Life Is Good!

Ahhh, the American Dream. You're sitting by the beautiful ocean at Kaanapali Beach on Maui basking in the warm rays of the dying sun as it sets into the horizon. It's not just the sun that warms your body. You also have that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes just from knowing that thousands of dollars are pouring into your very large bank account from your fully-automated home based business. Life is good...or is it? Life IS good, but that's not the reason why! What is it that makes life so good? Is it wealth? Nope! Some of the wealthiest people in the world live absolutely miserable lives. The suicide rate among wealthy people is very high. Is it Love and marriage? Nope! The divorce rate is higher today than it ever has been in history. Could it possibly be power? I don't think some of the Enron executives would say they were having a good life. So what is it? Okay, are you ready for this earth-shaking revelation? The secret to a good life is happiness! Disappointed? Well, you shouldn't be. Happiness is the Golden Fleece! It's Shangri-La! It's the ultimate high! It's the next big thing just around the corner! Zillions of dollars are spent each year by people trying to find true happiness. Isn't that what we are looking for in a mate? Isn't that what we spend most of our time trying to achieve? Isn't that what you are looking for in that home based business you are trying to get off the ground? Is it possible to find happiness in this post Sept 11 world we live in today? Absolutely! The problem is, you are not going to find it in external things. Happiness comes from within. THINGS can't make you happy! They are only a temporary solution to a more serious problem. I know a lot of you don't particularly ascribe to any particular religion, but please allow me to use a story from the Bible to make a point. One of the best examples of inner contentment and happiness comes from Acts 16:16-36. It tells the story of Paul and Silas who were stripped, beaten and thrown into prison in shackles. That would probably be a very depressing situation to those of us who look to our external circumstances for our happiness; however, their joy and contentment came from the inside, not their external circumstances. They were praying and singing hymns at midnight. The point I am trying to make is that we have to learn to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves. That doesn't mean we have to stay in the situation, but our happiness must not be controlled by it. Please allow me to give you ten recommendations for changing your life and learning to be content. Ten Life Changing Steps Learn to become "aware" of everything that is going on around you. So many of us live our lives just reacting to things that happen. When that car pulls out in front of us, we just automatically get angry. When someone says something derogatory, we just get hurt. We have to stop being reactive and we have to start being proactive. Take control of your life instead of letting it control you! Learn forgiveness, forget grudges! I know it may be very difficult to forgive some of the atrocities that may have been committed against you in your life, but it is critical to your happiness. It brings healing to the forgiver, not just the person being forgiven. Do something nice for someone. Don't do it for what they might do for you but do it for the joy it will bring to your life. Make peace with your past and don't let it control your present. The way you see things today is through the filter of your past. Change your outlook. Instead of trying to get people to understand you, try to understand them first. Try to see things from their perspective. Live in the present. Don't dwell on things that may or may not happen in the future. Don't be overwhelmed by the "big picture". Narrow your focus to what is happening now. There is a saying in the computer world that goes "Garbage In Garbage Out". What you put into your mind has a profound effect on your life. Fill your mind with good things that are pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy. Turn away from the negative and embrace the positive. Live each minute as if it were your last...it just might be. Our lives are too short to be spent in an unhealthy environment. Remember the wise saying, 'God grant me the wisdom to change the things I can, accept the things I can't and the intelligence to know the difference". Take that and apply it to your life. Tell yourself only good things. Your brain believes what it is told over and over. An important rule in behavioral psychology is "You get more out of that which is reinforced." Don't keep thinking how lousy you are or how bad a person you are. Tell yourself only positive thoughts. Encourage yourself. Lift yourself up. Do away with negative thinking and start thinking positive thoughts. Don't settle for temporary solutions. Drugs, alcohol, excessive eating, sex and pornography, excessive dieting, spending money and any other bad habits you might have are destructive behavior. They will not give you long lasting relief. They are just band aids on a critical wound. Do away with any destructive behavior and replace it with something positive. Life IS good! Start that home based business and you just might wind up on the shores of Kaanapali Beach. Just do it for the right reasons!