Be An Inspiration

There is something about the word ‘inspiration’ that creates within us positive feelings. And when we think of something truly inspiring, it has the effect of bringing us down to earth and instilling great gratitude within ourselves. So I ask you…what is your inspiration? Who is your inspiration? I can tell you, there are so many who I consider to be inspirational. I find it inspiring in my career helping others that people can suffer through great adversity and become inspiring human beings themselves.

I think a common attribute of inspirational people is their inner motivation and sense of self. These people are constantly moving forward with great dignity to become better people within themselves.

My inspirations: My mother who went to uni when she had three children to care for and who gives constant support whenever I need it, my brother with his incredible talent and the way he tells me he loves me every time before he hangs up, my sister who gave up drugs to become a really incredible person, my father who knows me well, my friends, and my partner who is everything to me and incredibly special.

So think about who inspires you to be a better person. And lets let whoever inspired us know that they are our inspiration!

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy & Happiness

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a therapeutic tool based on the assumption that our cognitions-our thoughts and beliefs- determine the way we feel. Unlike using positive affirmations, CBT places an emphasis on the development of healthy, realistic cognitions by challenging the thoughts and beliefs that make us feel bad.

Most people have patterns of thinking that contribute to their distress, including black and white thinking, overgeneralising, awfulising and jumping to negative conclusions. CBT teaches us that we need to identify the thinking patterns that contribute to upsetting emotions.

What CBT teaches us about happiness is that our ability to be happy is largely determined by the perception of our own worth. The way we feel about ourselves is determined by factors such as inherent personality traits, childhood and life experiences, messages from others and influence by mass media. Faulty thinking about ourselves in this instance includes comparing our situation to others, rating worth on the basis of achievement, excessive need for approval, overgeneralising and labelling ourselves. Healthy thinking therefore involves self acceptance and flexibility in our thinking – people are all have individual differences and strengths.

It is important for us to focus our efforts on situations that are within our control. We need to recognise our obstacles to living a happy and prosperous life and stay focused and motivated to overcome them. I wish you the very best in your endeavours.

Prayer Improves Wellbeing

A study recently found that prayer can improve physical wellbeing. It found that the through its trandescendal meditative effects, it can lower blood pressure and heart rate. Prayer was also found to boost mood and positivity, as well as provide a placebo effect on health.

Conditional Happiness

Some people have the tendency to believe that they could be happy only if they were able to overcome their circumstances, how often have you heard phrases like “when I move out, I will be happy”, “when I earn more money I can relax”, “when I meet the right partner I will be happy” etc…you get the point. This can be very dangerous for a few reasons. First, we miss the opportunity to experience and enjoy the present moment. That is the only time you will get to experience that exact moment so if we postpone it we miss out on it today. Also, being conditionally happy will make our problems remain with us, and as there will always be problems of some kind we will be caught up in the same negative pattern. So be aware of your own conditions on happiness, and remember to be grateful for what you have at the present moment.

And just think about how this could apply to you in your current situation...“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.

Adapted from Edelman (2002), Change Your Thinking, Sydney: ABC Books.

Psychology of Happiness

The most widely accepted term for happiness within the field of psychology is “a state of subjective wellbeing”. Whether it is argued that is it an ongoing human trait or a temporary state, it does appear that some people are predisposed to happiness. Myers & Diener (2005) in the journal Psychological Science carried out an interesting study which found that predictors of happiness are very similar across countries and cultures. For example:

Wealth: People on high incomes have similar levels of happiness than those on low incomes (with the exception of people living in poverty who tend to be much less happy). It would seem then as long as you have enough to get by, having extra money may not make you all that happier.

Age & Gender: All age & gender factors were unrelated to levels of happiness.

Work: People who work are more likely to feel happy, which may be related to a true feeling of identity, vocation , or purpose.

Consuming Interests: Also related to levels of subjective wellbeing. Having a passion for what our interests and indulging in it on a regular basis increases the likelihood we will feel happy.

Goals: Having a sense of purpose and working towards important goals helps us to feel happy.

Relationships: Strongest predictor of happiness is relationship quality. Increased levels of happiness are associated with having a close and committed relationship.

Religion: The highly spiritually committed are more likely to be happy as they tend to have a sense of purpose.

Active Lifestyle: Happy people live active lives and are less focused on themselves than unhappy people.

According to Myers & Diener (2005) there are four key personal attributes that are associated with high levels of happiness: Good self esteem, sense of control, optimism and extroversion.

Happiness Quotes

Here are some of my favourite quotes on happiness:

"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” Hugh Downs

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” Aristotle

"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

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” Epictetus

"By all means marry. If you get a good wife you will become happy, and if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher." Socrates (470-399 B.C.)

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."Charlie Chaplin

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." Kahlil Gibran

"It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, but only thirteen to smile." Unknown

"It makes no difference where you go, there you are. And it makes no difference what you have, there's always more to want. Until you are happy with who you are, you will never be happy because of what you have." Zig Ziglar

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows." Helen Keller

"When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace." The Dalai Lama

"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content." Confucius

---And a truly profound happiness quote by Actor turned Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger!!!

“Money doesn't make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.”

The Art of Zen

I found an interesting article on the practice of "The Meditative Art of Attention" which teaches a variety of differnt meditative practices such as sitting meditation and loving kindness meditation. Zen teaches us to become more aware of ourselves and our surroundings, in essence, being mindful of these things.

Take a look at the link. Then really try the technique detailed in its pages. Zen Buddhists have a lot to teach about joy and happiness, and I think they may have some pretty good methods of achieving this. Let me know what you think.

Happy Planet Index

The Happy Planet Index is an index developed by the New Economics Foundation and provides a very interesting measurement of world happiness (take a look in list form). This index is more a measure of the ratio between consumption and available resources on the planet, looking into the efficiency with which countries use natural resources to facilitate long, happy and productive lives. Australia for example ranks quite poorly on the Happy Planet Index. Take a look and let me know what you think...

Optimism = Life

In a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine it was found that older men who looked on the brighter side of life were less likely to die of heart disease, in comparison to those who have a dreary outlook on life. After being given three surveys over 15 years, it was found that consistently optimistic subjects cut their risk of heart disease by almost half. The authors posit that one explanation may be that happiness stimulates a positive biological reaction. So be optimistic, be happy, you may improve your quality and length of life.

Gratitude

According to the universal Law of Attraction (or "The Secret" as it has become commonly known), in order to get everything we can out of life we must have gratitude for all that we already have. This enables us to appreciate others and ourselves and allows personal growth. So task for today. I would like to know what everybody is grateful for at this moment. Join in and send an email or pic, share with the world your gratitude. And every day in your journal, write the top 5 things you are grateful for. This technique really brings a sense of happiness and true appreciation. Check out gratefulness.org for more ideas.

Today I am grateful for: Smiling faces.

What are you grateful for?

Be Artistic...

There is no limit to the human imagination. We all have the potential to use what we are given to the best of our ability and to be all that we can be. Psychology teaches us that creativity not only can spark creative genius and make us happier, it can bring about a certain enlightenment and child like joy into our everyday lives.

So go on. Get out the sketch book and draw. Find the paint brushes in your cupboard, get them out, and use them!! Or join a pottery class. I did. It feels great.

Positive Psychology

We all have a thing or two to learn about being happy. We all have times in our lives where we are sad, angry, frustrated etc. What I have found overwhelmingly is that having a positive attitude to life can greatly improve quality of life. This is evident in the fact that people who have hard, perhaps painful lives can be grateful and happy in their situation. Alternatively there are those who seem to have it all but are still unhappy.

We need to create a more positive society by focusing on positive rather than negative. This is the basis of positive psychology theories, which posit that we should be concentrating on what is right with ourselves, rather than what is wrong. On our strengths, rather than weaknesses. In psychology, when we consider changing the mindset like this, it is commonly known as cognitive-shifting. A shift from the negative to the positive. Try it for a day. Commit to it. You will see results.