Program Yourself to Be Happy Part 3 (Steps 11-15)
In my last 2 articles, Program Yourself to Be Happy Part 1 (5 Steps) and Program Yourself to Be Happy Part 2 (Steps 6-10), I discussed several ways to program oneself to be happy. Specifically: 1) Eliminating Obstacles (aka Negative Stimuli), 2) Observing Thought Patterns, 3) Correcting Thought Patterns, 4) Eliminating Expectations, 5) Trust, 6) Practice Patience, 7) See the Positive in the Negative, 8) Practice Gratitude, 9) Stop Caring What People Think and 10) Practice Generosity. I will now continue where I left off starting with Step 11:
11) Practice Compassion and Forgiveness: I believe practicing compassion and forgiveness is very helpful when programming oneself to be happy. We tend to think of ourselves as individuals separate from everyone else, when in reality we are all connected energetically. Being kind, compassionate and forgiving of others is the same as being kind, compassionate and forgiving of yourself. We are all one in the same. We must do our very best to treat everyone (including animals) with the utmost positivity and love. This will keep us aligned with our higher self and aligned with a higher positive energy frequency thus contributing to a state of happiness. What we put out always comes back. Do your best to treat everyone kindly. Practice compassion and forgiveness with others, and most importantly practice it with yourself!
12) Spend time alone: So many of us depend on others to keep us happy, or at the very least to keep us from feeling lonely or bored. But the truth is you are never really alone. You are your best company whether you realize it or not. Learn to enjoy spending time alone. Even better, spend time alone in nature (not alone in front of the tv!) Tv can be quite counterproductive. Take time to sit in silence and have a heart to heart conversation with yourself. Get to know yourself. Figure out what makes you really feel happy. When you're always surrounded by people it can become difficult to figure out how you really feel. Empathic people in particular tend to feel what other people around them are feeling. But even people who are not empathic pick up energy. You might think you're depressed, when in actuality you've been spending too much time with a depressed person. If you spend some time alone it will give you a chance to see how you really feel and a chance to figure out which people in your life contribute to your happiness and which ones do not!
13) Do things that make you feel good: Doing things that make you feel good seems so obvious, however many of us find ourselves going to places or doing things we really don't want to do just to make other people happy. In fact, so many of us seem to be forced into situations that we'd rather not deal with. If it truly makes you happy to do things you don't enjoy just to make someone else happy, perhaps seeing other people happy is what really makes you happy and thus you are still doing something that makes you feel good? However, if you are constantly being manipulated into doing things you don't enjoy and being told “If you don't do this then you don't love me” then that is not positive! Other times we don't do things we enjoy simply because we are waiting for other people to do these things with us. Don't wait on people! Go to the spa by yourself! Go see a movie alone! Treat yourself to an amazing dinner alone! Don't wait on others to help you do things that make you feel good! Just do them!
14) Create a positive purpose in life: It's nice to feel like your life has some type of meaning and purpose, instead of just waking up everyday to work and pay bills. Find a positive purpose in life! This has helped me greatly. I wanted to feel like I was contributing to a better world so I created my non-profit charity Self Saviorz Society. I wrote and published my spiritual poetry book “A Lover in the Land of Hell.” I blog weekly with articles about health and spirituality and I help people and animals with my reiki energy healing business “Jennie's Reiki.” All these activities give me a positive purpose in life. I feel like I am making a difference in other people's lives and that I am not just here on this planet to work, pay bills and die. I have a higher purpose. I am meant to be here so I can make the world a better place. This makes me happy. What type of positive activities are you engaging in? Perhaps you can volunteer at a nursing home or at an animal shelter? Do something outside of yourself to help others and see how that makes you feel. Create a positive purpose in life!
15) Express Yourself: All of us feel a need to express ourselves in one way or another. Creative self expression can work wonders on your mood. It can be quite therapeutic! Sometimes we have so much we feel we need to say, and holding it all in can cause frustration, anger and sadness. Let it all out...on a piece of paper, in a painting, sculpture, song, dance, spoken word, monologue, therapy session, etc... Find a productive way to express yourself. Let out all your pent up feelings. Cry, laugh, scream! Speak your truth! Don't allow yourself to be silenced. You are a creative being and you have every right to express how you feel. So don't hold it in... This is not healthy. Let it all out! Express yourself! You'll be glad that you did!
In my next article I will finish up with steps 16-20! Stay tuned!
Jennie Haiman is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!
