5 Simple Rules To Being Happy

I had several new additions to my email inbox today; those funny, cute or thought provoking little tidbits forwarded from friends and family on a fairly regular basis, author unknown.  After a quick scan of the day's entrants, there was one in particular that caught my eye.

It was a story about an elderly gentleman who was being admitted to a nursing home and was delighted with the prospect.  He walked in the front door for a tour of his new home with a geat big smile plastered upon his face.  The lady assignd to escort him was curious why he was so happy, this was not typical, especially given the fact that he hadn't seen his room yet.  As she showed him around the facility, his smile never waivered.  Her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked him why he was so happy, to which he replied, "Every morning I get up and decide to be delighted with everything that comes my way."

His escort was intrigued with his answer, and when asked how he was able to be so positive each day, he responded with these 5 Simple Rules To Being Happy:

1.  Free your heart from hatred.

Hatred, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is an intense hostility, an aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.

At one point in my life, there was a person who evoked feelings of intense dislike within me, to the point that my anger and 'hatred' became almost cancer-like in its ability to consume me and my ability to think rationally.  I don't think anyone particularly enjoyed my company during that period, heck, I didn't even like myseslf! 

Luckily, I tired of my justified anger and resolved to move forward.  It wasn't easy.  It took a considerable amount of time and energy and was a difficult lesson to learn; one I've never forgotten, and one I'm determined never to repeat.

2.  Free your mind from worries.

"Yea, right." How does one go about that you ask?  It seems to me that you are either a born worrier or you're not.

If you fit into the worrier category, there is hope.  It's as simple as admitting to yourself that the thing you are worrying about isn't affected, for better or for worse, by your worrying.  It is what it is. 

Think about it.  Can you remember a single instance when something you were worrying about, resolved itself as a direct result of your worrying?  No, of course not.  It's your actions that resolve situations.  Let the worry go!  All worrying ever did was raise your blood pressure, generate a few more gray hairs, or at best, give you an upset stomach to deal with.

There is a strong belief, in many circles, that our thoughts are energy, and thus attract like energy.  With that being said, if you're a worrier who is always fretting about one thing or another, you're only attracting more things to worry about into your life.  Let the worry go!

3.  Live simply.

Living a simple life means different things to each of us.  My personal philosophy of living simply is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Do I really need 3 pots of the same size in my kitchen cabinet?  Can that old armoire be refurbished to provide a handy organizing solution for my crafting supplies?  How do you define living simply?

4.  Give more.

There are always Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn to buy.  Each year there are school fund raisers and your favorite charities to support.

Give a friend a hug, forgive your sister/brother/parent for the 'thing' they did, read a story to a child in the hospital.  Is there an elderly or sick neighbor who could use a hot meal or help with raking leaves?  There is an endless list of ways to give more, and the cost will be no more than a little of your time.

5.  Expect less.

My greatest disappointments, and heartaches, have come as a direct result of expecting more from others than they were able or willing to give.  Because of this, I have learned to expect less.

That's not to say that I'm a  pessimist, quite the contrary.  It's simply that I've learned that holding others to my expectations is unrealistic, and perhaps even a bit egotistical on my part.  Expecting less is actually less stressful, and more enjoyable.  Give it a test, what have you go to lose?

Five little  rules - I think I can do this, what about you?  All we have to do is decide that today we're going to be delighted with everything that comes our way!

ree'J