Secrets To Being Happy

We’ve all got our own “comfort foods”  that we turn to when we need a pick me up.  But are those foods making our moods better or worse?  It’s an interesting thought.  I found this article  that discusses the concept of how foods can help alter our moods.  What do you think?  Does that chocolate cake bring you out of your funk or make it worse?

Enjoy!

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Love is the highest power we possess to be in complete harmony with the law of attraction. The more love we feel the greater our power. The more selfless love we feel, the more unfathomable our power.

The law of attraction has been called the law of love, because the law itself is a gift of love to humanity. It is the law by which we can create incredible lives for ourselves.

Recently, while putting together a workshop on job satisfaction and employee happiness for a local business, I began to wonder just what are the happiest places to work.  What makes the employees at these places so happy and content? I found this article on the top ten companies in relation to how happy their employees rated themselves.  Of course, Google always ranks high on the list of happy workplaces, but some of the others surprised me.  Employees listed reasons such as work/life balance, control over daily work flow activities, and relationships with bosses and co-workers as things that determined level of happiness.  The interesting thing is that compensation (money) was only mentioned ONCE.  What do you all think?  Are these things that make you happy at work?

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

…….being authentic and genuine!  Yep, sounds too simple, but really, just being your most authentic self is the most attractive trait you can have.  When I speak of attractiveness, I’m not just talking about appearance, even though being genuine does enhance your appearance.  I’m also talking about your ability to attract those things into your life that you desire and that bring you joy.

What your mother told you about being yourself is true……

Whenever I would lament about teenage slights from boys I was crushing on and wondering what I could do to turn a boy’s head in my direction, my mom would always say something like “just be yourself”.  I think I was in my thirties, when I finally got what that meant.  By trying to attract a relationship or a job or whatever I was trying to bring into my life, many times I would inadvertently change things about myself that I didn’t need to change.  Those changes often didn’t feel genuine to me and I would begin to be inauthentic in my interactions with others. I would end up repelling the very thing I was trying to attract. 

Get Real

Being real with yourself and others is how you find out what happiness really is for you.  No one else can define what happiness means to you, your purpose here is to discover that, live it and help others live out their happiness. Getting real with yourself involves following your bliss and enjoying life as much as you can.  Following your bliss is what leads you to the things you desire (and what attracts the things you desire to you)!  Getting real also involves staying true to who you really are, even in the face of being criticized or in the face of fear.

Authenticity leads to happiness.

Nothing can bring about true happiness like being your most authentic self.  Unhappiness generally arises out of internal conflict between your thoughts, words, and actions.  However, being truly genuine in all of these areas, there is no conflict and happiness is allowed to flow.  Happiness is our natural state of being, and when we are in our most natural state, we are very attractive!  Which leads me to my last point……

Happiness is sexy!

Ever experience one of those days when everything was going great?  It may have even seemed that people looked at you completely differently and that you were a people magnet.  Well guess what?  You were a people magnet!  When you are genuinely happy, people can sense it and it makes you an attractive person to be around.  People are attracted to things and other people that make them feel good.  When you feel good about yourself it oozes out of your pores and other people notice it.  It will attract them like moths to a flame!

So, what are you waiting for?

Begin to be your most authentic self today by simply following your bliss and doing the things you love!  It doesn’t get much easier than that to completely change your life.  And it doesn’t get much more fun either!  :)

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

We all have times in our lives when we really want to make changes.  Whether we are looking to lose weight, find a mate, or learn a new skill.  At some point each of us needs to change something. Check out this article on how to bring about change, right when you need it.  Enjoy!

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

I can honestly say this January was truly the most hectic (and rewarding) month I’ve experienced in some time. And even though I tend to have unending energy, I do have to remind myself that always “doing” is not the best course of action.  The verse below from the Tao serves as a great reminder for me when I get to the point that constantly “doing” is not serving me well.  Enjoy!  :)

Verse 38 of the Tao Te Ching

A truly good man is not aware of his goodness,
And is therefore good.
A foolish man tries to be good,
And is therefore not good.

A truly good man does nothing,
Yet leaves nothing undone.
A foolish man is always doing,
Yet much remains to be done.

When a truly kind man does something, he leaves nothing undone.
When a just man does something, he leaves a great deal to be done.
When a disciplinarian does something and no one responds,
He rolls up his sleeves in an attempt to enforce order.

Therefore when Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is kindness.
When kindness is lost, there is justice.
When justice is lost, there is ritual.
Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion.
Knowledge of the future is only a flowery trapping of Tao.
It is the beginning of folly.

Therefore the truly great man dwells on what is real and not what is on the surface,
On the fruit and not the flower.
Therefore accept the one and reject the other.

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

February is a difficult month for a lot of women, especially those who may be dealing with a broken heart while it seems like everyone else in the world is celebrating being in love. Having spent a few down in the dumps Valentines Days myself, I have come up with a few simple dos and don’ts for getting through this hallmark holiday when your heart is in less than optimal condition.

DON’T drunk dial.

So, you imbibed a bit too much tequila celebrating/mourning your singleness. Stop, think, and drop the phone. Lock the cell in your car, give it to a trusted friend (who will not give it back), throw it off the nearest bridge. Do whatever you have to do, but under no circumstance do you drunk dial your ex. Ever. Calling will serve no purpose other than to mortify you in the morning when you sober up and realize you left a rambling message about missing him/loving him/wanting to bear his children on his voicemail.

DO call up a few friends and go out.

Make the night about having fun and not about hooking up or getting over your ex. Get out of the house if you don’t want to be alone, let loose and have a bit of fun. There are tons of people who are in the same boat as you and may not be coupled up on Valentine’s Day, get out, hang with them and let loose. However, if there is drinking involved, see above, and hand over the phone.

DON’T try to be friends right away.

There is a difference between being friends with an ex and being friendly. Being “friends” means you can hang out, have beers and talk about new people you’re sleeping with. Being “friendly” means you resist the urge to run him down with your car in the parking lot of the grocery store. Know the difference. If you can’t comfortably hear him discuss his sex life with a new girl, you are not friends. Let it go.

DO be cordial and show some class.

If you run into your ex always remember to be classy and cordial. You don’t have to hug him and catch up like old times, but do say hello, be nice and move on. Keep it short, simple and sweet.

DON’T compare yourself with other women who have boyfriends.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the “why not me” pity party when you see lots of your friends celebrating their relationships. This is incredibly counterproductive and does not serve you in any way shape or form. Focusing on what others have that you don’t only creates a mindset of lack. Lack attracts lack. Stop it and focus on what you do have.

DO take an inventory and figure out what you want.

When you find yourself single on Valentine’s Day or any day, take an inventory of your last relationship and the things you liked and the things you would change. Rather than focusing on all of the negative stuff, focus on the positive that you want to take into your next endeavor.

Finally, make sure you keep this holiday in perspective. Giving too much importance to one day out of the year, when it seems the whole world is celebrating love, can cause you to miss out on the love you have surrounding you every minute of every day from family, friends and others’ whose lives you touch, but may not realize. Not having a boyfriend to send you flowers is not a big deal unless you perceive it to be. Change your mindset about Valentine’s Day and your day will change!

Originally published in Minx Magazine

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

Many times we find ourselves in very negative and uncomfortable positions that lead us to question how and why we got there.  While in the midst of this turmoil, it can be very easy to let negative and judgmental thoughts invade our minds.  However, when these things happen, it is important to remember we always have a choice on how we perceive and react to negative circumstances.

I am a firm believer in what happens to you happens for you.  No matter what the situation is, there is ALWAYS a lesson to be learned.  The key to bringing ourselves out of negative situations is figuring out what good can come out of the bad circumstances.  In order to do this, you can ask yourself a series of questions:

• What did I learn?
• How am I better?
• How does this put me in a better place?
• What do I need to change about myself?
• How can this help me reach a goal?
• How can I use this as motivation?

These are only a few questions that can help reframe a negative situation in a more positive light.  Other reframing techniques besides questioning are:

• Turning negative self talk into positive (ie: getting laid off was a blessing)
• Remembering others whose circumstances are much worse than our own
• Having gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow
• Forgiving a person who may have hurt you
• Writing out negative thoughts on paper and burning them to release them.

 By employing these techniques and examining ourselves with a few simple questions, we can always tame the negativity in any situation, no matter how bad it seems in the middle of the circumstance.  Hindsight is always powerful, but if we can begin to use these tools in the midst of a challenge, we find that challenge becoming a blessing much sooner rather than later.

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.

All too often I hear people expressing their desire to make a big difference in their lives or in the lives of others. The only catch is they want to experience the results of those changes NOW. People in business want to know what to do to make more money now. People who are single want to know what changes to make to find a relationship immediately.

Our society has become so accustomed to the immediate gratification of instant messaging, drive through restaurants and everything being at our fingertips 24 hours a day, that we don’t want to plant seeds and let them grow into change. We want instant results. People are interested in the small changes they can make in their lives now that will have immediate but long lasting results for them.

So, in response to the queries I often get on this subject, I have outlined 5 changes I have made in my own life at one time or another and found they brought me pretty immediate results.

1. Choose to focus on the good in your life. So many times we get caught up in trying “fix” what we perceive is wrong with our lives and the world that we forget to pay attention to what’s right! Focus on all of the good and wonderful things you have and more of those things will begin to flow to you. It’s like magic, it works every time!

2. Have gratitude. While you’re focusing on all of the good things in your life, don’t forget to be thankful for them. Make it a daily ritual to spend sometimes saying “thank you” for everything you already have as well those things you desire but don’t have yet. Remember to also be grateful for the challenges you experience. Like fire forges steel, challenging circumstances make us stronger and more resilient. Challenges also tend to spur us into change much quicker, so be thankful you have them in your life!

3. Follow a passion. Find a hobby, cause or activity you are passionate about and pursue it. This might lead you to Step 4 by stretching your level of comfort, but it will also get you excited and bring about change in your life quickly. Feeling joy will cause desired results to manifest much quicker than feeling sadness. Any time you can get out and pursue something you love and feel joy about it, you are creating change in the present moment.

4. Get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes when following a passion or making any kind of change, we have to get out of our comfort zone a bit. I love to challenge myself by taking an adventure to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable, but that’s not always necessary. Getting out of your comfort zone might only be talking to a new person or checking out a new bookstore, but whatever it is, get out and do it! Getting more comfortable doing new things will allow you to have experiences you might not have even imagined and will allow changes to occur in your life even quicker.

5. Help others. Sometimes the simple act of giving to another something we already have (it might be a simple as a smile) is all it takes to effectively bring about change for ourselves. If you have a skill or piece of knowledge that others around you do not seem to have, take a bit of time to teach it to them. If you have extra time or other resources, share with others around you to help enrich their lives. By helping to enhance the lives of the people around you, you will immediately enhance your own.

Make these steps new habits in your daily life and you will create a happy, content, and peaceful existence that allows you to make a difference in your own community as well as the world at large. So what are you waiting for? Get started, right NOW!

Originally published in Glamour Underground.

Jodi Riley, The Happiness Mindset Expert, is founder of the 5 Steps for Better Living System the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to have more joy and more happiness, right now…guaranteed! To get your FREE happiness mindset articles on having more happiness and joy in your life, visit www.secretstobeinghappy.com.