You Will Not Be Unhappy If You Are Grateful

A study was done about what causes people to feel unhappy, and in turn what makes them happy. It was found that people can be unhappy and loving at the same time, and also unhappy and serving others at the same time. However, the test showed that people cannot be unhappy and grateful at the same time. To be grateful means we are fulfilled, thankful, and appreciative. When we are focused on what we are grateful for the results are feelings of joy, happiness, and pleasure. We can be grateful for many things from the people who listen to us and love us to the material possessions that mean a lot to us. We won't have unhappy, distressed, and unpleasant feelings which are disagreeable to our senses and thoughts. When we are grateful, we are not depressed and discontent, instead our countenance becomes one of cheerfulness, and we have a sense of being glad to be alive. We are satisfied and fulfilled, and our state of being is marked by peace and contentment. Happiness is one of the by-products of being grateful. If we have joy and are doing the right things, and  living the right way (and we know  it), we will be happy. When we give thanks for what we have and what we have accomplished we can't possibly be unhappy. As an example, one time when I was sad and hurt, someone told me to make a gratitude list noting all the things I was grateful for and while I was doing it I realized these were the things that made me the happiest and I began to feel better. So when you are miserable and down and out, take a good look at what you have, especially your God given gifts and the the non-material, positive qualities no one can take away from you. Chances are you will soon feel the feelings gratefulness and happiness create.

Are You Fulfilled?

On line I participate in a Daily Challenge everyday put on by Me You Health.Yesterday our challenge was to explore our best self by finishing the sentence: "I always feel fulfilled when I....." We are told that "as we make it through our busy days we usually don't  have time to stop and think about what makes us our best and most fulfilled selves. By taking a moment to explore what fulfills us, it helps remind us what's special and purposeful about our lives." It appears that Me You Health was referencing something specific, but being fulfilled can also mean we are satisfied with our lives overall. On one level, we find fulfillment from within, on another level it is because we have obtained or accomplished something tangible. Fulfillment goes more hand and hand with contentment than it does with happiness, as contentment and fulfillment are more deeply felt from the heart and they cause a certain sense of peace, whereas happiness is marked by the experience of  joy or pleasure. Fulfillment and contentment from within are states of being where we are comfortable with our situation in life and in alignment with our tastes, likings, environment, and circumstances. There is also a feeling of being acceptable not only to others, but ourselves. We don''t ask for more than life presents to us and don't complain or blame. There was a cute story I read on line about a dairy company in the 1900's whose slogan was "Our milk is good milk because it comes from contended cows." When we are fulfilled, we are working towards, or have achieved, what we have sought for: a goal, a passion, a purpose, a dream, or a vision. Ultimately, we may develop a philosophy of living so that we can become fulfilled and thereby live richer, deeper, and more satisfying lives. It seems to me, just my spin on it, that  being fulfilled means we are "filled up." How would you complete the sentence, "I always feel fulfilled when I..... ?"

Procrastination is just one Habit

Procrastination is usually considered a bad habit as it is thinking about something we feel we should be doing while we are doing something else. It is delaying, or putting off, a project, doing something for someone else, or going somewhere we don't want to go. It may be unpleasant or difficult, or just something we don't feel like doing. People who procrastinate, or have other bad habits, are often plagued by guilt and berate themselves. A solution regarding habits like procrastination is to simply feel the emotions of not wanting to do what we really feel we should be doing and accepting how we truly feel on the inside. Acceptance helps free us to make calm, thoughtful, and rational decisions; rejection of our feelings and emotions makes us run back to our bad habits for comfort and a vicious cycle begins. We seem to look away from our flaws and mistakes, in other words, deny them. We need to see them and address them quickly and continuously accepting everything that happens without condemnation. Procrastination is just one habit we may become anxious over, not exercising may be another. I don't know about you, but I have a list. It seems strange, but our habits are comfortable because they are what we know and there is often fear of the unknown. Then too, giving up a bad habit may lead to liking ourselves better which we may be uncomfortable with as well, sabotaging is a real thing. So, the best way to improve a bad habit is to first accept it unconditionally, feeling the feelings, then visualize what we would like to do (eliminate or substitute), and lastly, make a conscious choice out of the positive rather than the negative.