Be Thankful In All Things
The above is a quote from the Bible – note it does not say be thankful for all things, which is a good thing since this week has been particularly difficult.
I started off the week with a visit to my daughter and my grandkids, aged 4 and 1. I was going to visit my son and my two other grandkids aged 2 and 6 months, but we were hit by a big storm and I was stuck. However, my daughter was able to get some things done around the house since I was able to look after the kids.
By the time I was ready to head home on Wednesday I had the beginnings of a cold which morphed into a massive head cold with lots of sneezing and blowing before it moved and settled into my chest. However, I was in a warm house and had work to do and was not freezing without hydro as many in Texas were after the storm. I am grateful I live in Canada and we are ready for inclement weather.
The one problem with being sick is that I have been unable to visit my mom in the nursing home and I won't get my Covid test results until Thursday or Friday, the soonest I can get in to see her. However, she is well looked after there, and I am grateful for the care she receives from the PSWs and nursing staff.
Today I decided to have a FitBowl for lunch. Right after I finished eating it, I threw it all up. I have never had that happen before. I couldn't even make it to the bathroom, I threw up in my kitchen garbage can. I am grateful that I got rid of all of it and am now feeling better. My temperature has gone down and I think I will be okay. I will try something a little lighter for supper.
How about you? What are you feeling grateful for in spite of the difficulties around working from home, home schooling, etc.
4 Key Steps To Living A Happy Life
We all want to live our happiest and best life, but many of us have no clue how to do that. We scoured the internet, asking many professionals and experts the steps they recommend to ensure you’re living a full, rich, and happy life.
Without further ado, here are the four key steps you can take to ensure you’re living a happy life.
1) Care for Others
One of the most rewarding things you can do in your lifetime is caring for others and showing them that they matter. Caring about other people is essential to your overall happiness. Helping others and giving to others can build stronger connections, improve our overall mood, and even improve our health.
You can start practicing caring for others by doing at least one kind thing for someone around you a day. That kind thing can be paying them a compliment, helping them reach something on a higher shelf, holding the door for them, offering to carry something for someone with their hands full, etc.
Carrying for others, supporting them emotionally, physically, or even financially, is a great foundation for a lifetime of happiness. You’ll build better connections, grow spiritually, improve your empathy, and feel like you’re doing something worthy of qualifying you as a good person.
2) Connecting with Others
Whether we like to admit it or not, humans are naturally social creatures. We all need at least a small group of people we can trust with whom we can share our lives. Connecting with people is crucial to our happiness.
The stronger your relationships are, the happier and healthier you will be. Studies even show that those with stronger relationships tend to live longer. These strong relationships help to provide us with love, support, meaning, and improve your self-worth. These relationships also provide a place in which you can belong. This is so important for you psychologically, as we all want a group with whom we belong.
You can improve your connections with others by making a diligent effort to make more time for others. Schedule get-togethers and meals, give them a call every once in a while, and stop skipping family events.
You should also try to make new connections to try to further your group. Try chatting with someone new every day, be it a neighbor, someone at the store, or just the person pumping gas next to you; try to make some connections. Make sure you are wearing your mask during the pandemic though.
3) Don’t Neglect Your Health
Your body and mind are connected; you’re with your body for a very long time and it’s the only one you get, so you need to take care of it. Regularly exercising not only improves our bodies and physical stamina but also makes us happier overall.
Exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel happier and more energized. As your body gets healthier and you start feeling better, you’ll also notice an improvement in your mood.
There are a few things you can do to start taking better care of your body. You can start by eating healthier foods, spending more time outside, going to bed at reasonable times, instilling a technology curfew, maintaining a regular workout routine, and drinking more water.
4) Live More in the Moment
With all the distractions we have nowadays, it’s no wonder we struggle to live in the moment. Take time to notice the world around you, the people around you, the things happening right in that very moment.
Being more mindful and aware of your surroundings can truly help to improve your life. It will allow you to appreciate the present, miss out on less, and be more observant. It will also help to decrease your stress.
It may not be possible to take the advice of a song “Don't Worry, Be Happy”, but you can be happy despite having things to worry about. It's your choice!! Be Thankful…Be Happy.
Fran Watson
P.S. Check out this Successful Habits Free PLR Pack
P.P.S. Quotes on Happiness
Happiness is ……
1. Loving and approving yourself exactly as you are.
” Loving yourself makes you feel good and happy” – Louise Hay
2. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” -Aristotle
We are 100% responsible for our own happiness.
3. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Herman Cain
4. “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig
5. Happiness is to live in the present moment and not constantly living in expectations about the future or worry about the past.
6. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi
7. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”
-Helen Keller