Fifty four ~ 50/50

"The evidence is in (she lied to me).  The defendant has given a pretty good defense (she said she didn't really say it, and that I misunderstood) but really nothing is conclusive, how am I supposed to judge this one?"

When we are in doubt, it is best to give them the benefit of the doubt.  If we really can't find any solid conclusive evidence then we should just dismiss the case.  Perhaps we will get more clarity or proof at a later date, then we can take another look at the case and go from there.  Dropping the case now is better than dragging something on and on that you just cant prove. On the other hand, if the case really is invalid, then you did the right thing.  It isn't fair to hold something against someone when you aren't even positive that it actually happened.  Just let it go.

Is there an unfulfilled relationship/friendship you are currently in?  Are you still unsure if someone did something and holding a grudge against them just because you don't know what else to do?  Take the time today to get the facts and make a decision today.  Stop dragging it out, do it now.

People deserve the decency of being treated fairly and lovingly.  Get the facts and deliver the verdict. 

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Fifty three ~ Misplaced idealism

"She shouldn't have stolen from him, but is so wealthy, and she is so poor, so what's the problem?"

It is important that we don't find a reason to justify something that isn't OK no matter what.  It is good to have compassion, but make sure it is properly placed.  It is better to set up two departments, one as the Judgement section (Justice system) and one as the Social Kindness section.  If a judgement is necessary, then it needs to be handed down.  By all means hand down the judgement, but if you feel compassion, then help them repay that judgement with community service or something of the like.

Think of a situation in your life where you need to be tough because something wrong was done, but you find it hard to be tough because you have pity on the person.  Do you have someone in your life that treats you abusively, but you feel they are justified?  (maybe they were having a bad day)

Be a good judge:

1. "Should this person behave like this?" (regardless of justifications)
2. "What should be done to/for this person to help this not happen again?"
3. "What can I do, or get other's to do to help this person with their problem now and in the future?"

Maybe you need someone else to help you with these questions.   We can be strong, courageous, stand up for what is good and right whilst simultaneously being loving compassionate, giving and kind.  This exercise shows us how we can have the best of both worlds.  We don't have to associate being an objective judge with being a heartless tyrant.  We can do what's good for everyone.  It just means handling the judging process in two parts.

When we learn to judge others with the two outlooks, we will be able to transform our current environment into one that is perfect for happiness to take root, grow and flourish.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty seven ~ Listen Carefully to the Prosecutor

What if this negative stuff people are saying is true?  What if we NEED to know it?  What if the information will help me to protect myself?  That is where it gets sticky.  Sometimes it may be necessary for us to listen to the garbage, so that we can be a good and informed judge.  When listening to the prosecutor, we need to ask ourselves "Is this true?"  We can't just believe the accusations, we need to listen carefully and determine if the evidence is believable.

"I bought this toaster and they charged me $20 more than the guy down the street, that guy is a thief!"  Just because you can find the same toaster somewhere else doesn't necessarily make that guy a thief, does it?  At this point, we probably need more information.  Is everything in his store higher than everyone else?  Do some investigating for yourself. Maybe its not the same model... maybe the other store has theirs on clearance... would it really be fair to deem this guy a thief at this point?

Think about something you heard recently.. something negative about another person.  Think about the evidence presented, was it just and fair?  Or was it opinion?  Check it out for yourself and see if the judgement was fair.

Sometimes we are biased.  Sometimes we are wrong.  Sometimes we are selfish.  You can't believe everything that you are told.  You're a smart person, listen carefully, ask more questions, if it merits your concern, do your own independent investigation.  I certainly don't want to be judged just by one person's opinions.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty five ~ Hearing the charge

The dynamics of Judging Objectively

The next sections are some ways to learn how to objectively judge other people.  They are guidelines to help us maintain a positive outlook on life and not get dragged down by other's negativity whilst at the same time not living in La-La Land where we are not prepared to protect ourselves against the negative side of humanity.

Until now we have been focusing on seeing the good, but that doesn't mean negative influences don't exist - they do.  We just want our mind to focus on what is good in the world because that will make us happy.  We cannot focus on the bad, we need to focus on the good stuff in our lives.  This section hopes to provide some guidelines to help walk the line between the two.

Learning to judge people / situations has four steps:

• Hearing the charge
• Listening to the Prosecutor
• Hearing the Defense
• Handing down Judgments

When we pass judgment we need to start a court case.  Listen to the charge and then decide if it is serious enough to warrant a court case.  (not a REAL court case, silly)  If someone were to step in front of the judge is the charge worth the judges time and attention?  In this situation, we are the judge.

1.  Does this come under our jurisdiction - do I need to know about it so I can take action?  Has this negative comment or action got anything to do with me or my life?

2.  Is it important enough to dwell on or is the accusation trivial?

3.  Is the person reading out the charges a trustworthy person?

Bottom line  - Do I really NEED to know this information?

Make a note (mental or otherwise) of how many times someone concentrates your attention on something negative, unpleasant or not to their taste, whether it be about another person, place thing or event.  Then at the end of the day add up how many of those comments you really need to hear.

If there is someone in your life that is always filling your head with negativity, it is time to turn that off.  It is time to turn on our filter and only accept necessary information.  It is a constant battle to shut out the negativity, but it is necessary.  People that struggle seeing the good in things love to share the negativity.  We don't have to see the world through them.

If we can filter out the bad and share the good, we may even change those negative people into positive people.  Stop being dragged down and maybe start dragging people up!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Key #2 ~ Objectivity

Learn to rise above it all, scale the mountain of self absorption, bias and subjective decision making.  (That's a tall order!)

Looking at people and their situations objectively is like being on the top of the mountain looking down at the world and seeing clearly where every road leads, every corner turns into etc.  Learning the skills of objectivity allows us to render good, fair and honest judgments about the events and people in our life.  When we choose a good path, an easy road to travel or a more direct route from the vantage point on top of the mountain of objectivity, then our life will naturally run more smoothly, have less bumps, hiccups or surprises and we will know that we are heading in the right direction towards our goals.

Learning how to be objective is learning how to be a giver.  How is that?  You might ask.  It is because objectivity is giving ourselves and others the gift of a good and fair decision or judgement.

Objectivity allows us to be a loving, fair and caring person and at the same time not be walked all over, spat on, used or abused.  Only through learning the ability to be objective can we find the happy and healthy balance between seeing what's good in everything and protecting our precious positive world against negative influences, which may destroy all the positive and good work that we have tried so hard to nurture!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Conclusion

The first of the 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness is to see the good.  See how good you are, how good your life is, how good other people are and how good everything is.  We learned how to recognize the good, appreciate the good and be thankful for the good.  When we practice seeing the good and it becomes our new way of viewing the world - we will feel more than happy, we will feel the ecstasy of living, the serenity of everyday and a quiet, calm satisfaction with life.

There is one poison that can kill our happiness and positivity and that is cursing/wishing bad upon others.  if we want to be happy, we have to avoid doing this.  We have to be 100% clear that cursing others who have done good to us is the fastest way to destroy our own inner joy.

The first key to happiness is based on the first of the seven commandments given to Noah.  It is interesting to note that this was "Do not curse the Ultimate Source of All Goodness."  At first glance it doesn't seem like a key to happiness.  But if we analyze it, we see that the first key to happiness is seeing the good, appreciatei9ng it and being grateful, and the ONLY way we can achieve this is if we don't slip into negative thinking and habits.  We have to open our eyes to the good in our lives, and then we have to be careful to never repay the one who gave us their good with bad (even in our thoughts.)  However, if we are not careful to avoid ingratitude and bitterness, we will inevitably spiral into a negative loop and in a split second ruin all our happiness.

If we can rise above our natural downward pull of negativity and avoid cursing, bitterness and hate, and instead strengthen ourselves to see the good, even in the most trying of circumstances, we will make it through the Gate of Happiness dancing and singing with this key.




Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Twenty six ~ Speak it Out

When we've mastered the ability to see the good in everyone and everything then it is time to speak it out!  A person will naturally talk about things that interest them.  An important step in positive thinking is positive talking.  If we talk about happy things, most people will interact with happy things.  Happy is contagious.  People are drawn to happy, who doesn't want to be happy?  The key is to be genuine.  We have to use our own words, and express things that we notice and emotionally feel are positive.  Let's try to focus all our powers of concentration on the great things in our lives and we will find naturally that we will want to share our life and positivity with others.

Try to have and ALL positive conversation with a friend.  This conversation has nothing negative and no complaining.  Get out a timer and see how long you can do it.

Speech is a gift given to mankind and it is a major factor that differentiates a human from an animal.  Speech turns potential into actuality, a thought into a word, an abstract thing into a concrete reality.  Speaking affects our emotions.  If we speak inspiring words we inspire ourselves and others.

How serious are you about upgrading your life?  Talk about it and keep talking about it until you see it.  We can harness the power of speech and use it for good!  Positive speech will make us feel good and motivate others to share our visions.  This exercise will make you a positive person.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirteen ~ Making Good Better

When you look in the mirror do you like what you see?  I'm not talking about your physical traits.  I'm talking about your inner self.  Are you a nice person?  Are you a grumpy person?  Are you giving?  Are you mean?  I think that I am a pretty nice person, most of the time.  There are days that I should probably go back to bed so I don't have to be mean.  The awesome thing is, we can look at our situation and change it.  We don't have to be mean, or rude, or angry all the time.  

If we find ourselves listening to the voice that says it takes too much work to change things then we aren't listening to our inner quiet voice. Our quiet inner voice is telling us that we can be happy and we can work at it!  Everything takes effort and isn't our happiness worth the effort?

There are days when we will feel low.  This is the way we are made, we have ups and we have downs.  We are like waves in the ocean - with high waves and low troughs.  Accepting the fact that we are having a low day, and that we will have them in the future, helps us cope with them when they come because we won't be shocked that another low day has come.  We can even learn how to prepare to handle these low days when they come.  The best way of preparing for a low day is to plan ahead.  Before we are feeling low, we need to ask ourselves, "How should I look after myself when I'm feeling low?" and listen to the quiet answers.

"I know when I feel low I get angry easily and I say nasty things for no good reason.  So one day, when I was in a good mood, I imagined myself in an angry mood and then I floated above the angry mood, and I stopped myself saying something nasty.  I replayed this image in my mind many times.  When I did eventually hit a bad mood day, I found it so much easier to cope with - I floated above my angry mood and didn't say anything I regretted.  I felt like I was just performing a play that I had rehearsed many times over - I was a star!"  (Warren, 1056 KV)

Now it's time to dream a great dream.  It is a dream of who you could really be.  We call this person the 'Ultimate me'.  The ultimate me is a type of person you envisage yourself as if you could dream what the best you would look like.  What you really would like to be, how would you like to interact with life/people etc?  How would you like your friends, family and associates to describe you?  What would you like written on your tombstone, or said at your funeral?

Reflect and ask yourself,  "What would the ultimate me look like?"  Write it down...

Sitting down and writing it out is a great exercise to help us in forming who we want to be.  By looking at things we can see what characteristics we need to build on.  This will be more beneficial when we come back and look at it 3 or 6 months from now.  

 Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Twelve ~ You owe it to yourself & others

Positive people make better people.  End of story.  Better friends, better spouses, better parents, better children, better workers, better bosses and better human beings.  If you don't want to be happy for yourself, do it for everyone else!

You see it all the time, you go to the store and the checkout clerk is slow, rude and you're considering leaving the store without your purchase.  Or, there's the clerk that greets you, asks questions and you end up leaving with a smile on your face.  Which one do you prefer?

When we are down, it shows, and we drag everyone else down with us.  Our attitude is contagious.  Don't you want to spread happiness?  Take a look at the people that you surround yourself with.  Are they happy people, or are they contributing to your path to grumpy land?  You can't spend all of your time with grumpy people and remain happy, its impossible.

Make a commitment to yourself that: "From today onwards I will walk on the path of trying to see and speak about the goodness in everyone and everything - past, present and future."  Write it down, post it somewhere to remind yourself... on the fridge or maybe the bathroom mirror.

Writing out a commitment statement is a great way to help us succeed in life.  Take what you've learned today and adapt it to another aspect of your life.  Practice frequently.  Resolve to read your commitments out loud every day for 2-3 months and watch how our outlook changes.  You can do it!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Nine ~ Living in the Real world

We are all different people and see things in different ways.  One person make look at your situation and see something completely different than what you see.  Does that make them wrong?  Does that make you wrong?  It all depends on our focus.  Do we see the good in everything or do we focus on the bad?   When we see the bad we spend all of our time complaining about how awful things are.  We like to tell others about how miserable our life is so we will feel better knowing that they feel sorry for us.  I have actually found myself trying to find someone in a worse situation than me just so I could listen to them complain awhile and feel better about my own miserable situation.

It's time to look at our perception of things and tweak it just a little (or maybe a lot) so that we are seeing the good in everything, not the bad. 

Focus on something in your life right now that is causing you grief.  Now try to find the goodness that lies in the problem.  Example:  My child has been in the hospital for 3 days.  The goodness I see in this is I've noticed so much kindness has been extended to me by so many people, I appreciate my child so much more and we have grown closer as a result of this incident.

  

There is a shift somewhere that we have to find where we realize that happiness is a reality, not just a place to escape to now and then.  Happiness is something that we can achieve even in the middle of our burdens.  This exercise helps us to see life in a different light.  You don't have to look at the negative.  Focus on the good, find the good, it is there in everything.

 Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Eight ~ It is all up to us

No-one, no matter how well meaning they are, has the power to make us happy.  Just like nobody can use our eyes and see for us, nobody can use our minds and create happiness within us.  It isn't what others are doing for us that makes us feel happy, it is how we interpret what they are doing.  We choose how we interpret each situation.  People can say or do tings that make it easier for us to think happy uplifting thoughts, but essentially they are not the ones that make us happy.

We have so many people in our lives that care for us.  However, they don't have the power or ability to make us happy.  They may try hard to make us happy, but it doesn't matter what others do or say to us, in the long run we are the only ones that can create that state of bliss in our minds.

 

1.  Ask yourself "Is there anyone in my life that I'm really waiting for to make me happy?  eg I thought I would be happy if I wasn't single, but now I'm married I still don't feel happy.  I thought I would be happy if I quit my job, but now I'm self-employed, I'm still not happy.  I thought I'd be happy if my children behaved themselves, but now they've grown up and left home, I'm still not happy. 

2.  The next time we hear ourselves blaming someone (by thinking or sayig "its your fault"), resolve to stop, turn things around and ask "How can I see the good or positive side of this situation?"

 

When we realize that we are the only ones responsible to make ourselves happy, then we can give up waiting around for happiness.  Happiness is at our doorstep.  It's there within our reach, its a power we possess.  Nobody can give it to us and nobody can ever take it away from us once we have learned how to do it.

Let's take control of our lives, free ourselves from the power others have over us and throw away any excuses that stand in our way of being happy.  our ticket to self empowerment is just one exercise away.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Seven ~ When Good Goes Stale

We something that we must have and do whatever we have to do to get it.  Now we have it, its ours!  It's so cool and awesome and I am so happy now that I have it.  But how long does that last?  We love it until we lose interest and then there it is.  And eventually we find something else.  We get used to things, that billboard that never changes that you pass on your way to work.  Do you actually hear the birds chirping outside?  Do you see the clouds rolling by?  We are desensitized to the world around us, and the only way to re-sensitize ourselves, is to make a conscious effort to remain focused and to tune into the good in our lives.

How much effort goes into learning how to appreciate wine?  People take wine appreciation courses, just to learn how to appreciate a simple beverage.  Just like people who learn how to appreciate wine become wine connoisseurs, we can become LIFE connoisseurs.  We can learn to appreciate every experience, every possession, every relationship, just by making a conscious effort to focus on appreciating what we have whilst we are participating in enjoying it.

Pick one of the following:

1.  An experience (eating an apple)
2.  A possession (your bed)
3.  A relationship (your best friend)

Now try and become a connoisseur of the thing you have chosen for the day.

Let's say you chose your bed.... notice how the blankets feel on your body, how the pillow holds your head, how your sheets feel and smell.

Wouldn't it be great if we could look at life through the eyes of an artist?  - see all the details, textures, shades, lighting?   Let's look at a tree through the eyes of an artist.  How would you draw it?  If we can master the technique of being a connoisseur of life then we will be able to experience heightened levels of pleasure in our relationships, career and life.  Simultaneously we will succeed in developing our creativity, "out-of-the-box" thinking ability, and optimism.  Go on...

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Six ~ First Stop (and Key #1)

Day five was about starting the cruise and the questions were designed to make you think.

1.  What does happiness mean to you?
2.  Write down 3 ways your life would be different if you lived in a state of happiness.

These questions were supposed to make you look at what you think would make you happy.  If you were able to achieve happiness, would you be truly happy?  "When trying to define what happiness means to us, we would be wise to project into the future and think deeply.  If we can envisage ourselves living our lives according to our definition and having a feeling of complete satisfaction and bliss ~ then our definition is probably a good one.  Before we shoot for the stars, its good to know which star we are trying to reach."  (Warren, 2010, p532  KV)


If we can think of three tangible ways that improving our levels of happiness will enhance our lives, we will automatically start to focus on being happy and our lives will become better - without doing anything.  It's an amazingly powerful tool.  Just using our imagination to dream of a better life, sets the wheels in motion for us to have a better life.

When we're done with this journey, it will be awesome to come back to this day and see how much our lives have changed.  We may be pleasantly surprised to discover that our lives have improved dramatically especially in the three ways we have identified in this exercise.

Let's move on now...

Key #1 ~ See the Good

Its time for the first of the 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness!!  Since happiness is a choice, we can choose to live happy lives by learning to see what's so good about life.  We can train ourselves to see the cup as half full, not half empty and to see the silver lining behind every cloud.  Accustoming ourselves to stop, notice, appreciate and even smell the roses, makes life more pleasant.  This is the first and most important of the Ancient Keys to Happiness.  Seeing the good in everything is the skeleton key that opens all doors.  Every block we have in our lives is due to not being able to see the good that lies within the situation.  once we learn the art of extracting the good from every experience, situation, person or interaction we will find we are able to sail smoothly and happily through life - wherever life happens to lead us.

The first stop in the journey of life towards bliss and happiness is to know how to recognize the goodness and sweetness that already exists in our lives.  We have some situations that don't look "pretty" but even then we can still learn to enjoy them.  These situations are more like oysters than roses.  Many things in life are like oysters, they may look hard and cold on the outside, disgusting and smelly on the inside, but in fact there are pearls of magnificent beauty contained wihtin them.  When we train ourselves to search for the pearls and cast aside the oyster, in every part of our lives we will be on the way to true happiness.

...Monday morning, alarm goes off,  immediately you realize how much you hate Mondays, why do I have to go to that job?  Why can't I do something else?  

OYSTERS... where is the pearl?

What would life be like if I couldn't get out of bed?  What if I didn't have an awful job to go to?  What if I was fired?    As you realize all of these things, you slowly get dressed....  What if I didn't have shoes to put on?  What if I didn't have feet?   All of our thoughts can be shifted at any time, we just need to choose to do so.  

It's not what we've got, but how much we focus on enjoying what we have that will bring happiness.  It is completely irrelevant whether other people also have what we have as to whether we are enjoying ourselves or not.   The more intensely we can focus on the good things that we are currently enjoying, the happier we become.  

Let's tune into seeing the beautiful roses that are in our lives.  Sit down for 15 minutes and write down a list of all the good things you have.  These may fit into the following categories:

1.  Physical - head, nose, mouth, clothes, shoes, car

2.  People - friends, family, acquaintances

3.  Emotional - an appreciation of music, ability to feel emotions

See if you can add 5 new ones to each of the categories each day for the next week!

This exercise helps build your positive thinking muscle.  Writing, prioritizing and appreciating is training ourselves to notice the good things.  Awareness.  The things we concentrate on happen more often.  The more we notice and appreciate how many material blessings we have the more they will increase.  if we notice and appreciate those that we love then our love for them will increase.  If we notice and appreciate the good in ourselves then that part will naturally begin to shine forth more.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Five ~ Starting the Cruise

Before we start on the journey towards the City of Happiness together we need to make sure we're all looking at the same map, and all heading in the same direction.

- "I think happiness is a state of complete euphoria, like living on cloud 9 constantly."

- "I think happiness is a quiet soft feeling of contentment."

- "I think happiness is the thrill of wild excitement running through your veins constantly."

If we are aiming for a state called "Happiness" we need to know what it is we think we are trying to achieve. In order to reach this goal of inner-bliss we are going to be learning lots of new, exciting and interesting information and tools. . (Warren, 2010, p496-512  KV)

By now, I am hoping that you've found (or went out and purchased) a notebook or notepad to jot down the exercises that we have been doing.  At the end of each lesson, there is a "your turn" section.  If you don't have something dedicated to this portion, today is the day to make that happen.  We have 85 more days to go and its time to get serious.  Keeping everything in one spot makes it easy to refer back to and you will always know where you are.

Write down what you want.   What does happiness mean to YOU?  Not your spouse/significant other, not your kids, not your friend, YOU.

Will these desires actually make  you happy once you've reached them?  Maybe you need to adjust your desires.  Maybe you're heading down the wrong path.    It will be interesting to see how our views change once we begin our journey.  If your path changes as we go, its ok.  The goal is to listen to that quiet voice.  What is that voice telling you?  

1.  What does Happiness mean to you?

2.  Write down 3 ways your life would be different if you lived in a state of happiness?

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Four ~ Two are Better Than One

 "Now I'm going to take you on a journey to true bliss.  On the journey, reflect and ask yourself   "Is this true?" and if it is, then ask yourself, "What should be done with this information?" and wait to hear a quiet answer." (Warren, 2010, p439  KV)

 The first step in navigating towards a more blissful existence is to learn to make good friends... and keep them.  Who is a good friend?  Ask your quiet voice.

A good friend will guide us, support us, encourage us, inspire us and love us!

A true friend sticks by you no matter what.  A friend isn't a friend because of the things we give them.  A good friend is a giver not a taker.  Friends make everything better, deeper, more beautiful.  This book is best when shared with a friend.  Welcome, friend!

Maybe you're coming to realize that you have lots of friends, but they are only around when they need something from you.  Maybe they aren't really friends afterall.  It's time to get some good friends, the ones that will love you.

Do you have a friend that you want to share this walk with?  Invite them!  The more the merrier. 

1.  Get quiet and ask yourself "Who would make a good lifelong friend?"

2.  See if they'd like to join you for this adventure towards inner bliss.

Go on..

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Three ~ Keeping in Touch

"I found it,"  Kate said, "I listened for a few days, and finally I heard it.  I have a problem though - I don't want to do what it said.  It tells me to be responsible and I want to be carefree.  It tells me to tell the truth, when I want to tell a little white lie - it's a pest!"

Have you found that quiet voice deep inside?  Is it a pest?  Is it stealing your fun?  It is part of the process.  Sometimes the things it tells us to do are inconvenient.  The more time you spend listening to this inner voice, the sooner you will see that it isn't there to take away our fun.  That voice is there to point us in the right direction, to help us achieve things that will bring us true happiness.  When we fail at something, this is not the voice that is telling you "I told you it was too hard for you."  Our inner voice says "Wow!  You did great, you should try again."

Warren states "If our quiet voice tells us we should set up an institution for disable people, we don't have to feel bad if we don't go out and do it... If the quiet voice is persistent with grand desires - then we should follow the path that will lead us there.  However, we may find that we will reach a point of satisfaction and not desire to follow through with our original grandiose plans (e.g. of setting up an institute for disable people)  If we are doing small acts that are similar to our original plan e.g. helping a disabled person once a week, we may notice that we no longer desire to set up that institute.  Why?  Because the quiet voice's grand plans are sometimes wil fantasies based on an unfulfilled need we have deep inside... Once we start feeding our deep needs, we may find that our original grand plans become sidelined.  But, we should never sell ourselves short, if our quiet voice really craves for us to set up an institution - then eventually, step by step - we'll get there.  We just need to keep asking the quiet voice what to do next, keep up the dialogue and keep listening."

Today I will try to take one step towards:    (write it down)

If we have worked hard and taught ourselves how to access our dep wisdom then we are completely foolish to ignore its good advice.   Success is not achieved over night.  Success also isn't always measured by achieving our original dream or goal - but success IS being able to make and appreciate the small steps needed in order to reach our goal.  Success is when we get up from a fall and try again.  Success is when we beat that part of ourselves that wants to give up and resign itself to mediocrity.  Success is when we keep dreaming, hoping and planning for a better future (whilst simultaneously appreciating all that we have right now.) (Warren, 2010, p422  KV)

Get up, dust off those dreams, reflect deeply on what you really want out of life and who you really want to be and step forward TODAY.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Two ~ Learning to Listen

Yesterday we took a moment to ourselves to try to find that inner voice.  Today we touch bases again and learn to listen.


How did it go yesterday?  Were you able to find your voice?  With all of the holiday noise going on, I struggled a little.  It seems that there is always something to do and even when its quiet, the noise in my head is so loud.  I was able to escape into a quiet inner moment and my inner voice was so happy to see me.   I could literally feel the joy inside.

Learning to Listen

..."Money, power and prestige are not synonymous with happiness.  (what?!?!?)  However, as we all know - it doesn't mean we live in bliss if we DON'T have them, but it also doesn't mean we ARE happy if we DO have them - they don't bring us lasting happiness ON THEIR OWN.  Money, power and prestige are like cars that we can use to drive us towards happiness.  But if we are just driving around, not knowing where we are supposed to be going then we won't arrive at our destination, and we might get very frustrated and lost.  It is a bit ointless spending all our time and effor in upgrading and improving our cars, without actually knowing where we are planning to drive them.

By learning to listen to our inner voice, we'll be turning on the GPS navigation system in our car.  Our deep reflective quiet voice will lead us towards happiness.  Listening to our quiet voice is not escaping into our thoughts; it is bringing our thoughts out into the open.  The quiet voice is always there, and is talking to us - we just need to tune in and it will guide us towards a life of bliss."  (Warren, 2010, p 333 KV)

 Steal a quiet moment today and find your inner voice.  "What can I do today to increase the levels of joy I feel in my life?"  now wait...

Write down your answer!

This is about learning to listen.    We really do know what we need, if we can take time to listen.  

"In order to develop our creativity and ability to think outside the box of current problems and existence, we need to free our mind from the humdrum routine of life that we constantly preoccupy ourselves with.  When we take the time to teach ourselves to slow down, relax and reflect, we can then start using that amazing gift of our brain to help us.  With deep reflective thought we can actually come up with most of the answers to all of our problems.  So instead of suffering our problems we can use our brain to solve our problems."  (Warren, 2010, p 355 KV)

Today is a brand new day.  Go knock its socks off!  See you tomorrow!

 Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

One ~ Getting in Touch

Today we begin our journey into the 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness.  This is a 90 day guide to achieving inner-bliss.  This book is by S. Warren and is available through Amazon here:

7 Ancient Keys to Happiness

Or here for a FREE Kindle download:

FREE Kindle Version of 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness

The book is divided into 3 main principles:

• SMELL EVERY ROSE - See the good in everything
• CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN - Judge things objectively
• LOVE EVERY DAY - Love yourself

Here we go!

 

Getting in touch

Take a moment to think about your day, start to finish.

• Where did you go?
• What did you do?
• Did you accomplish anything?
• Did you forget something?
• What did you eat?
• ARE YOU HAPPY?

Sit with those questions.  Now focus on the last one.  ARE YOU HAPPY?  Who is answering that question?  Is it the selfish you, or that teeny tiny voice deep down inside that really knows what its talking about?

 We want to get in touch with that little voice inside.  In fact, we want to embrace that little voice and pay close attention to it.  "Tapping into how we think is the beginning of self-knowledge.  Once we understand how we work, we can then manipulate, control and use our inherent awesome powers to have a wonderful life." (Warren, 2010, p 274 KV)

Find a quiet spot, or maybe you are most centered somewhere noisy.  It is a different place for each of us, go there and just be.

Am I happy?

There is only one you.  In order to take better care of yourself you will need to find out who you are and what your needs are.  Warren states " Each person has internal care instructions for themselves hard wired into their personality, which means each person in this world has the ability to find out who they are and how to maximize their potential.  The care instructions are deep within us, embedded in our consciousness, intuition or felt at times of inspiration."

Our first step towards achieving inner bliss is to recognize that we have that deep intuitive self and becoming best friends with our truths.   Reading, hearing, believing are short term commitments.  Take that first step and spend 15 minutes with yourself.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

If you have stumbled upon the blog and wish to join us on Facebook for the group portion, we'd love to have you:

1.  LIKE us on Facebook:  Chicken Soup Sandwich Facebook Page

2.  Click on this link to join the event:  Achieving Inner Bliss Event

3.  Click "Join Group" to begin your journey:  Join the Facebook Group