Thoughts and such like.....
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This was the question posed to me by my friend Christine. So, I've calculated if I want to live a healthy happy life and maybe die at 90, then I have approximately 10,950 days left! So the next question is, how am I living each day? Is it filled with joy and laughter, am I doing work I love, or am I allowing stress and upset to bring me down.... Am I willing to allow that to happen, for the next week, year - when will I say enough. We all know people who say they hate their work, who can't wait for 3 years, 5 years down the road when they retire, will they be happier then? What about the time they have wasted hating what they do? What about this habit they have been practicing of being unsatisfied - will it just disappear? Shawn Actor in his book, The Happiness Advantage talks of happiness being a 'state of mind'. He notes right at the beginning that our formula for happiness is broken, we have been brought up to believe 'Success first, happiness second'. We're waiting for something - to lose ten pounds, to get into the school I want, to retire - then we'll be happy, 'it's backwards', if we practice happiness, then good things will happen. How many of us are waiting for something to happen so that we will find happiness.
What if you knew exactly when your life is over, would you still wait for that certain thing to happen, or would you start living life, enjoying each day? It's a funny thing breaking down the rest of our life into days, for me 10,950 days seems so much shorter than 30 years. How am I going to spend those days, especially the last ones, do I want to remain healthy - what will I have to do to ensure good health? We now hear that our genes only impact 20 - 30% of an individuals chance of living to 85 (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetic-factors-associated-with-increased-longevity-identified/ ), so part of my plan to live healthily was to change my diet, look at how I exercised and also how I reacted to my environment - that is how much time did/do I dwell on negativity, looking back at what 'went wrong', worrying about the future and what might happen. Science has also told us that our brain and body are interconnected and that our negative thoughts can impact our body and health too. So my advice - don't dwell on what you can't change, nor what might happen in the future, look at what you have and be grateful. A mantra from Reiki is something I have begun to practice each morning, when I meditate or sit in silence for those who don't wish to start a medication practice. Just for today I will not be angry Just for today I will not worry Just for today I will be grateful Just for today I will work honestly Just for today I will treat every living being with kindness Work out how many days you have left, then ask yourself the question, how am I going to live my life from hereon in, what do I want to change? Let me know if this question resonates with you and what you might do differently below - as always, stay happy.
1 Comment
2/28/2018 02:46:27 am
Brilliant... very true ... we should be taught to be happy first ..
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