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Change your attitude to be more positive, and your mood will lift.  The other day I went to the store and it was really busy.  As I stood in line waiting for my turn I could tell how impatient people were getting.

When my turn finally came the clerk looked at me and said, “How are you doing?”
I looked at her and replied, “I think better then you are doing, how much long until you get to go home?”  She looked at me and said, “Just a couple of hours.”  I replied with, “Good.”

I smiled at her and thanked her for being there and checking me out.  I could almost hear her breathe a sigh of relief.  I reminded her of what a good job she was doing and thanked her again as I was leaving.

Being nice hadn’t just improved the clerk’s day, but made me feel pretty good.  In times like these, people are feeling fear, frustration and anxiety.  There is not much one person can do about the economy, war in the Middle East or health care, but there are little things we can do to make life better and happier.   It is called “Positive- Attitude Adjustment,” which is cheap, easy and environmentally friendly.

Recent studies have found that the brain is very flexible.  With practice, we can obviously change our habits and even our natural disposition.

Here are two points to start with:

*Seek out positive distracters.

*Figure out what is fun for you.

We’re all trained to maximize every minute of our day.  But if we would rewire ourselves to focus on just one thing, even for one or two hours a day we’ll find we are much happier at work and more creative and productive.

By turning off electronic devices we can find time for the fun in life and cut down on our stress levels and discover uninterrupted time for other things that used to give us pleasure, like reading, taking a walk, visiting with friends, loved ones or playing with little ones.

The predictors for general happiness within are not money or prestige, but time personally spent with those who are near and dear to us.  Enjoying close and intimate relationships with those we care about and who care about us clearly an absolute prerequisite to happiness within.  It is precisely these relationships that are suffering the most in our modern world and life styles these day.

You go to the store or a restaurant now days and what do you see?  Someone on their cell phone or laptop!  Question is what ever they doing is it that important it can’t wait or are we trying to impress someone, because we are want to feel important.

Make a list of the happiest times in your life and you will find that it isn’t working, talking on your cell phone or texting someone and running around frantically trying to get everything done in one day, but the times spend personally relaxing and enjoying your loved ones to the fullest.

My husband and I find ourselves so busy these days.  He is working overtime at his job and I am working on the computer building this business.  One week end I decided that this was enough.  On a Friday night I booked a hotel room close by and left a note for him when he got home to meet me at this hotel. (I would be in the lounge.)  He had no idea what I was up to, but decided to go along with me rather then call my cell phone (Which I never hear ring anyway).  There was a little music going on in the lounge and we ended up having a nice relaxing dinner and then enjoyed the rest of the night without any distractions.  Let me tell you; it was really wonderful to forget about everything for one evening.

Here is a list of actions we decided to take for this year to help us keep our happiness within:

Act happy: Even if you aren’t (yet).  It will cheer you and everyone around you.

Seek out positive distraction: Think about what always gives you pleasure and do it.  Don’t wait for the activity to come you.  Buy tickets, call your friends, and get on a bike.

Do one thing at a time: As least for one or two hours a day.  Multitasking can make you feel tense.  Focusing on one activity is calming and allows you to enjoy the experience fully.

Spend more time with friends and loved ones: Enjoying close relationships is the No. 1 predictor of happiness within.

Take action: Passivity tends to make you feel worse.   Choosing to change, even with a very small step, is itself a mood enhancer.

Here is to your happiness within:

“May you enjoy every day of your life for the rest of your life.”By Norman Vincent Peale

Love to hear your comments!
Debbie Dee