 There are lots of wonderful experiences we have in life, from walking along a long beach as the sun rises, to our first kiss, the simple touch of a loved one, or commendations from a mentor, there are simple positives all around us when we chose to stop and notice them.
Today I want to get a little more specific on these emotions, what they are and some ideas to really REALLY enjoy them! So here we go:
1) Happiness & Joy – For those of you with children I’m sure that when they were born you experienced such happiness and joy that you thought you’re heart may possibly explode. Clearly the good news is that you survived, and have been able to continue to fill your life with happiness and joy. I often talk about increase the base level of happiness rather than simply striving for goals that you believe will give you happiness. Ways to increase your base level of happiness include:
a. Begin a gratitude journal, I write about it almost every week as a great way to improve your life. I had a classic experience last week when my wonderful father stumbled upon the whole gratitude concept on his own. He’s begun practicing gratitude each morning on the beach and he said to me over dinner “Do you have any idea how good it makes you feel to be grateful?” with a genuine questioning tonality….. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. I did mention that’s a big part of what I do…… Fathers are funny creatures aren’t they!
b. Create a long list of all the things in life that bring you pleasure and joy. Then begin doing one per day. You will be surprise how little time this takes and how wonderful you feel working towards cultivating happiness!
c. Give. If it’s not on your list already, figure out a way to give generously of yourself. Help a neighbor, a friend, support a child or perhaps simply volunteer at a charity when you can. You will be constantly uplifted as you uplift others!
d. Expect and accept down times. Life isn’t constantly filled with lolly pops and puppy dogs, each of us will have challenges and those who anticipate them and accept them move forward much more quickly than those who embrace the fear and fail to accept them as a natural part of life.
2) Excitement & Passion – When was the last time you really planned for a big holiday and had some time to look forward to it. Those who plan way out are truly able to harness these emotions of excitement and passion. Looking forward to something big is so exciting and really allows our mind to explore all the wonderful possibilities. We planned for our wedding/ holiday for 9 months before taking it, and most days I’d find myself getting excited about where we were going and what we were going to do. We had an amazing time, we married in Thailand and had two weeks there with family and friends before heading to Japan to go snowboarding for two weeks. It really was the trip of a life time, but without all the fun and excitement of planning, it really would have only been a month away, rather than 9 months of excitement!
a. Plan your next holiday! No ifs, no buts, just do it! Sit down tonight with the family and start talking about it!
b. To really explore what your passionate about, spend a little time considering this question: If time and money weren’t factors in your life, what would you choose to do? Generally this question leads people back to their true passions. Good luck!
 c. Spend time with a child. Help them explore the world and breathe in their enthusiasm and really get involved in their excitement. Remember how easy it used to be to get excited? Aim to bring that back into your daily life… Sometimes I can be so excited, clapping my hands and smiling from ear to ear, just because our vegetable garden was able to produce us with a dinner salad. Embrace the little things!
3) Calm & Relaxation – How often are you able to completely switch off and simply be? Enjoying the world around you without the stress of having to put out the washing, call your stock broker, give that performance review or manage the accounts for the month…. It’s not always easy, and I’ll be the first to say it’s hard work learning how to relax and coming down to that place of calm, peaceful tranquility, but it’s well worth it, trust me! Here are some idea’s on how to bring that element of calm into your everyday life.
 a. Try spot meditation. For those of you that have never tried any form of mediation before, this is the perfect solution. Right now make the decision to take two minutes out of your day to relax and find a place of calm. (It’s not that hard, and truly I shouldn’t need to have to convince you to do it!) Now sit back in your chair, take a few deep breaths and begin to focus on the big dot on the centre of the page. As you focus on the dot and the dot only, begin to expand your awareness. While still focusing on the dot begin to notice the things just left, right, up and down of the dot, keep your focus on the dot and notice the wider screen, then wider, introduce the sounds around you, the smells, the colours, keep focusing on the dot till you get to the edge of your peripheral vision. It takes practice and all of your concentration. When you get it right you’ll fell that calm, clarity that comes with meditation, after only 2 minutes. GOLD!
4) Love & Connection – Each of us achieve the emotions of love and connection in different ways. Love doesn’t have to be all about the butterflies and anticipation that we know ‘first love’ brings. It can encompass the love of a parent, friend, child or even an animal. It’s the wonderful feeling of wanting to be with that person, spend time with them, and appreciate them knowing that they make you feel wonderful! Here are some ideas to help you increase the amount of love and connection in your day:
a. Leave a note lying about for your friend, partner, child, telling them how much you care and that you hope they have a wonderful day. Perhaps that you’re thinking of them and looking forward to spending more time with them later.
b. Plan time in your busy day/ week to spend real quality time with the people you love and choose to connect with. Once it’s in your diary it’s there, just like a meeting, don’t reschedule, make it a priority! Research says the only thing ‘really happy’ people have in common is quality relationships.
 c. Holiday with friends. If you really do want to build quality relationships with friends invite them along on a holiday. We had 22 guest to our wedding holiday in Thailand, and we are all so much closer and more connected for the common experiences we shared.
d. Do something unexpected for someone you care about. Plan a picnic, a dinner out, a drive for an ice cream or just a glass of wine on the beach at sunset. Simple things that don’t cost a lot of money really do foster the emotions of love and connection.
There are plenty more quality emotions that we can experience, but I think this week you’ll have enough on your plate just harnessing these three big ones. Good luck and I hope you’re able to really increase your base level of happiness and also inspire other around you to do the same.
If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 0409 224 303 and we can work on it together.
If you like what I’m writing or would like to give me some feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at
jodie@advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au |
