Sixty four ~ The Pleasure of being In-Charge

It is kind of ironic that today I finally decide to get back to posting and it happens to be the day that we read about being in charge.  I haven't been in charge for weeks now :(

We love to be in control.  We love to push ourselves beyond what we believe to be our limits.  It brings a sense of accomplishment, our own little high  "look what I just did!!!"  We can also get this feeling from biting our tongues when we really want to say something mean and awful (even if its true).   When we do things that we know we shouldn't we get a sense of guilt, that certainly isn't an enjoyable adventure.  If we do something that we didn't want to, or say something we shouldn't have, we feel bad.

We are not doomed to act according to old negative habits, we can free ourselves from these patterns by deciding to be the "real me".  It isn't going to be easy, or instant.  When we do or say something negative, remind yourself  "that is the old me".  Pick yourself back up and do the right thing. 

Be the boss today!  Do something right!  React the way your "real me" wants to react.  Stop putting things off.  Enjoy the "real you"  today!

Once you recognize that part of you is tough, strong, disciplined and focused then we can act as that person.  This exercise will empower you to be the person you want to be.  Little by little, the more you try,  the sooner it will be natural.  You will have fewer regrets in life, better interpersonal relationships and a hugely upgraded level of self love!

Sixty three ~ Doing good leads to feeling good

Its a fact, when we do something good, it makes us feel good.  It sparks something inside of us, our feel good feeling.  We get a little high from doing good.  It is a simple pleasure in life to give pleasure or to relieve the pain of another.  Once we recognize when we do good, we need to retain that feeling of value.  Don't downplay it by saying "its no big deal."  It is a big deal.

Don't fall into the trap of "so what if I did something good?"  Pat yourself on the back, feel good about it.... go do it again.

• Do something good and kind for another person today, and then reflect back on how that made you feel.  Get in touch with how great you feel when you do something good.   
• Now, update your self-definition to incorporate the good that you just did.  Imagine someone asked you:  Who are you and what is your essence?  Prepare an answer by writing down a self definition with all of your good points at the top of the list.  Read your list.  Daily.  Update your list whenever you do something good and incorporate that into your self definition. 

It really is very simple.  Do good.  Value the good you did.  It's not arrogance, it is self-love.  You do make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.    Take the time to own it and feel it.

Fifty nine ~ Lost Cause

There are givers and there are takers.  Takers will take just as much as you let them take and they won't understand when you stop, because what was wrong with them taking what you were giving them?  They aren't even grateful for the things that you give them.  They just expect it, and somehow rationalize that you have always given to them, so now you kind of owe them.

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this.  Those people aren't good for you.  We need to see clearly enough to see that they are bottomless pits of demands on us.  They won't ever appreciate us and what we give them.   And we're really not doing them a favor by giving.   It's time to say no.  And mean it. 

The same rules apply to our problems.  We need to know with 100% clarity that WE are the only ones who can be responsible for the problems we have, its no use blaming others.  We are the only one responsible for our mental well being.  We can't solve other people's problems, but we can solve our own.

1. Do you have a relationship where the other person refuses to take responsibility for his/her behavior?  If so, then what steps should you take to start freeing yourself from this burden (including how will you maintain your resolve in this matter?)
2. Ask yourself:  "Do I blame anybody for a lack of anything (money, success, good character traits, etc) in my life?"  If your quiet voice answers "yes", ask: "How can I start to take control of my own well being today?"

Taking responsibility of your own life, actions and consequences of our actions will empower us to change ourselves for the good.  Trying to take responsibility for the life, actions and consequences of the actions in someone else's life will drain us and will never cause the other person to change.

This exercise helps us to change what we can change and leave what we can't.  We can focus all our energy on what we can do and not waste it on thing we can't change.  (something I work on everyday!)

Go figure out where your vitality is being drained, plug up the holes and use that vitality to change your life into an unbelievably pleasurable existence!

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

Fifty eight ~ (Not so) good friends

We all have that one friend... the one we love to hang out with... but we always seem to have trouble when we're with them..

Good friends care about your feelings and don't purposely do anything to hurt or embarrass us. 

Good friends like who we are, not what we can give them. 

Good friends will still be our friend regardless of who else is around.

Good friends care about us and will go out of their way to help or protect us.

Good friends know their own self-worth and will not tolerate us abusing them.

The better we treat our friends, the better friends we will attract.  First things first, stay away from the the not so good friends.  Second, lets consciously CHOOSE a good friend.  Finally, build the good relationships and abandon the bad ones. 

• Reflect and ask yourself... Are there any friends I have in my life that drag me down?
• Are there any people in my life that I feel positive and uplifted after talking to?
• How can I start to fill my life with people who have a positive effect on me?

This exercise is a must for those who want to build up a life of bliss.  We can construct a new, happier life by working step by step to an idealistic reality.  We can choose our friends to be people that make us feel good.  We don't have to be stuck with the same drag-me-down crowd that we've always had.  Life can be different.

It's up to you... look at what you've got and make changes where needed... sounds simple enough to me!

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

Fifty six ~ Warning Others

If we do something and it goes bad, we often don't do the same thing again.  That's foolish.  Being a joyful, upbeat person is the opposite of being a fool.  We see the good where it exists, and we also learn to judge the situation well enough to know when to avoid the bad.  We need to learn how to lovingly speak up to help others. 

There are times when we need to speak up and speak negatively about others.  If we know that something is bad or that a certain action can lead to something bad, we do need to speak out and warn them.  We need to tell others about people, places, things that can harm them. 

Since it is such a natural habit to say negative things about people, we find that we have to put in most of our effort to speak positively.  If we can think before we speak, we can be mindful of what we say.  Here are some things to think about before we speak...

• S - SURE - Make sure we saw it first hand, and that we really know what we are talking about.  This step helps us not start false rumors.
• P- POSITIVE - be positive that what we are warning the other person about is really harmful, not just our subjective opinion.
• E - EXPRESS - express our concern to the person whom we want to speak badly about.  Maybe they can correct what they did.  Maybe they have a good explanation for their actions.
• A - ACCURATE - Don't embellish or exaggerate what the person did.  Say it as it is.
• KI - KIND INTENT - Only speak up because we care about the well being of the person who we are warning.  If you speak up for revenge, you are only spreading negative information.
• N - NO OTHER WAY - try to find another way to help the person without having to lower yourself to negativity.
• G - GOOD RESULT -  sharing negative information with others should only be done to affect some positive and good result.  If the person warned will take unfair revenge or action on the person, then we shouldn't warn them.

These can be remembered by their letters - S.P.E.A.KI.N.G.  These 7 steps are our way of knowing when we need to judge another person and pass down the verdict to warn others.

1. If you are sharing this bookwork with a friend, then get your friend to test you to see if you can recall what SPEAKING stands for.  Otherwise, test yourself.
2. Before you say something negative about another person today, try and review the SPEAKING steps and see if it is really a worthwhile action.

This exercise can clarify those murky situations when we don't want to lower ourselves to speak negatively about others.  It may be a challenge to remember all seven, but practice helps. 

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

Fifty five ~ The Verdict

We've heard the charge, we've seen the evidence and we've looked at it from their point of view to find reason.  Now what?  What should we do with all of this information?

If we have found the defendant to be mentally ill, we may just decide to avoid them.  If this person happens to be a family member, then this probably isn't the answer.  As a family member, it may be our place to step in and put the hurt feelings aside and assist the defendant.  Maybe we need to assist them in getting professional help.

Judging a case takes a lot of wisdom.  And our verdict must be fair.  When judging a case it is necessary to keep our feelings of revenge or hatred out of the way.  We need to try and keep our problem solving hat on and come up with a decision that is good for everyone.  Each verdict must be specific to the evidence involved, not our personal feelings.

When we want to live a life of joy and contentment we pursue seeing the good, and simultaneously we guard ourselves and others from elements that could damage us.  This is an important principle, because purely concentrating on the good things without guarding doesn't work.  It is like growing a vegetable garden and not putting a fence around it and letting the sheep, cows, goats, etc to have free range of our garden.  It is inevitable that the garden will be destroyed and all our hard work wasted.  Likewise if we put a lot of effort into cultivating a positive attitude, a good eye and an open and loving heart, we need to protect ourselves from people and things that will destroy this.

Take a look at your life and reflect... Are there people I associate with that take me away or drag me down from being positive, happy and giving?

Identify anyone that drags you down.  Make sure its because the other person is a negative influence in your life, not because of your own inner challenges of being able to see the good in others.  Then assess whether this is a relationship that has potential.   Take a good look at it.  If the relationship is the type that has no potential, then make an objective, informed and fair decision on how to limit/remove this negative drain on your life. 

Look objectively and honestly at the people in your life.  You need to do this in order to decide which relationships to bring closer because they enhance your life and which relationships to draw away from because they will cause you pain and suffering if you continue to associate with them.

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

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 two ~ Bribes blind the eyes of the Wise

Before we can hand down the verdict, we have to make sure it is fair and just.  One of the biggest hindrances to making an objective decision is personal involvement, or a bribe.  Things that can make us not really see the situation objectively and truthfully may be when:

• Money is involved
• Our feelings have been hurt
• One person involved is a relative
• One person is more likable or honourable in our eyes that the other person
• We've been bribed

In a case, the judge would have to excuse him/herself from judging under these circumstances.  Since we can't do that, we have to use the following tools to help us judge fairly.

1. Objectivity ~  We need to pretend we are not personally involved.
2. Ask Others for Advice ~ Seek out the advice of someone who is not personally involved.

When we access our inner wisdom we will discover that the quiet voice is like an advisor.  It may not have all of the information at hand, but it will advise us how to go about getting the information we need.

1. Reflect and ask  yourself:  "Who would be a good objective person to help me with my problems?"
2. If your quiet voice doesn't know, then ask "Please help me find a mentor/guide/friend that I can trust and consult" and keep your eyes open for someone who may enter into your life, or someone you already know but hadn't thought of.

We all need someone we can ask for unbiased advice.  Our inner voice has answers for us, but we have to sit quietly and ask them.  Our mind is an unbelievable bank of knowledge, wisdom and intuition.  We know more things than we realize. 

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

Forty eight ~ You're on trial

Positive people try to make people feel good, negative people try to make people feel bad.  It really is that simple.  Don't be a carrier of negative energy, keep it to yourself, or better yet, let it go!

When you find yourself in a negative situation, ask yourself how you can turn it around and make it positive.  Don't get caught up in the negative, let it go.  Flip it to the good side. 

Think whether today or recently someone has said something negative to you or about you  "you are a scatterbrain!"  Ask yourself....  "What is the evidence?"  "Is it true?"  If the answer is yes, then pass judgement on yourself by asking: "What can I do today to help prevent this from harming myself or others in the future?"  ... buy a notebook and write things down so you don't forget them???

Earlier we learned to evaluate ourselves every day.  If someone else is doing the evaluation, then we have to check the evidence and figure out what to do.  Its good to remember that we aren't perfect, no one is. 

Be pro-active when working on interpersonal relationship mistakes.  Be honest, and apologize if you need to.  Not many people are brave enough to face their problems.  Doing this will train us in the art of self mastery, integrity and inner strength.

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 six ~ DEAF

When you are being subjected to others bombardment of needless negativity we can choose to be DEAF.

D - Defend ~ We can choose to defend the person being verbally attacked.  Once we've defended them, change the subject.

E - Educate ~ We can teach the person who is looking at the negative how to find the positive and look for the good in things.  Maybe say "I hope you don't talk like that about me."  Saying such a comment, may embarrass him/her, so again, change the subject.

A - Alter ~ Alter the subject.  Ask something like "what did you do yesterday after work?"  or make a statement "hey, that reminds me of..."

F - Flee ~ If you can't get them to stop dumping their negative garbage on your head, leave.  Pretend you need to go the the bathroom if that's all you can come up with.  But leave!

Discuss this with a friend and practice your techniques on one another. We don't have to be a victim of someone else's negativity.  We can turn it around or leave.  The more skilled we become at these tools the more we will have positive conversations and interactions with others.  People will stop being negative around us if they know we won't listen to it. 

In the long run, this isn't about them, its about us.  We need to steer clear from the negative forces out there and embrace the happiness!

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

Forty four ~ Live and let Live

Imagine we just invested many hours planning, designing and finally creating a sumptuous meal for a dinner party we were having in the evening.  Once we have made the food, we are careful to protect the food from maggot laying flies entering our kitchen and spoiling our hard work.  So too we should be careful to protect our positivity from negative "flies" entering our lives. (isn't that the truth?!?!)

Our ability to remain positive and focused on the good in our lives and other people is often hampered by various negative influences that we may have in our lives.  The influences may be certain people, places or activities that we do.  If we want to maintain our positive focus we need to learn to navigate through these negative influences that threaten to tip us off balance.

We are all judges of our own kingdom.  We judge people, places and events all day long.  In order to lead a life full of joy and happiness, we need to learn how to be objective, benevolent, but true and fair judges.  We need to know when to distance ourselves from destructive influences, and when to try and rehabilitate those destructive influences and allow them to remain around us.  When judging we need to be truthful to ourselves, we need to see the good in others, events and situations, and at the same time we need to be fully cognizant of the negativity that they may introduce.

We judge others whether we like it or not, it is a human trait to decode the environment we are living in, and judge how that affects us and act accordingly.  Judging others doesn't mean walking around with a condemning mindset, that's a good way to be miserable.  judging others means seeing the good and the not so good, then putting both of these in perspective, and analysing how this person, place or event impacts on us and the other people around us.  If we conclude that the person, place or event is having a negative effect on us then we decide what to do.

Think about a person you don't like very much.

Now ask yourself:  "Why don't I like him/her?"

Is it a feeling?  Is it based on evidence, facts, experience, etc?

Now ask yourself:

1. Am I being fair and objective in my judgment of this person?
2. Have I honestly looked at this person?
3. Am I able to see the good side of them as well as the bad?
4. Am I distancing myself from this person because they are likely to be a negative influence on me or others?

If you answered no to any of the questions then you will benefit greatly from learning the skills of being able to objectively judge others.

In order to be happy, upbeat and vibrant people we need to know how to deal with drag-me-down types of people in a loving but firm manner.  We don't need to let negative influences on us make us into bitter or angry people.  We can learn to judge objectively, taking nothing "personally" and leave our negative emotions out of it.

We can be assertive and caring, happy and firm, loving and self-assured all at the same time.  This exercise will teach us the first step, and that is getting in touch with how we currently judge people.  Over the next few days we will be looking at various ways to become a better judge and hopefully by the end of the section we will be a loving, confident, wise and objective judge.

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

Forty three ~ You're the judge

Up until now we have been talking about trying to see the good in things.  Through training ourselves to see the good, and by concentrating on that good and tracing back all of the good so that we can be thankful for the good.  The next step is to learn some tools to help us protect our ability to continue to think positively and see the good and the best tool to learn is objectivity.

The toughest part is learning to judge ourselves objectively.  We need to be able to honestly look at ourselves in the mirror and see us for who we are.  This includes the good things, while we generally notice the bad things.    Our lives and personal development are serious issues.  We have to want to improve ourselves, no one else can.  If we don't want to work at maximizing our potential, no fairy is going to come along and wave their magic wand for us.

The best method is to do a daily accounting.  Look at what you did with your day and figure out where you could have improved.  When we learn to honestly judge ourselves we are able to direct our lives towards good and avoid all the pitfalls of the past.

At the end of the day, think about your day and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What were the 3 best parts of my day?
2. What did I do (say or think) that was good or brought out the elevated side of my nature?
3. What are my goals in life?
4. How did my actions today lead me towards my goals?
5. What's one thing I did (said or thought) today that wasn't reflective of the type of person I want to be?
6. How can I do better tomorrow?

Don't be afraid to be honest with yourself, and don't be afraid to admit that you've made a mistake.  it's human to make mistakes but it's foolish not to plan ways to avoid making them again.  This exercise is the key to continued, sustained success and growth.  it will keep us positive, keep our eye on our goals and help us weed out anything we are doing that is destructive.  The essence of this exercise is to be able to look objectively at ourselves and our day and then take action.

  


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

Forty ~ It's so hard

It is easy to say thank you for the simple things... Thanks for the ride, thanks for the lunch, etc.  Why is it embarrassing say thanks for being given something big that I couldn't have accomplished on my own?  When someone does us a favor, deep down we know we owe them something.  If we find it too embarrassing to say thank you, it's because we really want to avoid admitting that we owe this person something that honestly we can't repay.  The closes we can come to repaying the favor is by paying our debt of gratitude.  The bigger the favor a person did for us, the bigger the debt we have.  With big debts, sometimes we would prefer to pretend they just don't exist.

When someone we don't like does us a favor it is a great opportunity to upgrade our happiness.  It can be a catalyst for us to start to see them in a better light than we previously saw them.  If they have done something kind for us then they MUST have some good qualities.  When we are strong enough to admit we may have been wrong about how we perceived another person, we are on the road to upgrading our levels of joy immensely.  Saying thank you is not lowering ourselves, its in fact being big, admitting our debts and repaying them - we are making ourselves higher and better people when we do this. 

Sometimes we overlook all the good and kind things that those closes to us do for us.  The magnitude of what our parents, teachers, siblings, spouse and children do is so great that we actually become desensitised to appreciating it.  If we could imagine a complete stranger doing the exact same things for us, we would really know how to notice and appreciate all the good our closest ones do for us.

Think of the 3 most important gifts you've been given in life - have you adequately thanked the giver for them?  If not, thank one of them today.  (If the person is no longer alive, you can still verbalize your gratitude and pretend they are standing in front of you.)

It's a fantastic feeling to go back over our lives and work out who we owe a debt of gratitude to and then to actually pay it by saying thank you.  The person who we thank will be so surprised.  (they'll never expect it)  We will feel good about ourselves, because we all love the pleasure of making another person happy.  We will also have sense of feeling lighter.  There will be more bounce in our step, song will pour forth from our lips and we'll smile more readily, because deep down we will actually feel the weighty debt of gratitude gone and instead we will feel our self worth soaring.

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

Thirty nine ~ Nobody Home

Take a good look around.  We are surrounded by so many good things.  Walking around and expressing thanks for all that we see, hear, smell, touch and feel is guaranteed to lift your spirits.  there isn't a day that goes by without something to be grateful for.

When we notice myriads of wonderful things in our lives, we can't help but be happy.  There is a way of making us feel a deeper sense of happiness.  Don't just notice the good, but be thankful.  The more we notice the good, and then appreciate it, the happier we will be.  When we hear ourselves say "Thank you" our appreciation levels increase.  Saying thank you is a practical tool to help us work on increasing our ability to appreciate everything.

1. Try this... at dinner tonight, see who can come up with the most number of ingredients, people, packaging and processes that were needed to get the main course on the table - the person with the most on their list gets a double dessert!  Then say a big "thank you!"
2. If you're alone, then walk around your home for 2 minutes saying "thank you" for everything you see and appreciate.  (It's helpful to set a timer that will beep when your time is up.  That way you don't get distracted by the time and lose your train of "thank you" thoughts.)

 We don't need to wait for someone to do us a favor in order to tune into the benefits of feeling grateful.  We can look around and see all of the wonderful things in our life and say "thank you."  The expression of feeling gratitude causes us to feel beloved and cared for.  Why not walk around with this feeling, even when no one is around?

Do this exercise regularly so you can recognize the exciting different things each day.  It may sound like a very simple exercise and it is, but don't let that fool you, it is very powerful.

  

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

Thirty six ~ Trace it back

To learn to cultivate the most amount of seeing the good in our lives, we can learn the skill of tracing it back to its source.  If we enjoy the shoes we are wearing, we can trace it back to feeling grateful to the shoe shop, or our mother for buying them for us, or the cow that died so we have leather, or to the grass that sustained the cow so it could grow, or the farmer who reared the cow...

The more we trace it back, the more pleasure we will be experiencing because it helps us appreciate the things we have in a more detailed way.  Tracing back our pleasures helps cultivate a feeling of "I'm so important and cared for."

Physical pleasures;  Everything that we own, body parts that allow for the ability to see, smell, hear, feel, taste.  Basically anything that brings us pleasure by seeing, touching, hearing, tasting and smelling.

Emotional pleasures; the feeling of being loved, loving others, belonging, meaning, friendship...

Achievement pleasures; winning, being the best at something, overcoming an obstacle, finishing something meaningful, being in control or having power...

Awareness/ Intellectual pleasures;  understanding something deep or profound, having clarity on an issue or having direction in life...

In order to feel these pleasures more, its great to trace them back to how we got to that pleasure, who helped us on the way, what was the original trigger that lead you on this path?

Take one pleasure from each category and see how far back you can trace it.  The further you can trace it back, the bigger your awareness of the pleasures you are experiencing, the deeper your appreciation.

If we want to be happy and really enjoy life, then we have to be aware of all the pleasures we have.  Our levels of appreciation and gratitude will soar the more often we can do this exercise.  Open your eyes to the reality around you.

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