| ||
| ||
|
||
|
|
|
Happiness - A Matter of Focus
Imagine for a moment you have been given a task. That task is to count the number of times five basketballs are passed between a group of people who are running around each other. Assuming that the exercise requires your full concentration, what is the chance that you would notice a gorilla walk right into the middle of the group, beat it's chest and then walk away again? Should be obvious right? Well according to a study conducted at Harvard university, in some circumstances as little as eight percent of people notice the gorilla! The reason is that our perception often has a lot to do with what we are focusing on, and less to do with what is really there. In order to process complex information we have to delete most of what goes on around us. For example, before now did you notice how your shirt felt against your skin? When was the last time you blinked? So the question is, if you are pessimistic - if you focus on what is negative in a situation rather than what is positive - what will your reality be? It is highly likely that if you focus on bad, you will see and hear the bad and miss the good. Being pessimistic is not the same as being 'realistic'. It is stripping your life of pleasure. Looking for the good in every situation has the opposite affect. The more good you look for, more more good (and happiness) you will get. (C) Copyright Petra Rankin 2005 Petra Rankin used powerful techniques to beat her own long-term depression. She is now dedicated to teaching others how to be happier and lead more successful lives. Her first book Fast Track Your Success and Happiness is due to be launched in September 2005 and is currently available for download as a free e-book instead of paying $19.95. Limited time only!
MORE RESOURCES:
Happiness - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creating Happiness Whatever we want in life, a partner, more money, good health, a fulfilling career, or enlightenment, it all comes down to the same thing: behind all the wishes, behind all the desires, and beyond every symbol, we want to feel happy. After all, if we feel completely happy, what more do we need? And if we don't feel happy, there is not a relationship or career that can satisfy us. Be Happy, Join The Wednesday Worry Club Of all the people who know me, no one would say I am afflicted with worryitis. They may say other things about me, which may or may not be true, but that's another story. Got Play? Passion Love Action You! Playing with your own divinity, spirit, heart, and spreading it around you. YES! When I share with people that I'm a play activist, most people look perplexed. Happiness and the Single Person; Changing Myth Into Reality Does the expression "single and happy" sound like an oxymoron to you? Are you weary of others (especially other singles) reinforcing the belief that singles cannot be happy? Do you find yourself always planning for the future or putting things off until you "are married and settled? Do you often have a sense that the intense feelings of happiness and joy cannot really be experienced unless you "have someone to share it with?" Do you just feel there is not enough time and other necessary resources available to the single person to pursue experiences that can bring true happiness?If the above resonates in your gut, do not despair. The following tips will offer ways to help you experience your present reality differently through changing behavior that is based on those negative (false) beliefs. Get Right! Make a Difference Want to make a difference? What can one person do? The answer is everything! In its finest sense, the behavior of every one of us is central to the peace of the world. For the individual, the best thing we can all do is to practice Right Action, with all of its many implications. How To Be Outrageously Happy You can be as happy as you want whenever you want. Zen masters have proven this - all you have to do is just "be" with whatever you have right now. Happiness as a Habit Health and Happiness are the two things that most people will tell you they desire most. Ask a parent what they want most for their child and they will almost always say, "I really don't care, as long as they are healthy and happy. Design Psychology: How Our Sensory Responses to Aromas Create Happy Homes Our sense of smell elicits strong emotional reactions and triggers powerful memories, whether we're consciously aware of it or not.Scents and FeelingsOur olfactory system sends a chemical message about the scents around us through the limbic part of our brain, which is the oldest part of our brain. A Model of Happiness Everyone I've ever met considers happiness to be desirable. There is a whole wing of psychology called "positive psychology" studying things like happiness. Many Blessings "Reflect on your present blessings of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." Charles DickensWe all have many blessings. Helping Happiness Along Happiness is worth helping along.The benefits of being a happy person are huge. How To Dance With Life Fortunate, indeed, is the man who takes exactly the right measure of himself,and holds a just balance between what he can acquire and what he can use.~Peter Latham (1789-1875) In the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, right action and right living create a life of harmony and delight. The ABCs Of A Great Life: J Is For Joviality Laughter, humor, a lighthearted sense of being - all of these are an important part of a well-balanced breakfast, er, life. Without humor, there is no hope. The Key To A Problem-Free Life What comes to your mind when you see someone who has a perpetual smile on her face and always looks at things on the bright side? Do you wish you could strangle that person or do you wonder how she accomplishes looking peaceful and without a care in the world. Well, I'd hope that once you get past the wanting to strangle the person, you'd ask yourself what it is that makes that person tick the way she does? I'd venture to guess that the person leads a problem-free life! Am I saying that this person doesn't face challenges and obstacles? Absolutely not! It's all about how she perceives these challenges and the thought process she applies. Flow as in Flower The seeds you sow determine the crop you reap. This is pretty common knowledge. What is the Ultimate Lifestyle? Since the mission of this newsletter is to help you define, carve out, and live your own Ultimate Lifestyle, I figured I should devote some space to laying a proper foundation for doing that.Before you can hit a target, you need to know where it is! So, to begin, let's answer the question:What is The Ultimate Lifestyle?First of all, it's different for different people. Three Inspirations for Happiness The following three inspirations were adapted from A Daily Dose of Happiness, and they represent three key ways to increase our happiness.1. Growing Up Backwards It seems like I set out in this life to do things my own way and in my own time - no matter what was wise or prudent or tried, tested and true. And, regardless of the advice I give my own daughters, I continue to 'grow up backwards. Breaking the Cycle Breaking the cycle is a term we have all heard. Especially if we come from a family (and these days who doesn't) that has a history of some type of violence and/or drug abuse whereas this phrase is told to us over and over. Happiness - Not Something To Pursue Perhaps the most sought after thing in the world is happiness. Our constitution even provides freedom for the pursuit of happiness.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
