mindfulness

HAPPINESS TIP: ENSURE ANY IMBALANCE IN LIFE IS INTENTIONAL AND TEMPORARY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Here’s a Happiness Tip regarding making sure that any periods of imbalance experienced in life are: (1) intentional, and (2) temporary in nature.

I must say I’ve been pretty impressed by the youth of today. So many seem so determined, so driven. It reminds me a lot of some of the older and past generations. I just hope they achieve what they are seeking without burning themselves out.

I always encourage some sense of balance but communicate that temporary imbalance is okay so long as it is intentional (and not habitual) and that you: (1) know what you really, really want and are working towards this, and (2) have a clearly defined exit so that you can then get back to leading a more balanced life. Otherwise, you might fall into the trap of working your life away and wake up one day pondering what happened to your life and find yourself haunted by all you had not done or experienced in life as well as any missed opportunities. Don’t do this to yourself.

Make balance a priority in your life. Because, focus and temporary imbalance might allow you to achieve specific goals in life but living with a sense of balance will ensure that you live a rich and rewarding life overall. Balance offers variety, stamina, warmth, color, excitement, inspiration, enjoyment, satisfaction, fulfillment, and overall happiness and allows one to recognize and capitalize on the synergies and opportunities in life – many of which may not be directly related to specific goals. So, always try to keep this in mind by making sure that any periods of imbalance in your life are truly intentional (and not habitual) and temporary in nature so you can get back to living a balanced life for much of the time.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS TIP: BE MINDFUL OF ALL YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF TO AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH IN LIFE

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Always be mindful of the polarity – positive or negative – associated with the resulting experiences of all you expose yourself to and surround yourself with in life. This includes that which you read, view, listen to, engage in, and those you spend your time with.

To live a happy life, you will want to mindfully incorporate more of the associated positive experiences and less of the negative ones. If you do this, you will live increasingly happier over time.

For example, someone I coached recently shared that she frequently immerses herself in content associated with various conspiracy theories. I asked her why she fills so much of her time with these kinds of activities. She indicated she enjoys them and likes to stay informed.

So, I asked her about some of the latest conspiracy theories she exposed herself to and how they made her feel. She responded that they made her feel angry, bitter, and disgusted for much of the time. Angry? Bitter? Disgusted? And for much of the time? Does this sound like a happy, enjoyable life to you?

I shared these observations with her and she began to realize how much of a toll these kinds of activities were taking on herself and her life. I encouraged her to think carefully about whether she truly wanted to expose herself to these kinds of negative experiences and, if she did, then to perhaps engage in these activities in moderation and with a sense of balance so they didn’t consume so much of her life with negativity. She started performing fewer of these activities and filling more of her time with what she truly enjoys. And she now feels much happier and more positive in nature.

So, always be mindful of what you expose yourself to in life and who you surround yourself with. Fill more of your life with positive experiences and less of your life with negative experiences. If you do this, you will live increasingly happier over time. And that will make you feel wonderful. And you will lead a rich and rewarding life. And this will benefit not only you but also everyone who surrounds you. So, do this for yourself (and others) if you can.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS TIP: KEEP HEALTHY, MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS AND DISCARD THE REST

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Kindness, respect, and appreciation are critical aspects for relationships to be successful.  Keep in mind that any forms of hostility (verbal or otherwise) are none of these: (1) they are unkind, (2) they are disrespectful,  and (3) they lack appreciation and are actually the opposite of appreciation. So, anytime you experience these kinds of hostilities, reflect on it and have a serious  discussion about the way you will treat each other in the future. It always has to be kind, respectful, and appreciative in nature for the relationship to work. Otherwise, it is unhealthy and you might need to reconsider the relationship. This goes not only for romantic relationships but for other relationships as well such as friends, family members, co-workers, and such.

If you take the above steps, you will create healthy, loving, and meaningful relationships in your life and clear your clutter of any unhealthy relationships over time. And you will live increasingly happier and have people in your life that you value and who value you. So, do this for yourself. What a wonderful life you will create for yourself if you take these steps.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS TIP: ANNOUNCE YOUR POSITIVE CHANGE GOALS PUBLICLY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

If you truly desire to make a positive change in your life – whether losing weight, giving up an unhealthy habit, or any other negative aspect of your life – the best way to guarantee success is to write down your goal and announce it publicly – as publicly as possible. Especially, those in your life who you highly value and respect – those who you might feel most affected if you did notchieve your goal.

Going public in the above fashion can be frightening to people because it means they must commit to and stick to their commitments. But that is the point. They must do this or risk being judged as a failure, being fickle, or being weak – negative connotations which tend to drive people to do everything in their power to avoid. Especially, when it involves people they highly value and respect.

So, if you truly desire to make a positive change in your life – and really mean it – write it down and go public with it.

The above are ideas I wanted to highlight and reflect on from a book I’m presently reading: “Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini. So, I wanted to share this in case it might be helpful.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

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HAPPINESS TIP: EXAMINE AND ADJUST JUDGMENTS, ASSUMPTIONS, AND BELIEFS

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I would say two of the biggest issues between people are misperceptions and misinformation. People tend to make assumptions about what something meant or hold strongly onto beliefs or make judgments based on misinformation and are often way off the mark. These judgments, assumptions, and beliefs lead people to divide against each other and more often than not for no real (and probably even a stupid) reason. Let me tell you, it’s a lot of drama for nothing! If people communicated better and were more open, the faulty judgments and assumptions being made on each side would be glaringly obvious.

So, don’t do this to yourself or anyone else. Try not to make judgments and assumptions, but if you do, try to get clarification and make adjustments accordingly. Communicate more and try to be open. If you do you will often realize that what you thought was there, was not. Warmth, love, beauty, care, and concern might have been there all along but your judgments, assumptions, and beliefs prevented you from seeing them and led you to believe otherwise.

So, do yourself and everyone else a favor: communicate more, be more open, and don’t make judgments and assumptions. What a wonderful world we could all share if we each did our part in these regards.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships

HAPPINESS TIP: CREATE BRIGHTER TOMORROWS BY MAKING BETTER CHOICES TODAY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

You are where you are today NOT because of your past circumstances. You are where you are today because of the choices you have made.

If you don’t like where you are today, make different choices. And keep changing things up until you start living the life you truly desire.

This is the only way to escape a past which might not have been as good as it could have been. So, take responsibility and work towards creating the future you truly want. And don’t delay. Start today.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS TIP: BE THE KIND OF PERSON PEOPLE WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Who we are is paramount. It matters so much more than what we do or communicate. The key to every successful relationship – whether romantic, family, work, or business related – is being the kind of person who first and foremost cares about others, seeks to understand, and genuinely wants to be helpful. If you do this, gaining trust and support from others and connecting with others is much easier.

So many pursue individual agendas and wonder why they have trouble connecting with others or building successful business (and other) relationships. You have to be the kind of person people want to associate with. They don’t care so much about what you do or what you want. They care about who you are. And if you are the kind of person they can trust, respect, and count on, then you will build the kind of relationships that last for years (if not decades). And these are the kind of relationships you want. Those that add happiness, comfort, and warmth to your life.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships

HAPPINESS IS EASY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Happiness is easy:

If you want love, then express love by being loving towards others.

If you want kindness, then be kind via your thoughts, words, and actions.

And if you want to be valued and respected, then value and respect others in your day to day thoughts, actions, and communications.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships

HAPPINESS TIP: LOVE, MARVEL, AND LET GO

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Well, just what exactly are you looking for? Magic and mystery and music and magnificence dance and abound all around you every moment of every day. The sunshine smiles, the skies wander, nature sings, animals love, and the earth spins in rhythm with the heavens in perfect balance and harmony.

What more than this is needed to make one smile, sing, and dance with joy and boundless love, wonder, amazement, and appreciation? What more I ask? What more could you be looking for?

Life and living is here right here and right now. Simply love and marvel and let go and waltz with the never-ending warmth, beauty, and flow.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS TIP: CLEAR THE CLUTTER AND TAKE STEPS TO LIVE INCREASINGLY HAPPIER

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Frequently, when you life coach people, you come up with alternate approaches for improving oneself and living happier. This is because everybody is different.  Something that works well for one person doesn’t work as well for someone else (and vice versa). Recently,  I worked with someone and came up with an alternate approach to living increasingly happier instead of the technique I originally used. It works like this:

Ask yourself what aspects of your life tend to affect you in a strongly negative way – creating substantial unhappiness in your life. When doing this consider activities you engage in, the work you perform, your financial situation, the people in your life, the information and media content you tend to surround yourself with and expose yourself to, your living situation, the goals you are presently pursuing (and any new ones you are considering), that which consumes your life more than you would like, any new experiences you are considering, and any personal issues which repeatedly create substantial unhappiness or negativity for you such as recurring stress, depression, anxiety, guilt, anger, and temptations, addictions, and compulsions. Becoming mindful of these aspects is helpful because awareness is the first step to change.

Upon gaining this awareness, you would next ask yourself what steps you can take to address each of the aspects of your life which affect you in a strongly negative way. Potential ways to address these generally fall into two primary categories: (1) those which involve creating distance or limiting participation (to include perhaps even elimination in more extreme cases which substantially affect your happiness and well-being), and (2) those which involve taking steps to work through or making significant changes. For those which fall into the second category – which might include current life challenges, work, and recurring personal issues (stress, depression, anxiety, etc.) – you would consider actions you can take to address these such as reading books on the topic(s), getting professional assistance, going to a support group or workshop, talking with others who have gone through similar experiences, and investigating/employing various other potential resources and sources of support. 

Once you have sufficiently addressed the strongly negative aspects, you would next move to the opposite side of the spectrum by considering what aspects of your life inspire or affect you in a strongly positive way – creating substantial joy and happiness in your life. You would then ask yourself what you can do to move towards, or increase your participation in, these strongly positive aspects and start taking these steps.

Once you’ve addressed all of the strongly negative and strongly positive aspects of your life, you would then repeat the above process by considering and addressing the moderately negative and moderately positive aspects.

As you fill more of your life with the positive and less with the negative, you will clear the “clutter” from your life and become increasingly happier. Once you’ve made significant progress in these regards start over and repeat these steps. Some people like to perform this process on an annual basis, perhaps the week leading to New Year’s or the week leading to their birthday, while others prefer to do this more frequently. Just do what works for you or those you are offering assistance to. 

Every time you inventory your life in the above fashion and work towards improvement, you will move in a positive direction, your life will get better, and you will feel increasingly happier. So don’t delay. Start today. Once you get into the practice of doing this, it will become more automated so you end up recognizing that which affects you in a negative fashion or inspires or uplifts you and taking actions to increase your overall happiness in real time – performing these steps in a near immediate fashion. And that is a wonderful place to get to.

Here’s the original technique I used in case some of you would prefer this approach. Both approaches work well for promoting happiness in life but some prefer the original approach while others prefer the alternate approach addressed here. Just experiment with each of these and do what works best for you (or others you are offering assistance to). 

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships