Joe the Boss

There really is no secret to being happy, you just have to make up your mind to be and you will be. But in case you need more than that here are 15 steps you can take to begin learning how to make yourself happy.

To be happy is relatively easy just decide to be a happy person. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy. Suffering is optional!

Once you make the choice to be happy your world will change to accommodate what it is you want and you will find being a happy person easier to do than you first thought! Abraham Lincoln once said “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Decide today that you are the best person to make you happy and find ways to do that.

Remember that no one can make you happy! Your happiness lies more in your hands than it does anyone else. Thinking he should, she should, they should make you happy puts your life in a shaky position because when ?people? aren?t making you happy, you are miserable.

A great way to be happy. Laugh! Laughter has an amazing effect on the body, mind and spirit, raising us up when we feel down. Just stop for a minute and remember a really funny incident. It doesn?t matter how long ago it happened, just recall it now and see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel what you were feeling. It should bring back the feeling inside of you of being happy. Now whenever you are down just recall that memory. ‘Laughter is the best medicine’.

‘The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change’, and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too will change.

Social networks or relationships are important. Nobody likes to feel alone (although you never truly are ? but that?s a whole other topic!). Join groups, dating sites, network groups, whatever it takes to get you socialising.

People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments.

If arguments seem unavoidable do your best to make an effort to understand the situation, see it from your point of view, then their point of view, then see if you can become an outside observer looking at the two of you disagreeing and see it from that point of view. What difference does that make for you?

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions.

Avoid holding on to anger or frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause injury or harm to anyone. I love thumping my pillow or screaming really loud (into my pillow or somewhere secluded!). I find the best medicine for expressing my feelings is writing in a diary.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, dance, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

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Diane Corriette runs her own work from home business at www.businessstartuponline.com and also runs a membership site at www.inspirationalguidance.com

I used to work for the Independent National Newspaper in Canary Wharf, London. I can remember in the build up to Christmas, my department was having a large and expensive new computer system installed because the newspaper was being relaunched, it was when Andrew Marr and Rosie Boycott were becoming joint editors, I digress?.

The system was being put in just before Christmas, but it was a massive task, with numerous issues & overruns. As Christmas approached, there were still a number of teething problems, which led to stretched relations between the system supplier and the newspaper staff.

At one meeting about the integration of the system, my director had been trying to get more time investment from the installation company, only to be told that their people weren?t going to be available on Christmas day. My director was frustrated and furious, asking ?What are you doing that?s more important than sorting out our system!?? Without hesitating, the guy from the installation company said ?Delivering Christmas hampers to the elderly.? The impact was immediate; everyone in the room started laughing & my director joined them, realising that he?d perhaps been a bit unreasonable. Everyone knew that the story about the elderly wasn?t true, but that didn?t matter ? the statement had changed his perception of the situation, instantly, & he started behaving more reasonably.

Changing the contextual frame:

There was an advertisement for the Guardian newspaper, which showed a set of still photographs arranged in a particular action sequence. The photographs showed a large framed man with very little hair on his head, wearing jeans and boots, running along a pathway with a real purpose.

In the first frame he is running towards an elderly lady; in the second frame, you see him knock her violently into the street; in the third frame you see him make his escape, obviously and seemingly this is another thug terrorising the elderly.

Then, when you turn the page, you are presented with some wider angle shots. In the wide-angle shots, you see the elderly lady casually walking beside a building that has building works being carried out upon it and where a cement mixer is about to topple from a scaffold. An alert pedestrian notices the situation and heroically runs towards the lady, pushing her clear of the building area. A moment later, the cement mixer falls to the ground in the spot where the lady was standing. The initially perceived ?thug? has in fact saved her life.

By changing the frame, the creators of the advertisement had changed the context of the man?s actions. Suddenly, what was perceived as typically criminal then became valiant and altruistic. His actions were transformed in a moment as they were reframed. I am sure you know of many other examples of this.

One of the presuppositions of NLP and something that fascinates and tests me, is that every behaviour is useful or valuable in some context. Upon learning and reading about this in the embryonic days of my learning, I did do my best to do the opposite! I wracked my brains for things that I just could not reframe. Of course, I could not do so for long. It?s just a matter of stretching your brain and finding a context that makes it useful; I have not always found this easy. This process is referred to as context reframing.

Every behaviour is useful in the right context:

Now here is a challenge for you. For any behaviour, no matter how frustrating or apparently without use or value, see if you can find a context where it?s useful. Once you find such a context, a subsequent act of presenting the behaviour in the new context is reframing it. If it was originally a behaviour that was treated very seriously or was problematic, you may then also want to think about adding humour or a playfulness in the way it is re-presented;

Firstly, identify a complaint, either about yourself or someone else, a simple structured to begin with, for example; ?I?m too [x].? or ?She?s too [y].? (Eg. ?I?m too impatient?, ?He?s too selfish.?, ?She?s too messy.?)

Next up, ask yourself ?In what contexts would the characteristic being complained about have value and/or usefulness??

Thirdly, create several answers to this question, and then craft it into a ?reframe?.

For example:

?I?m too impatient?

Example answer: ?I bet you?re quick-thinking in an emergency.?

?She?s too messy?

Example answer ?She?d be good to have around if we were trying to make our home look like it had been burgled.? (I don?t like to be too serious!)

?He?s too selfish?

Example answer: ?We?ve had so many problems with people not taking care of themselves, it?s often good to make sure you look after yourself to be in a better position to help others .?

Now, I know these are a bit lame with some of my own tongue in cheek-iness added, but they don?t have to be that useful at this stage; it?s more important that you give yourself the freedom to be creative so your brain gets the pattern of what you?re doing. What?s more, when you have to do that and develop better reframes for yourself, your learning is far more comprehensive than if I were to spoon feed you responses to regurgitate.

The next step is to come up with reframes for any complaints that you (or others) have about yourself. This can be a lot of fun if you do it with someone else. (ie. you say ?I?m too [x]? then they generate reframes.)

By the way, the example of ?I?m too sexy? as in the 90s Pop Band ?Right Said Fred? chart topping hit is not really appropriate

When reframing something someone says, rapport is important (otherwise reframing can seem like a very focused & deliberate attempt to annoy someone.) If you present someone with a reframe, ensure that you have a good level of rapport with them, best start with friends and/or family (assuming that you have rapport with them!)

Fifth, once you get the hang of it, start looking for opportunities to use context reframing each day, starting with the less challenging ones.

In a business context for example, one of the most powerful ways to use reframing is when people have objections (whether you?re selling a product, a service, an idea, or yourself.) reframing is a gentle method of working with someone as opposed to having to sell which many people are uncomfortable with. When you reframe someone?s objection, you can remove or alter its power. I once read the objection ?I?m worried ? What if I train my staff and then they leave.? The response: ?Even worse, what if you don?t train your people and they stay.?

When you discover and create a way to change the context of someone?s objection, it alters the way they perceive it. This has been know to be an extremely effective way to overcome objections entirely.

Finally, for these initial steps of reframing, write a list the objections you get most frequently in business or complaints made in your life and generate a number of context reframes for each one. Then, look forward with a sense of anticipation to the next time someone offers that objection. Please bear in mind that you are opening up options here, not covering things up, if a particular problematic issue is occurring, sometimes it may not be appropriate to just reframe.

Both my Grandparents on my fathers side were 80 two years ago and we had celebratory family gatherings. As I walked into one of the celebrations I asked the standard question “So, what’s it like waking up on your 80th birthday, Grandad?” To which he replied “Better than not waking up on your 80′th birthday”.

Now, I?d like to start playing with ?content reframing.? If a footballer kicks the ball into his team?s net, it?s called an ?own goal?, but if a soldier accidentally shoots one of his fellow soldiers, it?s called ?friendly fire? (Sounds kind of cuddly, doesn?t it? But you would not want any coming your way.) George Orwell?s 1984 had plenty of examples of content reframing (eg. the ministries of peace & truth) that live on today in many forms (a peacekeeper missile, anyone?)

So, content reframing involves changing the meaning of something.

Right, to develop this further, follow this procedure; identify a complaint a complaint or issue with the structure ?I feel [X] when [Y] happens.? (Eg. ?I feel angry when he does not help? or ?I feel frustrated when I make mistakes?)

Next, ask yourself ?What else could this (Y) mean??, ?What else could this (X) mean?? or ?What else could this situation mean??, or ask ?How can this (X) or (Y) be interpreted?

Then, you can come up with several answers to these, and then create a ?reframe?.

For example:
?I feel upset when I see the mess these kids have made?

Example answer: ?It?s good that they can be ?in the moment? without worrying about a few things being out of place.?
Alternate example answer: ?A little untidiness is a small price to pay for happy children.?
Another example answer: ?The fact that it?s messy means they?re expressing their creativity.?

Obviously, if you were to offer these reframes to someone who is annoyed or frustrated, I would suggest that it would be a good idea to get in rapport with them first and of course to select your words carefully.

As with my previous examples, these aren?t the most amazing reframes in the world, but they don?t have to be that useful at this stage; it?s more important that you give yourself the freedom to be creative so your brain gets the pattern of what you?re doing.

Now, you can come up with reframes for any complaints or issues that you can identify for yourself or others. This can be a lot of fun (honestly!) if you take turns doing it with someone else. (ie. you say ?I feel [X] when [Y] happens? then they generate reframes.)

Then, once you get the hang of it, start looking for opportunities to use content reframing each day. For spreading good feelings around and helping people to lessen the easy natural way that they can sometimes get ?bogged down? in the trivial. Depends on what you consider trivial though, be careful and thoughtful.

Once again, in a business sense, content reframing is also very powerful for dealing with objections of all sorts. For example, a reframe I sometimes use when someone objects to the price of consulting with me (I am sooooo expensive!) is to respond with something along the lines of:

?If you are after a cheap consultant or therapist, then you are right, I am not for you. If however, you want to invest in your future then maybe I am. If your child needed a serious operation, would you look for the cheapest surgeon? Then why look for the cheapest way to make changes in your life that are important enough to seek help with??

Again, I do have my tongue planted in my cheek as I write that riposte, however, I am sure you see where I am coming from here.

Then finally, list the objections you get most frequently & generate a number of content reframes for each one. Then, look forward with a sense of anticipation to the next time someone offers that objection. Remember to keep rapport with people when doing this! Or in jargon-free speak, relate, empathise, connect, get on with.

Good luck with your reframing and creating more harmony.

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Adam Eason is an author, consultant, trainer and motivational speaker in the fields of hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential. His website is filled with information, stimulating articles, resources and unique products. To receive Adam’s amazing bi-monthly ezine, packed with modern, innovative, psychological tips, techniques and information visit www.adam-eason.com You’ll also receive a free instantly downloadable hypnosis session to enjoy at home.

Some disturbing observations plucked from the Internet to amuse, bemuse and confuse. According to a recent search on my part, I came across some interesting findings.

The search was about adjustable beds and sex. Why, you may ask, am I looking up sex and adjustable beds? Because I can! Also, out of curiosity, I wanted to see for myself if sex in an adjustable bed is better, just as good, or worse than sex in a regular bed. To my surprise, there is practically nothing written about the subject.

Could it be that sex and adjustable beds don?t mix?hardly? no pun intended. I only received about one million hits on Google for the combination of “adjustable bed+sex “. A Yahoo search returned even more flimsy results. Of the total hits, finding any information at all other than the odd promotional blurb from an anonymous manufacturer or two trumpeting a snippet of “better sex ” thrown in the middle of an ad. Here is an example of one very racy ad “It’s an investment in good sleep, good rest, and good health, and good sex! “. Hardly an endorsement you can take to the bank?or should I say, bedroom.

Based on a worldwide population of billions and an Internet community of hundreds of millions, I must admit I was somewhat taken aback by such meager results. I was hoping to see research results from major medical institutions providing the most up to date statistical data on the pros and cons of sexual physical interaction on a movable platform. I was then going to proudly present those findings to the world and confidently proclaim?. “Sex on an adjustable bed is better than sex on a regular flat bed! ” I would receive the Kinsey award for sexual research! I could see the sale of adjustable beds and matching satin sheets and pillows skyrocket! Alas, poor moi, it was not to be.

There might be some secret association of adjustable bed owners that have sworn a blood oath to never disclose the true bliss achieved by having sex on an electric adjustable bed. It is the ultimate conspiracy, propagated by elitists to deny access of information to the rest of us. Obviously Google and Yahoo play a huge role in this cover-up. I would not be surprised if I was blacklisted by all major search engines for uncovering these disturbing findings.

Sorry, I got carried away a little?well, actually quite a lot. In reality, I suppose, good sex is just plain good sex, regardless of where it is being performed. An adjustable bed may add a certain variety, position-wise, and I am sure that it can help some people with certain physical conditions feel more comfortable during sex, but, alas, it is still just a bed, not a sex toy? unless of course, you want to make it one. Good luck.

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Emmanuel DeFreitas is the administrator for Adjustable Bed Center providing detailed information on electric, medical, cheap, and used adjustable beds, as well as adjustable airbeds and adjustable bed reviews.www.adjustable-bed-center.com“> www.adjustable-bed-center.com

1. Unconditional Love. This is the font of happiness, renewable and eternal. We often think that being loved is the best feeling in the world, but it?s the second best.

The best is loving someone else. Love is the polar opposite of fear, emotionally and neurologically. Thus, it is the antidote to fear and the first step toward real bliss.

2. Boundless Optimism. Genuine Optimism provides power over painful events. Optimism is understanding that the more painful the event, the more profound the lesson. Once you bring this knowledge into your heart, you can never again look at any event as all bad. Optimism gives you power over fear of the future and over regret for the long dead past.

3. Sizzling Courage. This is your fiercest weapon for overcoming the split-second power of fear. You can?t rise above fear without courage, because fear is hardwired into your neural circuitry. If fear is eternally programmed into your brain, though, so is courage. It comes from the neocortex and is a product of the spirit, the intellect, and the higher emotions of love and generosity. It is nature?s natural balance for the fear that has helped us survive. It?s the quality that allows us to overcome.

4. An unbridled sense of freedom. Nothing expands the soul like freedom.Liberty is choice, and choice is what makes us human. When we choose, we define who we are. Everyone has the power to make choices, but unhappy people don?t know they have it. They think it?s only for the rich. It?s not. I?ve met a thousand rich people who didn?t feel free. Choice is available to anyone who taps the strength to exercise it.

5. Powerful Proactivity.Blissful people participate in their own destinies and forge their own happiness. They don?t wait for events or other people to make them happy. They?re not yielding victims.

6. Solid Security. Blissful people know that nothing, over time, lasts - not money, not approval, not even life itself. So they don?t measure security with a calendar or a calculator. They simply like who they are. They?re not slaves to popularity, longevity, or financial status. They know that security is an inside job.

7. Powerful Health. Happiness and health are interdependent. It?s hard to be happy if you don?t feel healthy, and it?s hard to be healthy if you?re not happy. Of special importance for happiness is healthy mood chemistry. You can have a happy life and not even know it if you?re tortured by faulty mood chemistry. An imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, for example, can mask the happiness that bubbles within.

8. Soaring Spirituality. Happy people aren?t afraid to go beyond the boundaries of their own lives. They let go, and welcome extraordinary experiences. They have markedly less fear of death. They?re not concerned about dying - they?re concerned about failing to live.

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Joey Plazo loves executive coaching and attracting women to the world of NLP. He aids folks find jobs in the Philippines .

We have all heard laugh and the world laughs with you. Well it?s true. The more you are happy and content the more others will be too. You will be surprised at how you can start a whole office of people off on the right foot by being in a good and great mood.

It doesn?t take much to be happy. Put your unhappy problems in to perspective. Take a breath and learn to deal with unhappy processes. By working at being happy on an everyday basis you will find that you yourself will be in a better mood. Others will start to notice and then bam someone else has the happiness!

The rat race we all lead sometimes it?s hard to put things in order. Take time of your day to deal with these items. Deal with only a few at a time this way you can still manage to be in a happy mood. Remember you can be happy dealing with unhappy event. Most times when you deal like this with an unhappy event before it?s over and you say to yourself gee that wasn?t too bad. Hey you made it through

Allowing yourself to me more of a happy person you most likely avoid being depressed. Remember others; if you are a manager of an office and you are depressed then others start this feeling. They too now are grumps, but if you have a happier disposition then others are sure to follow.

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Author is Michele Rogers, owner of www.lilyputts.com Lilyputts Gift Baskets , an online gift basket retailer. Also hosted is a www.lilyputts.blogspot.com BLOG that reviews gifts and welcomes other comments as well. Please visit Lilyputts Gift Baskets for descriptions and product presentations. Please, if you use any portion herein be sure to email author first.

Sports and Expectations

Trying to understand the role of Unfair expectations and violent behavior (in sports, government, friendship and even marital relationships) through sports.

The various players in each area may have new names, but all of these roles are required to flame tensions.
Note: This is not a story about the fall of India and Pakistan Cricket Teams, but of Soccer, Domestic Violence, Career Struggle, and all our personal problems at one go.

Why do people spill out on streets and damage property when their favourite team loses? (why does the same thing happen when our representatives/ government takes out a bill which is not fair to all and which was not part of the election agenda)

The main cause of violent behavior is HIGH and UNFAIR EXPECTATIONS. We cheer our national/ city team due to our birth-affiliation. Now media drums up a picture which may not be in line with realities. Actually our expectations here are BORROWED EXTECTATIONS - they are given to us by the Media - or in other words these are media?s expectations.

Usually this is the PROCESS:

1. An unfairly high rating given to team by national media
2. Advertisers surpass their budgets to drum up people?s expectations further
3. Advertisers play on national sentiments to garner high sales (to cover up for their advertisement costs)
4. Pages getting dedicated to the Team as well as advertisements on these pages giving people a belief that they are backing the right horse
5. This all puts the team under huge pressure.
6. This pressure actually divides the team since no one would like to show up as the villian in the unlikely scenario of a loss. So all players are playing for their safety and team victory is a second goal.
7. The team loses due to pressure to similarly ranked opponents quite easily and sometimes can be beaten by other low ranked opponents.
8. Once the Team loses to an easy Opponent, the pressure on them is increased, as worried Advertisers/ Media/ Betters/ Fans start calling the players individually
9. Media now enters a Banned Domain. They start playing to the galleries. They start advising Players on how to play. They are advise Captains on whom to play. Obviously this advice is not for the players (usually they don?t get to hear it), it is for the Fans. So, if the team loses, they come out Shining! (if the team wins their theories still stay as they didn?t get tested). So, in the end, like an astrologer, they always win the heart of their readers. Readers, Who, end up thinking of media as being the EXPERT and the coach, captain and team as being foolish.
10. Violence takes root in terms of violent words flying (Media), altercations in press and finally physical violence (Fans).
11. Now starts the catharsis. Left with no option, but to appease the fans (especially if they are a large Voter Bank), measures are promised and heads have to roll.
12. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT STORY THE NEXT TIME.

Take the case of Indian Soccer / Football. Why has there never been a hue and cry over their losses? Because there are no unfair expectations.

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Vineet Raj Kapoor is one of the early entrants to the world of web. He left his high profile job as a Commercial Manager with Hutch in 1996 to start his own companies VirtualSoft Technologies & VirtualCity Informatics. Today his interests range from Animation, to New Media & Visual Communcations - and supplemented with his high skills in creative writing he’s already a leading expert in the field of e-branding!
www.counterreport.com
www.onedayers.com
www.seowebpromotions.com

If you lack self esteem and are low in self confidence then you probably spend a lot of time wishing you had the confidence to act and behave in the way people with high self esteem do.

If you want to be happier and derive more from life incresing your self confidence and self esteem is the key and its easy to do with these simple tips.

What Low Self Esteem Means

Having low self esteem and lacking confidence in your ability to do the things you?ve always wanted to do can distort your views, making you think everything always seems to go right for everyone but you.

The Cure

In reality, people who appear to be high in self confidence and always seem to get what they want simply believe in themselves. Being high in self esteem opens you up to the possibility of success rather than failure.

If you are high in self esteem you understand that failing at something means just that, you have failed at one task, it does not make you a failure.

What is Self Esteem?

Self esteem refers to the way you perceive yourself and the way you think others perceive you.

If you have low self esteem then you will tend to have a low opinion of yourself, your capabilities and how people perceive you.

If you have a high sense of self esteem then you will have a positive and realistic opinion of yourself and how people perceive you. You will have a good awareness of your strengths and weaknesses.

How to recognize if you are suffering from Low Self Esteem

If you?re internal thoughts tend to begin with:

? I can?t?
? I must?
? I should?
The chances are you are suffering from low self esteem

How to Build Confidence and Self Esteem

People with a highly developed sense of self esteem have the self confidence to achieve their goals. Succeeding at the goals they set for themselves adds to the self confidence building blocks they already have in place.

Each successive achievement creates opportunities for greater success and self belief which increases their perception of self esteem.

Having a positive sense of self perception and self esteem is one of the most important factors for increasing your self confidence as if you believe you will succeed at a task then the chances are you will.
If you believe you are going to fail at a task, then you will act accordingly, and the chances are you will fail.

Tips for improving self esteem:-

? Make a list of all your strengths. Remember we are all good at something. Your list could include being a good parent, a loyal friend or a trusted employee.

? Perception creates reality so perceive yourself as someone who achieves the things you set out to do.

? Remember that success builds upon success, so set yourself small goals initially, and build on them.

? Believe in yourself. For every negative belief you hold about yourself think of four positive ones. If you can?t think of beliefs that are true at the moment then think of beliefs you would like to be true that you can work towards.

? Choose two things that you know you are good at and think of three ways you could work to improve each of these even more. By concentrating on areas that you know you are already good at will improve your confidence and be a good building block for future success.

? Even if you sometimes don?t feel like it always act in a confident manner.

? Make a list of positive affirmations that you can use to encourage yourself and raise your confidence.

? Surround yourself with positive, successful, confident people.

By practicing these tips aimed at raising your confidence and self esteem, you will begin to change the way you perceive yourself and the things you are able to achieve.

Increase Your Self Esteem & Get More From Life

As your self esteem increases you can start to think about the things you used to put yourself down for and use the same techniques to build on your confidence.

Don? allow small setbacks to diminish your newly gained self esteem. Keep it in perspective and remember it?s just that, a small setback.

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MORE FREE INFO on SELF HELP
On all aspects of self help and more on how to increase self esteem visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at www.net-planet.org/index.html

Happiness seems to elude most people today. It?s the one thing that people truly want but can never seem to attain. You may feel the same way. You may feel that you are always searching to acquire happiness but it ends up being that there is no gold at the end of the rainbow.

Why is happiness so hard to find? True happiness, not superficial or short-term happiness, but the happiness that goes so far inside of you that it becomes a part of who you are.

One of the main reasons this is because most people are trying to be happy according to what they see on T.V. or by how they see other people being happy. It?s so much about trying to be like someone else because they have the appearance of happiness in their life.

If you are trying to obtain happiness this way, you will never get it. Happiness can?t be found in what other people are doing. It can only be found by discovering who you really are and what your passions are in life. Alfred Lord Tennyson explains it like this, ?The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.?

If you can master your passions you can master happiness. So the question shouldn?t be about how you can become happier but instead, ask yourself what your true passions are. If you think about it, most of the reasons why you are unhappy are because you are doing things that you hate. How can you ever be happy living a life where the vast majority of the things you do are the things that you dread?

Find out what you are passionate about. Once you have at least one thing that you are passionate about, dedicate at least one hour a week to doing that one thing. If you have more time to give to it then give more. As you develop in your passion you will begin to find that inner happiness which isn?t dictated by what other people have or do.

Find your passion ? find your happiness.

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Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don’t know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, ‘Find Your Greatness’
Get it free when you subscribe at: www.findyourgreatness.com
Jason and Rebecca Osborn have dedicated themselves to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through their Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

You weren’t born perfect - nobody is. But you can do something to make your life a lot better than what is experienced by the average individual. The people who are the happiest with their lives are those who can learn to love themselves just the way they are.

Here are some suggestions on how to place yourself up on that pedestal and laugh at negative energy.

Pay Yourself A Compliment

Give yourself a compliment at least once a day. It could be something like “I really liked the way I handled that situation,” or “I love how my hair falls softly onto my face today”. The compliment can be deep or superficial. Whatever it is, it should help keep your mood up, even if only slightly. Highlight the positive aspect of every situation you encounter. If you practice this often, you’re on your way to liking yourself a whole lot better.

Make Yourself Over

Grab your closest friend and get all dolled up. Put on your best attire, dab on a little make-up and get your hair done (not necessarily by a professional), then grab a camera and snap fun and funny photos of each other. Once you’ve had the photos printed, discard those that make you look drab and keep only the shots were you looked your best. Whenever you feel down, you can just go look at these pictures to remind yourself that you are good-looking and that your life is fun.

Get Physically Fit

You don’t need to achieve a supermodel-like physique. Simple daily exercises to boost your bloodstream every morning will do. You’ll feel better, your mood will be more positive, and the more congenial you will be with other people. If you give out positive energy, the more beautiful you become - and the more people will be inclined to return positive vibes to you, too.

Change Your Body Image

If there’s something in your body that you dislike, find out what’s causing you to smirk at it. Chances are, the reasons are very shallow and superficial. The realization of this will help you attain a better self-image and teach you to appreciate yourself more.

Treat Yourself

Set aside time once a week to do something just for you. It could be anything from watching a cheesy movie to walking your dog in the park. As long as it’s time for you in doing what you want to do.

Wear Nice Underwear

This sounds silly, but it works! Wearing really cute knickers does make you feel better and a lot more confident about facing others. Don’t believe this? Try it!

List Your Good Points

Without looking at the mirror, make a list of all the things you appreciate and like about your body - things like, “I have great hair” or “I have a nice set of teeth”. Keep this list in your wallet or wherever you can see them and whenever you feel terrible, just take out this list and read it to yourself.

Travel

Ask a few of your best pals to spend a day out of town with you. Pack a delicious snack and spend the day fishing or hiking, or whatever suits your interests. A day in the fresh air is sure to give you an energy boost and make you feel good about yourself.

Get Away From People Who Put You Down

You know these kinds of people. They simply can’t stand the fact that you’re okay with your life and will always try to dampen your mood. Avoid them at all cost, because they’ll never make you feel good about yourself.

Do A Good Deed

Do something good for someone else. You will find that things like volunteering at a homeless shelter or even a simple thing like helping somebody who is lost by giving proper directions will make you feel good for the rest of the day. You’ll be doing something worthwhile and when you see how badly off some people are, you’ll start to appreciate your life more and be grateful for what you have.

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Michael Lee is the author of How to be a Red Hot Persuasion Wizard, an ebook that reveals mind-altering persuasion techniques on how to tremendously enhance your relationships & get anything you want…just like magic. Get a sample chapter and highly-stimulating “Get What You Want” advice at www.20daypersuasion.com. He is the Co-Founder of www.self-improvement-millionaires.com.

Happiness is a ?now you feel it, now you don?t? emotion. I know this from personal experience and from hearing of the experiences of others. Sometimes I?m very happy, other times, sad, joyful, contented, frustrated, and sometimes very neutral.

Several years ago I had no reference point for the word happy. I knew technically the meaning of the word, however the experience eluded me. Joy I could do, happy for some reason, no.

One day during a workshop the word happy was demonstrated to me with much laughter from the audience. Now I not only get ?happy? but remember it also as a fun experience.

There are many small things that can make me happy as well as give me endless joy. I?ve listed seven simple ways toward experiencing a happy moment, but first check you have a reference point to the word happy. Find out what happy really means to you?

1. Remember or create a ?happy? moment. When you live the experience of ?happy? your mind and body will remember. Feel the happiness in all parts of you, expand this feeling if need be. Practise this daily.

2. Access the Present moment. Notice what happens to you when you?re totally focussed on a comedy show on television, when you listen to light hearted music or when you dance - even if it?s on your own. I sometimes groove to a tune in my office when no-one?s looking ? it makes me feel good, cool, gives me a break from what I?m doing and I laugh at myself!

3. Invite friends over for some play time. Organise paper, crayons, paint, and coloured pencils, whatever you can think of and do some drawings or paintings. You could also ask each person to bring along a plate of food.

4. Spend time with nature, go for a walk down the beach or park; observe wildlife in your area or visit a plant nursery. Notice your mood when amongst the spirit of nature.

5. Take something with you that gives you great pleasure such as a book, journal for writing or your MP3 player and sit and ?Be? under the canopies of trees for a few hours.

6. Learn something totally new such as another language; pottery or painting or start your meditation, personal or spiritual development program. You?re only ever limited by your own imagination.

7. Join a club or group that you have an interest in. You can then expand your friendship base with other like-minded souls.

With any of the above activities assess what and how you?re feeling as well as where you feel the emotion and how much are you laughing, grinning, or smiling? Remember them totally by living the experience and you will then be able to recall this memory when you want to.

Include to memory your experience colours, smells, sounds and tastes ? all the better for remembering your happy time with.

Quiet time spent alone can open the door to the possibility of connection to that most amazing and magical part of you that is your true self, the spirit within.

From my experience the key to a happy life begins with remembering who you are, know what gives you enjoyment, be present, and know that regardless of your circumstances no?one can take away your thoughts or dreams, they are yours to keep for as long as you wish.

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Copyright requirements are that it remains with Michaela Scherr and for the link to be “click able” or “live” at www.michaelascherr.com
Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer, and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.
Michaela is the author of several e-books including a monthly newsletter called From My Desk.