{Inspiration} How to Lead a Happy Life #redefininghappiness

by brandyellen // January 21, 2014 // Comments off

It took me a lot of years to get to a place where I realized happiness is more about a thought process than materialistic items or what you have in life. Happiness is an emotion derived from what you have going on inside of your body, mind and soul. Happiness is something that only you can bring to your life, no one else can control your happiness. Other people may be able to affect your happiness, if you let them, but ultimately my point is that it is up to you to lead a happy life and not allow anyone else to deter you from that goal of leading a happy life.

How to Lead a Happy Life

There are many steps to leading a happy life each step may need to be repeated for a lot of many years before your mind fully grasps the concept that happiness really is an attitude. I do need to remind you that leading a happy life doesn’t mean it’s going go give you a life full of sugar and spice and everything nice! Rather, leading a happy life has more to do with the mindset, remembering that even if you are having a bad day or a bad moment that you are ultimately “happy”. This is a concept that is easily confused by those with less experience in being truly 100% happy;

Being legitimately happy and leading a happy life has everything to do with a deep emotional connection within your own self.

Step One - Determine what hobbies or special interests you have that make you feel completely, utterly happy while doing them. The primary step to becoming a sincerely happy person is to ensure that you are partaking in your special interests as often as possible to ensure complete happiness is met each day. For Example: some play musical instruments, some write words, others listen to music or feel most happy curled up reading a good book. Take part in these activities as often as possible to ensure you are consistently working towards a fully happy life.

Step Two - Do onto others as you would have others do unto you. Give to others your time; a simple “have a good day” to the cashier waiting on you, a smile and nod to everyone you walk by or something as simple as kindly holding the door for the person behind you. Be sure to develop a daily routine of consistent acts of kindness to others. This creates a positive energy around you thus allowing you to lead a happy life more effortlessly. Positive energy around you equals being surrounded by happiness.

Step Three - Surround yourself with positive people, we all have those energy sucking negative people in our lives somewhere. While family members who tend to lean more negatively aren’t easily removed from your life, try to distance yourself as often as possible from anyone who feel it’s their mission in life to abide by the “misery loves company” mindset. Rather, enlighten your world with more happy people, those who feel they are blessed and are truly grateful for the life they lead. Happiness breeds more happiness, therefore positive people will bring more positive energy. Surrounding yourself with uplifting, inspirational people will allow you to lead a happy life almost effortlessly.

Step Four - Eat less fatty foods and drink less alcohol. While I am a fan of having a big piece {or two} of greasy pizza or the occasional fast food meal as well as enjoying an alcoholic beverage from time to time, ultimately filling your body with these bad foods or drinks too often, will affect your positive energy. Fill your diet with vegetables, home cooked meals and less fatty foods to allow for your body to feel energized, having more physical energy will release more positive energy. Don’t believe me? Change your diet for just a few days and see how much better you feel inside and out.

Step Five - Exercise to release negative tension; anything from yoga to taking a brisk walk on a warm day can release a lot of negativity. Allowing your body and muscles time to breath, stretch and work out really does assist in creating a positive energy within your own self. You don’t have to over exert yourself on a daily basis, something as simple as parking further away from the entrance to a store will allow you a short walk and release any tension you may be feeling that day. Practice taking time everyday to stretch your muscles so that your mind is clear and body feels refreshed.

To be honest, the top five tips above are the best starting points to leading a happy life. Once you have mastered the top five tips above, you will find a happy life will manifest itself and others around you will feel that positive energy emanating from your aura. Others will have no choice but to automatically feel happy when they are around you, thus making the idea of leading a happy life an effortless task as time goes on.

Things I Do To Keep my Positive Mind on Track

by brandyellen // May 19, 2013 // Comments off

Life can get quite overwhelming at times for even the most positive of people, we are tested each day in our strengths and weaknesses to grow more as an individual person. I am a firm believer we are not given more than we can handle, even if what we can handle seems to be way more than we thought capable of. From time to time my positive attitude is tested, whether it be a week full of mishaps or a full day that just seems to be spiraling downward; life happens and in turn my mind is forced to remember to focus on the positive as well as what I want in my world. A simple thought truly can change your world, but it doesn’t happen right away and it’s not an easy task to think clearly when you are frazzled with life.

Here are some things I do to keep my mind on track for my positive future when times get tough … hopefully they help you too!

A Day at the Beach

Head to the Beach For some Sunshine

My family loves being outside in the sunshine during the Spring and Summer months. The warmth of that sun shining down upon you simply warms the soul making it easy to be happier. Sunshine always helps to clear the mind too, whether you are swimming in the water, playing ball, building a castle in the sand or simply lounging watching the family laugh while they play, a day at the beach can certainly help to alleviate stress and allow your mind to recoup back to a happy place.

Search for Positive Quotes and Sayings Online

Sometimes when I am feeling low or out of positive energy, I will get online to search some great happy quotes from various famous English Literature authors. Taking time to look up famous positive quotes or even funny quotes in image form can be useful to help regain positive attitude and get back on track for the day. Some of my personal favorite quotes were shared the other day in the article 5 Brilliant Quotes About the Power of Positive. A quote a day helps keep the stress away!

Take a Fifteen Minute Nap

Believe it or not, a fifteen minute nap can recoup your mind easily. If you sleep longer than fifteen minutes you may feel groggy and more down and stressed than you did when you laid down.I have found just fifteen to twenty minutes at most for a nap when you are feeling overwhelmed can really help build your mind back up to focus on moving forward in a positive way.

These few things that I mentioned above really have helped keep me moving forward in keeping that positive mindset working. I have seen many amazing things line up just right because of my skill to think positive and truly focus on thinking about what I want and need versus what I am going through or what I do not want to have happen.

What are some ways you keep your positive mindset on track?

Suppose I do have Some Control Issues with Some Things

by brandyellen // May 2, 2013 // Comments off

It is too funny because when I look at other people who are a part of my world, such as friends or relatives what have you – I can truly see when they admit they have control issues, that they really do. I really don’t think of myself having such issues and then it hits me. I watch someone, like the boyfriend, sweep the bedroom floor…

He looks to be doing it rather daintily not really putting any arm strength into it and getting the dirt in the dust pan? OH my goodness! I literally had to bite my lip, stand back and just not say a word.

BE Quite Brandy

It was too funny because even he could tell I was having a super issue with him sweeping and helping to clean up the upper part of the home as I was working to get things packed up and in order. I did not say a word but oh man I wanted to.

I laughed it off and realized that if anything is going to work in any relationship, I just have to do what I did – watch, maybe cringe, bite my lip and not say a word. He didn’t break anything, the floor got swept – even if not the way I wanted to, it got swept.

That day is when it dawned on me that I do have some control issues with certain things. Not necessarily a physical person and what he/she is “allowed” to do in that way but it more stems from how things in a household should be completed, etc. I am thankful that I am able to control that control problem and as with any fault a person has, it’s always a work in progress.

The sweeping got done right, so what’s the deal?

The deal is, I clearly have some small issues surrounding the idea of having any form of help around the house. Heck even car troubles, I feel the absolute need to be the person looking at the car and/or doing the work. I am just that sort of person.

At least I am aware and working on that …. and at least he has a sense of humor about it – that works out perfectly!

I Choose To Focus on Positive Not be Blind of Negative

by brandyellen // April 25, 2013 // Comments off

Living a positive lifestyle does not necessarily mean that you are oblivious or blinded of the bad in this world. For one to choose to live a positive lifestyle with the positive attitude, you must be aware of the bad as well, life is all about balance. The choice to simply focus on the good and positive means that you are making a conscious effort in making your life and that of your family better. Turning on the news, I see nothing but negative, all of the bad people and crimes being focused on. Rarely is there a huge news segment about positive helpers, the good in this world and similar. That is why all too often I turn off the local news channel, I much prefer to see a balance of good and bad being reported with the focus being that of the good.

Mister Rogers Quote

In all reality you can truly find something good within every bad situation, event or moment in your world. It will take time to truly feel and believe with all of your heart and soul that positive thinking truly works and it make take years before you really reap the benefits of having such a mindset. This is probably why so many try to think positive and then give up. It is a time consuming process of truly training your mind, heart and soul to believe a completely different way than what you grew up to know.

I feel my kids blessed to have a mother who truly believes and lives in the positive mindset, because they are not being shown just one way of thinking. In school and with friends as well as other family members my children are taking in how others view the world through the words spoken to them but more importantly through watching how these other people in their world live and interact with them. For me, the decision to focus on positive rather than good and to believe that everything will end up working out in my favor, was a way to help raise three kids with little stress and in turn having my kids watch me grow, learn how to adapt and come out strong.

All we all seem to wish for our next generation is that they have an open mind, willingness to love others, and good strong morals with a great character. If choosing to focus on the positive and lead this type of life in front of and with my children creates that, then it will be worth every moment when someone tells me my thought pattern is messed up. People may be able to get my mind to jilt for just one moment into the negative with their dash of negativity but they will never, ever break my confidence in leading this positive lifestyle that works so well for all in my direct path. If you really want to learn more about how it is I think and why it has worked for others too, The Secret is a great movie to watch or book to read. It is a documentary of sorts really and it really worked to help show others how my mind really works and how it is directly connected with the universe.

I Want to be Different

by brandyellen // January 2, 2013 // Comments off

Over this past week of school vacation my daughter has been wearing quite the “interesting” choice of clothing. She has worn such things as pants that are way too short for her, stripes with plaid, and other such mis-matched type choices or clothing selections that she has clearly grown out of. One day I finally called her out on her outfit choices, wondering why anyone would want to wear pants that are too short for them baffled me.

Positive Girl Aurthors - Mom and Daughter

The answer my daughter gave me regarding her outfit choices was;

I don’t care what other people say, I don’t care what other people think. You taught me to not worry about what others think of me and I want to be different. I don’t want to look or be like anyone else.

If I say tears of pride didn’t enter my eyes at that moment, I would be lying. My little girl who struggled for a bit with lower self esteem and issues on standing up for her own self is now showing signs of a high self esteem and confidence like no other. All of our positive quotes shared, positive stories read {and written/published}, all of that time I spent showing her that I didn’t care what others thought about me … is finally starting to shine through and as much as those high water pants drive me crazy, I just smile because she is my girl and I couldn’t be more proud of her!