• Notice, and enjoy, when you’re separate self dissolves into the flow of an enjoyable activity.
• Recognize when your heart is touched in the face of beauty, tenderness, and love.
• Be grateful for creative ideas and let them flourish.
• Surrender your desires and dissatisfactions and experience the brilliance of life as it is actually unfolding.

Just like the true nature of a wave is ocean, your true reality is the limitless splendor of the universe.

Remind yourself that nothing is personal to you—everything appears by grace. Then go out there fully alive in your humanity, free and receptive to what life offers you.

What About You?

What is your experience of being fully present in the moment and not caught in your mind? What gets in the way? Please leave a comment, and we’ll talk about it! And if this post touched you, please share it so others can benefit.