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Savor, Enjoy & Appeciate – SEA

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

When we are stressed and overwrought, it’s easy to loose sight of the beauty and goodness surrounding us.

Stop and spend time SEAing, Savoring, Enjoying and Appreciating simple pleasures that bring joy and happiness.

Deciding to use pleasant, enjoyable experiences to raise our spirits and refusing to let negative forces to drag us down is an important key to happiness.

Recall and relive those special times when you felt absolutely marvelous. Use those memories to brighten your mood, energize, and amplify your appreciation of the pleasant things in life.

Remember the energy and enthusiasm of an exciting day, the warmth of tender moments or the wonderful rubbery feelings of relaxation when you need to calm down.

OceanWavesHBlog Savor Pleasing Sensations – warm sunshine on your face, a soft breeze on your skin, the taste of a favorite tea.

Enjoy Pleasant Experiences – great music, a brisk walk, a warm shower, working hard on valued activities, a good book.

Appreciate Activities that bring joy – admiring achievements, a beautiful sunset, acts of kindness, generosity and compassion.

Whenever you notice something wonderful or beautiful, resolve to spend a few special extra moments SEAing it, Savoring, Enjoying and Appreciating its goodness to lift your spirits.

It’s a technique to elevate your mood and share beauty with the people around you.

When you SEE something wonderful, spend a few extra seconds Savoring, Enjoying & Appreciating, SEAing it too. It builds happiness.

Copyright 1999- , Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Links to our website and pages are welcomed! Please note our materials may NOT be published, broadcast, redistributed or rewritten without written permission from the authors. Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com for more happiness insights.

Tags: happiness habits, happiness secrets, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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Dealing With Dangerous, Deranged Thoughts

Friday, September 4th, 2009

angrymonkey Everyone has dangerous, deranged thoughts from time to time, even the happiest, most admirable, sane and stable people among us.

Dangerous, deranged thoughts can drive us crazy and do us great harm if we do not deal with them quickly, dramatically and effectively.

The key to happiness and spiritual success is to immediately Recognize dangerous, deranged thoughts for what they are, Rapidly Reject them and immediately Redirect our attention to positive, inspiring thoughts, actions and objectives.

Don’t give dangerous, deranged thoughts time and attention to take hold. It’s always easier to step out of a shallow dip than having to climb out of a deep hole.

The Happiness Habit “Practice Being The Person You Want To Be” is a powerful, positive protector.

When you encounter a bad, dangerous deranged thought, immediately reject it and redirect your attention to answering the question, “How would the person I want to be think and act, what would they do?”

Visualize yourself as the person you want to be, take on their perspectives and persona and “Practice Being The Person You Want To Be.” It’s that simple!

What’s a dangerous and deranged thoughts? Thoughts that are illegal, harmful or detrimental to your health and well-being.

This illustrates The Three Fundamental Truths at the foundation of the Happiness Habit:

1) The most important decision we make on a moment to moment basis is where we focus our time and attention. The sum of these decisions is our life.

2) Whatever we focus our minds upon expands in our consciousness. Whatever we give time and attention to grows in our reality.

3) Thoughts have consequences just like actions have consequences. Beware of the Consequences of Your Thoughts is just an important warning as Beware of the Consequences of Your Actions!

Try it the next time you are hit with a dangerous, deranged thought!

Tags: happiness habits, happiness secrets, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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Criticism, Control and Happiness

Friday, August 28th, 2009

CriticismControlNoText-drea

Criticism And Control Occur So Frequently Together They Are Practically Synonymous.

Criticism Is Almost Always A Power Play.

People criticize to try to assert their superiority, power and to gain control of people, situations and interactions.

Critics assert control by planting doubts and disparaging or damaging ideas in people’s minds. They may or may not be factually correct or beneficial.

Criticism Is Corrosive.

Criticism leaves people deflated, demoralized, confused and uncertain about what they should do. That’s often the critic’s intent. Critics like to leave people feeling badly and powerless, that’s how they exert power and control.

If you can get a person to doubt themselves, their ideas or their abilities, it’s easier to control them, dominate them or at least get them to defer to your desires.

Doubt is often all you need to dominate and dissuade others from differing with you.

Criticism Is Counterproductive.

Criticism focuses on what’s bad, wrong or unattractive.

Calling something is bad does not describe what is good. Saying something is wrong does not express what is right or desirable. Describing what you don’t want does not not communicate what you do want.

Criticism only helps to the extent it expresses what to avoid. Criticism does NOT present clear descriptions of successful solutions, strategies or what you can do to improve.

Criticism Is Often A Deliberate Distraction – Critics criticize to derail other people’s success. Deflecting or dealing with criticism takes time, energy, attention and resources from positive, important activities. It’s easy to find yourself worrying about what critics say is wrong rather than focusing on what is truly important to you.

Focus On What You Want To Achieve, Articulate Benefits.

Habitually Happy people focus on what they want to achieve. They can describe why it is desirable, beneficial or attractive. Clear goals help define the steps to attain them.

They spend just enough time with wrongs so they can rapidly recognize and reject bad things. They then redirect their attention, energy and enthusiasm to positive activities that help them build happiness and spiritual success.

Focusing on why they are working and striving for their goals reinforces their desire and drive to achieve them.

Recognize Criticism for What It Usually Is – A Corrosive, Counterproductive Power Play.

Treat criticism like any other Negative Judgment: Ask can it help me in some way? If YES, turn those negative judgments into positive action items. If NO, don’t give critics your time, attention or concern.

Focus On What You Want To Achieve.
Enjoy Your Progress And Eventual Success.

Copyright 1999- , Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com. Our materials may NOT be published, broadcast, redistributed or rewritten without written permission from the authors. Photograph from Dreamstime.com

Tags: criticism control, happiness habit, happiness secret, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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What Are Habitually Happy People?

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

happy2person-00 We all know a few special people who always seem to be truly UP, energized and happy. They light up a room and our lives with their presence.

They seem to be having a good time all of the time and continually radiate genuine joy.

They are very loving people. They love life, they love what they do and they love the people around them, they love themselves.

They live without prejudices and embrace the entire world eagerly.
They have high integrity. We trust, admire and respect them.
They are good decision makers and leaders.
They are high achievers who love creative challenges.
They always enthusiastically try to do their best, be their best and encourage others to be their best too.
They refuse to let difficulties or problems distress or bother them.
When they are down, it never seems to last for long.

Enthusiasm, Energy, Achievement, Integrity, Happiness and Joy Characterize Their Lives.

You know some of these special people. They are not the most prominent or powerful people we know but they certainly are the happiest. We may wish we knew how to be more like them.

Happiness Habit interviewed and studied Habitually Happy, genuinely joyous people from all different walks of life and life situations. We identified the key Values, Beliefs, Habits, Ideals and Boundaries characteristic of happy thought. We call these special qualities Happiness Habits.

If you choose to adopt and practice Happiness Habits, you too will become happy or happier despite what is happening to you and around you.

Explore and Enjoy HappinessHabit.com, HappinessBlog.com and HappinessInHardTimes.com Comment on our postings. Share your thoughts and insights.

Wishing you great happiness and spiritual success,
Michele Moore and the Happiness Habit® Team

Tags: habitually happy, happiness habit, happiness secrets, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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Happiness Habit Research

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

happybeaker Over a period of several years, Happiness Habit interviewed and studied habitually happy, genuinely joyous people from many different walks of life and personal situations.

We studied and interviewed people who were cheerfully facing terminal illnesses, job losses and major life challenges.

We intentionally omitted people who seemed happy primarily because of success or good things happening to them, what we term “situational happiness”.

Our goal was to identify and articulate the key values, beliefs, ideals, habits and boundaries that lead to happiness and spiritual success and explain why they work so well.

We call these key qualities Happiness Habits.

Experience has shown that when people consciously choose to adopt and practice Happiness Habits they become happy or happier despite what is happening to them or around them.

Our goal is to share these key happiness skills summarized in simple statements what we call Coaching Credos that are easy to recall and apply.

If Happiness Habit® concepts are:

1) Consistent with what most people know and believe to be true about happiness. You decide.

2) Consistent with the best current scientific and academic research. They are.

3) Effective, actually help people live happier more spiritually successful lives. You decide.

Then the validity of our approach is proven.

Explore and enjoy our Happiness Habit websites and decide for yourself!

Tags: happiness habit, happiness research, happiness secrets, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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Be Cool Like Barack Obama

Friday, January 16th, 2009

Do You Want To Be Cool Like Barack Obama?

A Key Happiness Habit is:

Don’t hand control of your thoughts, actions or feelings over to outside forces or people who try to hurt or harass you.

Don’t Give Them Emotional Control Over You.

Decide How You Are Going To Think, Act and Feel.

Choose Your Mood and Your Attitude.

Emotional Independence, Freedom and Balance are key Happiness Habits.

This does NOT mean that you don’t get angry or that you don’t decide to take decisive corrective action when necessary.

It does mean you weigh options carefully, decide when and how you will act and that you don’t just automatically react in anger.

Choose the timing, the place and substance of your response.

We all have an Optimal Best Self – a sweet spot or optimal zone where we feel our best, do our best and perform our best. Habitually Happy people try to maintain their optimal Best Self State all of the time. Getting angry and irrational is not part of their process.

Much has been written about Barack Obama’s Cool calm demeanor. His actions and reactions epitomize Emotional Independence. He decides how he will act, react and project himself. He doesn’t let outside forces control his emotions easily.

If you let another person make you angry, you’re giving them control of your thoughts, actions, feelings and your well-being. Don’t do it!

The next time someone tries to hook you into an angry response, simply think, “I’m not giving you control.” It’s that easy.

This does not mean stuffing your feelings or suppressing your emotions. It means not giving them control over you, your attention or your emotions.

Channel Anger To Achieve Positive Goals.

Choose Emotional Independence and Spiritual Freedom. It’s that easy. Decide how you’re going to act, don’t simply react to them. Take command and lead them where you want to go. Make this a Happiness Habit.

Don’t give them control.

It’s a great way to stay cool and happy!

Explore HappinessHabit.com and HappinessBlog.com for more happiness insights!

Tags: calm obama, cool obama, emotional independence, happiness habit, michele moore, spiritual freedom
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YOUR Best

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

We’re often asked how trying to do your best brings happiness…

Habitually Happy People Continually Try To Do Their Best, Feel Their Best, Be Their Best All Of The Time. Their Best keeps getting better.

It’s a direct application of The First Law of Happiness: Our Focus Determines Our Feelings. When we focus our attention on things we find bad, we feel sad, angry or anxious.

When We Think About Good Things We Feel Elevated, Excited, Energized. Our Focus Of Attention Determines Our Feelings.

If you’ve ever had a mediocre day when you just didn’t feel like putting forth a good effort and didn’t, you know the truth of this phrase.

When we don’t bother to try to do a good job and get only mediocre results, we feel pretty mediocre too.

Habitually Happy people continually energize themselves with thoughts of themselves doing their best at whatever it is they are doing.

Clear Goals Help Define The Steps To Attain Them.

Because they are thinking about doing well, they are able to do well and they feel well. Thinking about doing YOUR best provides a path to continually improve your performance.

The Key Word Here Is YOUR Best, Not Someone Else’s Best.

Learn all you can from other people’s superb performances and then try to do YOUR best. It’s the best you can realistically do.

Comparisons to superior star performers are often purposeless and painful for no reason. What good does it do to judge in comparison with the best unless you pull positive actions items for personal improvement from the process?

Powerful positive images of what you want to achieve are inspiring and invigorating. Working hard to achieve a worthwhile goal is satisfying and stimulating.

When you know you have done YOUR best you can let go of results on some level knowing you can do no more.

Continually Trying To Do YOUR Best Is A Key To Happiness.

Try To Do YOUR Best, Be Your Best, Feel Your Best All Of The Time.

Tags: happiness habit, happiness secrets, happy life, happy people, michele moore
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Love Powers Happiness

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

The Happiest People In The World Are The Most Loving People. They are very kind, caring, compassionate and generous.

To be happy, love extensively and expansively. Love what you do, love the people around you, love your work and love yourself.

Wherever love is limited or lacking, there is no happiness.

Many people chase after success thinking it will bring them happiness but there are lots of very successful people who are Not especially happy.

Happiness and Success Are Two Very Different Things.

The best way to excel and do well at anything is to cultivate a love for what you are doing.

The Best Way To Be Happy Is To Love Extensively, Expansively.

Copyright 1999-2009, Michele Moore. All Rights Reserved. Links to our websites and pages are welcomed! Please note our materials may NOT be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written permission from the authors. Explore HappinessHabit.com for more happiness insights!

Tags: happiness habit, happiness love, happiness secrets, happy love, happy people, michele moore
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Is Happiness for Everyone?

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

The path to happiness is universal, open to everyone, everywhere.

But is making happiness our top priority right for everyone?

Should we all put happiness first in our personal, family and business lives or do other priorities weigh in as more important? That’s for each of us to decide.

For some of us other things are more important than happiness… security, social significance, power, prominence, or perhaps creativity or making a lasting, important, indelible impact or contribution.

The world is a far richer, more delightful place because of Steve Jobs. His vision and determined dedicated leadership have changed the world. One would not say he has taken the traditional route to happiness.

No doubt he has achieved great happiness but in different, unusual ways.

We all can’t be Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs needs the rest of us doing what we are doing for his business model to succeed.

There are many different paths to happiness, but the qualities and characteristics of a happy life remain constant.

Money, success and power take precedence over happiness for many people. Many people could easily have both if the knew how to balance the two.

Greatness in any field requires sacrifices, but it also definitely has its rewards.

We can be happy and great at what we do. The truly great allow happiness to help propel their exuberant zeal to excel and do well.

Explore HappinessHabit.com for additional happiness resources.

Tags: happiness, happiness resources, happy, happy life, happy people, michele moore, steve jobs
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Valentine Happiness

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Valentine’s Day Is a Reminder to Love… Ourselves and Others, Every day.

If you’re in a relationship… it’s a special, exciting day! Think of all the wonderful, kind, loving things you’ll do – choose one and decide to do it every day from now on.

Put a little Valentine’s Day in every day.

Maybe it’s beginning each day with a smile, a hug and an “I love you.” Or replacing one indifferent or distant habit with love and affection. Welcome them at the door or ask about their day and really listen.

One simple, small thing to add affection and care all year round.

Single, On Your Own?

Give yourself big hugs all day and enjoy the warmth of each loving, happy hug. Feel love in your heart, make a special effort to radiate it to everyone around you.

Enjoy, appreciate and delight in who you are and what you do. Resolve to do this at least once a day, every day from now on.

Enjoy and relish your own company, plan to take yourself out for a nice meal another, quieter day. Enjoy a solo adventure.

There’s a marvelous freedom and power in being happy on your own, in creating and carrying your own happiness within you where ever you go.

Reject myths saying we need a “relationship” to make us happy and complete, messages that make singles feel defective, needy and dependent. They say we should look to others for happiness when its true source lies within ourselves.

It’s the loving relationships and loving communities we create around us daily that bring expansive, enduring joy. They can easily be extensive, everywhere.

We can’t be happy in a “relationship” when we are not happy on our own. Resolve to love yourself and be happy on your own, right now.

For Everyone…

Make a special effort to radiate love and joy to everyone around you. Smile, seek out someone who is lonely and despondent, give them a special hug, remind them they are loved.

Tags: happiness, happiness habit, happy, happy relationship, joy, love, michele moore, valentine
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