Friday, January 7, 2011

Ten Ways You Can Be Happy

FUN COMMANDMENT TWO:


Tell the Truth


This commandment challenges you to live truthfully

according to your personal priorities and values. What is the purpose

of your life? Why are you here? Does your daily behavior reflect

your highest priorities? Or are you trying to be something or someone

you are not?

Admittedly these are tough questions, but if you are going

to rely on the Fun Factor to achieve maxim um success, you’ve got

to be clear on what’s “negotiable” and what’s not. Your humor nature

will not fabricate on your behalf. Hum or always tells the truth,

which is why it’s so unwelcome in some segments of society.

So if you are trying to be someone you are not, your humor

nature will trip you up. It knows and respects you too well to

misrepresent you.

Your humor nature is exactly who you are. It is the part of

you that you did not create. It is the part of you that you will never

improve upon, because there is no need for im provement. You are

wonderful just as you are. Why settle for less than your unique

perfection?

Be true to yourself. Trust yourself. Get in the habit of asking

“Am I being honest with myself?” If you are not sure of the answer,

this exercise will help:


Exercise #2:


Sit quietly in a comfortable chair.

Take several deep, relaxing breaths. Try to release all of the

tension that will leave you as you let go of each breath. Dismiss all

the usual thoughts from your mind and set aside, mom entarily, any

problems you’ve been wrestling with. About a dozen relaxing breaths

should suffice.


13



After getting as calm as possible, turn your mind inward

and look deeply into yourself. Search every nook and cranny of

your inner awareness, looking carefully for any attitudes, ideas,

thoughts, or feelings that might be holding tension in you. These

ideas and feelings usually come under headings like anger, fear,

resentment, judgment, frustration and impatience.

If you identify such thoughts or feelings within you, be

willing to set them outside yourself for the next minute or two. Let

go of any anger, even if it’s justified. The same for any fear or

resentment you may find. Let it all go for a mom ent.

Then, concentrate on love, peace, joy, com passion, patience

and hope. Dwell on these thoughts and feelings for a moment. If,

during this moment, doubt or self criticism creep into your

awareness, gently set them outside yourself with the other stress

inducing thoughts. Give yourself a minute or two of pure

concentration on the many positive aspects of your joyful nature.

Complete the exercise by taking one final deep breath in and, as

you slowly release the breath, gently open your eyes. Stretch both

arms over your head, and then bring them down before getting up

from the chair.