I am feeling the need for some wonderlust:)
30.6.10
7 Ways To Find Happiness Through Simplicity
Happiness can be elusive when life is too complicated.
As daily commitments multiply, we find ourselves becoming conditioned to shifting between multiple tasks, creating lengthy to-do lists and juggling complicated schedules. When we’re not overwhelmed, we may feel proud that we can keep up with it all. It’s all part of making a living, but in the end it can stand in the way of making a life.
Does your schedule leave you time for things that bring true happiness?
These things vary for each of us, but for most people true happiness consists of spending time with loved ones and engaging in activities that reveal the richness and beauty of the world around us.
To get the most out of these activities, you must approach them from a place of stillness, peace and calm.
A busy life can be personally fulfilling, but it may leave you feeling too frazzled to achieve the stillness and peace that will allow you to connect with deep happiness and the underlying beauty of life. You can’t just walk away from the responsibilities that fracture your time, but you can simplify your life so that your mind is calmer and more open to the hidden treasures in life.
Here are 7 ways to get started with simplifying your life and working towards a more peaceful state of mind.
- Question your dependence on material possessions. Recognize the difference between things you need and things you want. Our culture bombards us with messages about material things that will make our lives better. The reality is that most of these things will clutter our lives without bringing true happiness. Free yourself from the culture of excess and learn to be content with fewer possessions and greater simplicity.
- Think for yourself. If you spend your life playing out a role that society or someone else defines, you’re missing out on the chance to follow your own desires. Your inner life is diminished when you are limited by conformity. Why give up your freedom and allow all of your decisions to be defined by what you think you “should” do? Become a non-conformist and think for yourself, letting your passions be your guide.
- Rethink your commitments. Life is full of opportunities to earn money, give service, learn new skills and make new friends. Some of us want it all and fill up our calendars with activities and obligations. Over-committing is the surest way to banish stillness and calm from your life. Rushing from one activity to another leaves you with no time to slow down, observe and let things happen. No matter how worthy you think your commitments are, rethink and prioritize them. Keep the ones that are most important and eliminate the ones that are adding to the hectic pace of your life with little return.
- Create more free time. Once you’ve balanced your commitments, find ways to increase your free time. Eliminate time wasters and re-evaluate your chores. If you spend hours each week cleaning house, see if you can do a little less and have more free time. Eliminating clutter from your home will make it easier to clean. Once you’ve created more free time, fill it with activities that develop your inner self. Spend some time alone and spend some with the people you care about most. Focus on calming activities.
- Savor the simple pleasures. How often do you prepare a healthy and delicious meal and then savor every bite of it? Instead of rushing through meals, barely tasting what you’re eating, take time to enjoy them. Invest time in other simple pleasures – work in your garden, take a relaxing soak in a hot tub or bath, bike or hike through a nature preserve. Unless you’re retired, you probably can’t do these things every day, but fitting them into your schedule even once or twice a week will have a calming effect on your life.
- Focus on the present moment. When you’re over-committed, you can end up rushing from one thing to the next without enjoying or even being very conscious of the world around you. There’s always the hope that when things slow down you’ll have time to enjoy life. Maybe you look forward to the weekend or an annual vacation, thinking that you’ll be able to find a way to slow down. Instead of looking to the future, learn to focus on the present moment. Enjoy what you’re doing in the here and now. You can find serenity in even the most mundane task if you really give it your attention and do it mindfully.
- Give up some control. No matter how much we plan, we can never predict what the future will bring. Trying to exercise too much control can just lead to frustration, in addition to frustrating the people around you. Since you never know what the future will bring, it’s futile to try to control events. Instead of attempting to control the outcome of events, learn to relax and enjoy the journey. Letting go of the need to control will give you more freedom to live in the moment. By planning less, you’ll be more open to unforeseen opportunities that come your way. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still have goals, but that your focus shifts from the ends to the means.
Remember that simplicity is a process, not a destination.
For most of us, there is no escaping the inherent complexity of our lives. However, by deciding to simplify your life and spend more time seeking true happiness, you’ve started on a road that can lead to profound changes in your life.
There is no final destination at the end of this road.
Because life is forever changing and evolving, and you are evolving along with it, you will never reach a point of perfect simplicity and endless happiness. But each moment you spend on the path to simplicity does have the potential to bring more serenity and happiness into your life.
“If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap. If you want happiness for a day – go fishing. If you want happiness for a month – get married. If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime – help someone else.” – Chinese Proverb
Source
29.6.10
28.6.10
25.6.10
Happy Tips:)
- Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
- Don't over do. Keep your limits.
- Don't take yourself so seriously.. No one else does.
- Don't waste your precious energy on gossip..
- Dream more while you are awake
- Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
- Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
- Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
- No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
- Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
- Smile and laugh more.
- You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree…
Feather in your hair?
These are such lovely hair pieces! I would love to have any of these in my hair for a special occasion this summer...or just for fun!
24.6.10
23.6.10
Vous n’avez pas des os en verre
Vous n’avez pas des os en verre, vous pouvez vous cogner a la vie
You don’t have bones of glass, you can take life’s knocks.
Silk Jumper!
How wonderful is that silk jumper on the left from Club Monaco?!?!? I would love to be sporting that this summer!
22.6.10
Continual growth
"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
Benjamin Franklin
21.6.10
Banana chairs
How lovely would it be to have this space? Those chairs look sooooooooooooo inviting!Originally seen at Bliss
18.6.10
Happy Health Tips:)
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
- Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants…
- Live with the 3 E's — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
- Make time to meditate.
- Play more games.
- Read more books .
- Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
- Sleep for 7 hours.
- Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
17.6.10
Remeber the five simple rules to be happy.
1. free your heart from hatred-forgive.
2.free your mind from worries-most never happen
3. live simply and appreciated what you have.
4. give more.
5. expect less, much less.
Originally seen @ justbespLendid
16.6.10
8 Simple Steps for Achieving Anything
Yes, your goals are within reach. In fact, achieving them is a simple process. It just requires commitment and action on your behalf.
- Set your sights on a clear goal – What is it specifically that you want to achieve? Write it down if you have to.
- Focus on one thing at a time and pick the next logical task – Ask yourself, “What can I do right now that will bring me one step closer to my desired goal?”
- Educate yourself – What knowledge and skills are required to complete the task you chose in step #2? Keep it simple. Everything else can be learned along the way.
- Start now – Why haven’t you started? START!!!
- Say “NO” to distractions – Is the phone ringing? Door knocking? Dog barking? Unless the house is burning to the ground, IGNORE IT ALL!!!
- Review and adjust – Are you making progress? If yes, see the next step. If not, why not? Are there any small adjustments you need to make?
- Press on until the task is complete – Revisit steps #5 and #6 as required.
- Repeat – Once the task you chose in step #2 is complete, it’s time to repeat all the steps for the next logical task. Revisit your goal in step #1 so it’s fresh in your mind, choose the next logical task, educate yourself as necessary, etc.
Note: For complex, long-term goals, I tackle one simple task every day. Nothing more, nothing less.
14.6.10
Summer Reading List
What is on your summer reading list? I am pretty damn excited that I get to read for fun!!! What were some of the books you have read lately that you loved? I would love any suggestions:)
11.6.10
Run
"If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon."
~ Emil Zatopek, Olympic Champion Long Distance Runner
10.6.10
Kinder Suprise!
Remember when you were a kid and your parents bought you a Kinder Suprise?!? They are so much fun:) My hunny and I bought one and were hoping for something fun to put together like an airplane or boat-but we ended up with a memory game! And let me tell you it was hard!!! Ryan ended up winning as per usual... but it was fun:) And the chocolate was as yummy as ever! Have you bought a Kinder Suprise lately?
9.6.10
Mable the Moose!
When my hunny picked me up from the ferry in New Brunswick we saw this Moose both on the way from the ferry and the way to it! So we named her Mable:) I was so excited to see her because I have traveled all over Scandinavia and lived in Northern Maine for a year and a half and still hadn't seen one in the wild.In NB they put fences along the road so people don't hit wildlife which is such a great idea!
8.6.10
7.6.10
Fringe Jacket
This reminds me so much of my friend Michelle's jacket she had in grade 5! The only difference is hers was purple-and it was the 80's. We have been talking about that jacket a lot lately and how it is now back in style! So very funny!Originally seen at The cherry blossom girl
Turtle 911!
Ryan and I found a turtle on the road and rescued it. It seemed happy to be back in the pond with his buddies!
All images taken by SandyLee
All images taken by SandyLee
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