Pursuit is an Action Word!

We've spent the last few weeks talking about a very serious subject...HAPPINESS! I believe that everyones "pursuit of happiness" looks different. I've shared the things that have brought more happiness to my life the last few weeks. Today I'll give you my final point.

Here's a review of the previous 6.

1. Commit your life to the purpose of glorify God.

2. Get rid of grudges daily.

3. Spend time nearly every day getting more intimate with your mate and children. Parents, brothers, sisters and other close relatives should also have high priority. Do all you can to solve family conflicts.

4. Be involved in a daily routine (including work, play, housework, projects) that brings you personal satisfaction. Be convinced that this routine is God's will and purpose for your life ~ your way of glorify Him.

5. Do something nice for one special person each week. This kind deed can be physical (helping with a chore) emotional (buying a book or giving counsel) or spiritual (having devotions/praying together.)

6. Spend some time each week having fellowship and fun with at least one or two like minded friends of the same sex. If you are married, have fun with other married couples. In this way husband and wives can benefit from intimacy with others.

So, how are you doing? Are you pursuing happiness? Pursuing is a verb, and action word. I'm convinced that happiness is a choice and we ALL have the ability to have more of it. When I first studied this subject, I was dead set on finding more happiness. After 6 months of WORKING this list, I looked back and realized a couple of things. 1. I was happier and 2. I had become a person that lived out this list without much thought. It was just who I was...and to this day, it is still who I am.

Here's number 7.

Spend some time each day meditating on God's Word and applying it in your life.

The mind is a powerful thing. It is the control center of our entire being. Therefore...it is a must to continually transform our minds. Our thoughts dictate our feelings which dictate our actions...so renewing your mind is a must. 
Applying God's Word in your life sounds kind of scary. Here's an example of what that looks like in my life.
As a business owner I face many challenges. The economy struggles and fear sets in. I have carried a burden for over 20 years owning my own business and fear could consume me if I let it. So here's what applying the word looks like for me.
I open to Psalm 121. I personalize it when I read. Here's what it says to me.


"I lift up my eyes to the hills, for where does my help some from? My help comes from the Lord, the         maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip. He who watches over me will not slumber, He will watch over my life. The Lord will watch over my coming and my going both now and forever more."


Well, there you go! If you believe that, which I do, then how do you think I go about my day? With confidence, energized, lacking fear, and purposed to glorify God with every interaction.
Whether you feel comfortable reading out of the Bible, or maybe it's a little devotional book, or other daily meditation that has a good word for the day, a few minutes in the morning to focus on something bigger than you will put life into great perspective and give you a much broader direction for your day.


Years ago, when I was on a hot pursuit, I typed these seven points down on a little piece of paper and kept them in clear view at all times. I referred back to that list many times a day at first, until I was automatically doing the things that "promised" me more happiness!
I can tell you that it worked. After months of work, I was in a different place emotionally and spiritually.

I encourage you to use the list I gave you, or refine it to fit your life, but make sure that you are taking action, in a healthy way, to pursue happiness. I'd love to hear about your happiness projects in the months to come. If you are , like I was, desperate to become happier, work hard and just see what you find. I know you won't be disappointed.

Write me at  Letha@healthyweigh.com  let me know how your happiness project is going.

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Flat Tires and Happiness!

I read a story about a man that was driving one night to deliver a speech. He got a flat tire. With not enough time to call for a tow truck, he tried to change the tire on his own.  He missed the important speech, disappointed an audience, lost money and had a miserable evening. The next day when he spoke to his friend,  he wasn't particularly unhappy about all of this. "I am convinced that each of us has a flat-tire quota," he told his friend, "and I had never had a flat tire before."

Many people would have been considerably more unhappy than him in that situation. Why wasn't he more unhappy? Because he had a philosophy of life that provided him with perspective. We determine how much we will allow something to make us unhappy. That we can determine our emotional response to events is hard for many people to acknowledge. Most people think that events make them unhappy, that their happiness level is dictated by what happens to them, but this is untrue.

In my studies of happiness, one of the most significant conclusions I have drawn is that there is little correlation between the circumstances of people's lives and how happy they are. We all know people who have a relatively easy life and who are unhappy, and we know people who have suffered a great deal but maintenance a high level of happiness.

One reason for this is the emotional and psychological disposition with which people are born or that they develop early in life. But innate disposition is not the only explanation for their differing reactions to life. At least as often it is a person's attitude and philosophy of life that determines his or her level of happiness.

We are going to look at two more habits or rituals to add to our lives that put us in a posture to experience more happiness.

5. Do something nice for one special person each week. This kind deed can be physical (helping with a chore) emotional, (buying a book or giving counsel) or spiritual (having devotions/praying together.)

This is a big one...but no more important than the rest of the list. It's amazing what happens when you get your eyes off yourself for a time each week. We have never had a time in our history where people need more encouragement and help. Offer some up. See what a difference it makes in your life. We feel connected when we focus on others, when we encourage or support them. Even listening...really listening to someone will not only help them, but can really put our lives into perspective as well. Zig Zigler said," If you help enough people get what they want...you'll get what you want." In this case...happiness.


6. Spend some time each week having fellowship and fun with at least one or two like minded friends of the same sex. If you are married, have fun with other married couples. In this way, husbands and wives can benefit from intimacy with others.

This one sounds a little funny...of the same sex...but it is true. It is important that our relationships with the opposite sex are reserved, if married, for our spouse, and if not, for a future promise of one. Relationships with the same sex meets a need that we can't get met in other ways.  Men need to connect in recreational/outdoors/sports with other guys. Women need emotional connections and conversation with other women. We are born for relationships.


We have looked at 6 of the 7 habits of a person who knows that happiness is a choice and happiness takes work. Keep referring back to the list. Keep asking yourself, how many of these am I participating in? I will promise you that by actively pursing happiness you will have a shift in your thinking and your philosophy of life.

Here's to a flat-tire quota!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Do What You Love ~ And Love What You Do!

We've spent the last couple of weeks looking at happiness! Happiness is a serious matter. When you ask people about their most cherished values in life, "happiness" is always at the top of the list. However, unhappiness does not seem to be the exception today, it's practically the rule. Why? Because human nature is insatiable. In order to be happy, we first have to battle ourselves.

We are taking a look at 7 "steps" to take to find more happiness in your life. Last week we looked at two:
1. Commit your life to the purpose of Glorifying God
2. Get rid of grudges daily

Today, we will take a look at two more.

3. Spend a little time nearly every day getting more intimate with your mate and children. Parents, brothers, sisters, and other close relatives should also have high priority. Do all you can to solved family conflicts.
Our deepest need is for relationship, for love and connection with others. When we are not connected to people we turn to other things to fill the void. All addictions, food included, are about us filling the empty places that are meant to be filled by love.  Making the nurturing of relationships with the people we love the highest priority, feeds our souls, fills our love tanks and allows us to give to others out of our fullness verses our emptiness.   Although is may take time and work to develop better skills, there is peace and intimacy in communicating and resolving conflict instead of walking on eggshells, putting up walls and feeling disconnected from those we love.


4. Be involved in a daily routine (including work, play, housework, projects) that bring you personal satisfaction. Be convinced that this routines is God's will and purpose for your life. ~ your way of glorifying Him.
Love what you do and do what you love...whether it's a project at work, riding horses or cleaning your house.  Do it with all you've got. Be convinced that God cares about the effort you put into making your home beautiful or what ever project you're working on. I've always been inspired by this verse. Colossians 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man. WHATEVER you do. I get excited about that. Whether it's pulling weeds, scrubbing a toilet, or writing a motivational speech to help others...I do it as if I'm doing it for God. 
It's also very important that we figure out our strengths and focus on those things, while surrounding ourselves with others that can balance us out in our weaknesses. If we don't love what we do, we will be drained/emptied and have nothing left to give anyone else. It's about being convinced that we were created differently and when we are doing what we love, we can be sure that our routine is God's will and purpose for our lives.


We've looked at 4 of the 7 ways to find more happiness in your life. Notice that all of them are things that you have control of. Happiness is not something that you wait for. Happiness is something you go out and get.
Until next week...choose happiness

Always encouraging you,
Letha