Tag Archives: happiness

Blogroll, Friendship, Growing, love, mindfulness, Personal, Uncategorized

If You’re Happy And You Know It!

When I was a little boy, we used to sing an activity song called: “If You’re Happy And You Know It…” We would sing the lyrics and follow them up with the action of clapping our hands, stomping our feet and shouting hop-ray… Here are the lyrics:

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp stomp)

If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)

If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three. (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)

When we are little kids, happiness seems so much easier. Happiness is easy, we just have to make up our mind to choose happiness over everything else. Emotions are up and then there down, much like a roller coaster. Circumstances change from good to bad and then back again. We experience it all, but always with the ability to choose our response.

What really matters is the eternal spiritual reality of love. It is unchanging and offers a solid foundation for building a life that matters, a life that can withstand whatever the world chooses to throw its way.

You have the power! Use it to choose eternal, spiritual thoughts of love. Move beyond what your physical senses are telling you and listen to the message found in between the beats of your heart. Accept life as it is and live in the security that everything has a purpose. Remember that love overcomes fear and light chases away darkness, this is your super power.

You have a choice – choose happiness by surrendering to Spirit and overcome the emotions that attempt to ensnare you and keep you from your created purpose. If your happy and you know it, clap your hands, stomp you feet and shout hoo-ray…

Advertisement
Uncategorized

What’s Better Than Happiness?

Remember the television show Hee Haw with Buck Owens and Roy Clark? They used to have a bit on the show where four miserable looking fellows would sing a song called “Gloom, Despair And Agony On Me!” The first line went something like this:

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me”

This is the world we live in for a lot of people today. Our lives have become filled with stress, anxiety and over thinking. We often find ourselves caught up in the overwhelming feelings of frustration, depression and discontentment. This mental fatigue leads to all sorts of physical problems such as stomach problems, high blood pressure, headaches and muscle problems. This is not the life we were created for. I promise you – you were created for so much more!

While there is not an easy fix and no cure all potion, there are things we can do to help facilitate peace in our lives, which contributes to the harmony that brings balance and allows us to live with intention, rather than by happen stance.

I hear people say all the time: “I just want to be happy!” Did you know there is something better than happiness and it’s what you were created for? You may not always be happy, because some things go your way and some things don’t. Life does not always flow in the direction you choose, and this has a tendency to impact if we are happy or not. And while you can’t always be happy, you can always have joy. Joy is what you were created for, it is your human experience birthrite. You were created in joy and for joy. When you realize this and believe this, it helps you to stay in step with your created purpose and automatically helps you to be in a better place to fulfill your dreams and experience your desires.

Joy tells me that even when things are not going the way I want them to, that there is still a purpose and if I will trust in that purpose and keep a right attitude, life will adjust and come around to where it needs to be. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs 17:22 says: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Joy says: “I am just happy to be alive with another day of opportunity to experience blessings.” Joy helps you to focus on what you do have, rather than what you don’t have. Joy helps you to understand that feelings are just that – feelings and you ultimately have the power to choose how you are going to feel.

Whenever you find yourself getting out of alignment, take a moment to step outside all of it and remind yourself: I am joy, I was created in joy and for joy. Joy is what I was born for, it belongs to me and I belong to it. Joy helps me see things more clearly, experience things more honestly and grow through things that would normally try to take me out.

Uncategorized

Simple Pleasures!

This amazing gift we’ve been given, that most of us call life, is such a wonderful and beautiful thing. We really do fail to appreciate life in it’s simplicity, because somewhere along the way we have become convinced that it just has to be complicated.

I’ve been hanging around this human experience for a little over a half a century and what I have discovered and what I am rediscovering almost everyday is that simple pleasures are such a blessing, if we will just allow ourselves the time and permission to enjoy and be blessed by them.

Here are just a few of the simple pleasures that I am grateful for. These simple pleasure make each day meaningful and help to keep me focused on what really matters. These simple pleasures take me away from my ego and get me in touch with my soul.

1. Going Outside! I love the outdoors. Nature has become one of my best friends. I love to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, the cool from the breeze as it blows through the trees and the sounds of life all around me.

2. Time To Enjoy A Beverage! One of my favorite things is sitting in a comfortable chair and “sipping” on a cup of mocha flavored coffee as I think about the day in front of me and look forward to living it.

3. A Journal To Record, Plan & Dream! Not sure what I would do without paper and pen. I try everyday to write down my Scripture focus for the day, a list of at least three things I am thankful for, my tasks list of things I hope to get accomplished and any thoughts or ideas that are influencing me at the time.

4. My Favorite Pen! I love writing instruments. I love to sketch and draw with pencils, write with different kinds of pens and color with markers, paints and such. I like a pen that allows my thoughts and ideas to freely flow. Sometimes I am totally amazed at what comes out of the pen onto the paper and think: “Was that really me.”

5. Conversations With Friends! Having someone to talk to is a vital part of life, living and growing. It’s also important to have people we listen to, because as we listen, we learn and as we learn, we grow. One of the great blessings of this human experience is that we get to do it with such interesting and amazing people. So many times, we miss this magic…

6. Enjoying The Taste Of Good Food! I love to eat, but even more than eating, I love to cook. When I cook, I like to cook to taste, which means I am trying to create something that I am pretty sure I’m going to enjoy. So many people, grab their food, scarf it down and move on to whatever is next. The tragedy in this rush to feed our face is that we miss the opportunity to savor the flavor of life. I like it all, so the main thing for me is just making sure I slow down and enjoy it.

7. Exercise! This has become a dirty word for a lot of us, but it doesn’t have to be and it shouldn’t be. A few things that make a big difference for me is just keeping it simple. And by the way, we need to exercise physically, mentally and spiritually. Physical exercise for me consists of stretches, walking, some time on an elliptical and a little work with weights. Mental exercise is made up of being open to learning something new and there is education all around us. I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts and even researching the web. Spiritual exercise does not have to be complicated and I like to keep mine going all throughout the day. I try to stay in a spirit of prayer. I read and meditate on scripture. And I look for opportunities to serve and minister for others. When it comes to exercise, remember this: A little is better than none at all.

8. Something To Read! I love to read and we have access to all sorts of material to choose from. Sometimes, I like to have an old fashion book with pages in my hand. At other times, I enjoy reading from the convenience of my smart device. And one of my favorite ways is to listen as the book is read and read along. I love to read history, leadership, biographies, blogs, motivation, how to books and Scripture.

9. Sitting In Solitude! The older I get, the more I really do seem to enjoy and need this one. There are times when I like to sit in a comfortable chair and do absolutely nothing, but enjoy the stillness and silence of the moment.

10. Meaningful Purpose! Getting up everyday energized with something meaningful to do and going to bed bed every night tired because you’ve done it, is a big part of what this human experience is all about to me. I love helping others and I get to do that everyday in a variety of ways. I love my routine and it drives me to try and make this amazing gift called life better for everyone.

So, there you go – that’s a few of my simple pleasures and if you see me with a smile on my face, then you probably know why. I pray that something you’ve read here today, might help you to find and wear a smile on your face too…