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3 Posts on the Awesome Power of Staying HAPPY!

Here’s a fantastic round-up of the three HAPPY blog posts I read. You could try looking at it too. Go ahead, give it a shot!

Don’t POSTPONE joy

There’s something about being happy that makes all of us happy. I mean, come on, do you honestly enjoy seeing anyone suffer? We want the world to be a happy place, don’t we? We all want to lead happy lives. Do read: 5 Exceptional Posts that will motivate you today 

                                                           [Image Credit: Unsplash]

This post from Helen McKay, who says, “Don't postpone joy” makes sense. Her wise words also say, “I believe happiness is about appreciating small things and simple experiences: the kind of things that leave lasting, enjoyable memories. Our lives are full of joyful experiences, yet many folk don’t value them, as they should. So often, people put off the things that will make them happy, until they have achieved a set goal; but then – having reached that goal – there is always another reason why they cannot enjoy a state of bliss. Procrastination is a bad habit. Whatever you want to do in life, do it now – don’t procrastinate and put off starting. Between your dream and the fulfilment of it, life lies waiting.” Read the full blogpost here.  

It's not easy to let go of one's marriage and revert to living single again. Here's a from-the-heart perspective from a writer about how tough it is to be living alone. Lorna writes, "I still care, I still want him to be happy. But the truth is, I haven't even bought a mop yet. What does a mop have to do with moving on? Let me explain."  She says, "It's time to break it down to small, manageable chunks, be gentle with myself and begin with the last stage of moving on."

Fed up with crabby relationships? It’s no big deal! I  really enjoyed reading Anisa Virji’s blog post on how to release yourself from crabby relationships. She sums it up well, “Releasing yourself from such crabby relationships can have a wonderful effect on your well-being and the quality of your life.” I can SO connect to that!

In life, the sweet moments truly count! When you look back at your life, it’s those moments that flash back. So, here’s a thoroughly tempting post to sweeten this festive season – delicious desserts from across the world which aren't typically served in our homes!  

                                                  [Image Credit: Unsplash]

And if you're reading this post, clearly you're thinking about your happiness quotient in life. So, what makes you happy? Draw up a list. Go for it!

Comments

Ajith said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ajith said…
nice post. I would suggest a nice read from the article wrt to the book Hardwiring Happines where the author argues that the problem is we're wired to scout for the bad stuff -- as he puts it, the brain is like velcro for negative experience and teflon for positive ones. This "negativity bias" causes the brain to react very intensely to bad news, compared to how it responds to good news.The way to "hardwire happiness" into the brain, then, is to take in the good -- being present to life's tiny, joyful moments.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/how-tiny-joyful-moments-c_n_4108363.html
Vishnu said…
Hi Swapna, Than you for sharing these posts including Lorna's and Anisa's blogs. So great to read two refreshing writers who had a common theme in those two relationship posts. One spoke about cleaning up things to let new things in - to make space in your life for the new. And Anisa talks about letting go of crabby people so we can bring more positivity to our lives. She reminds us we have a choice and can be more conscious about who we keep in it. Love this line: I'm tired of hearing that. I want to derail the car. I want to shake the shack. I want to cause mayhem and her post. Thank you for these regular roundup posts - so much delicious writing out there.
Hi Ajith, Thanks for the book recco and sharing the Huffington post url. I liked what you mentioned about "the way to hard wire happiness into the brain is to take in the good..being present to life's tiny, joyful moments...." Such an important, gentle reminder to live our life mindfully. Thank you for that.
Hi Vishnu, Happy to read your positive feedback and what you liked reading in these regular roundup posts. I too feel that there's so much delicious writing out there and so much to discover, explore and contemplate.

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