August 27th, 2012
(You are an original!)
There are quite a few monks and gurus and priests and rabbis and spiritual teachers that tell you that happiness is easy to come by. That is because they are usually single and have someone else to cook and clean and raise money and pay the bills and take out the garbage and walk the dog while they sit around generating happiness. Nice.
You and I, on the other hand, have to do most of the chores. It’s not all incense and peppermint. So what do we do in the real world? The answer is easier than you think. First, write down (really, write it down!) three things that you are most grateful for and read that at least three times a day for three days. If you don’t commit this to memory, anybody or anything negative can blind you to this list. It is guaranteed that sooner or later an attempt will be made on your happiness. Once you forget this list…hello darkness. Make it a priority.
Second, Want more. Want more for yourself, want more for your loved ones, want more for your planet, want more to love. Without wanting, we stagnate. Wanting is the oomph that gets us to take the next step. Wanting fires up our imagination. Wanting fires up our life. Be grateful for what you have and want more!
Third, Think more highly of yourself. We are all so afraid of being obnoxious or prideful because we are going to be punished in some way or fashion. Poppycock! You are an original and dare I say, a masterpiece? Okay some of us are weird pop art and some of us are traditional but we are all incomplete canvasses. Each day we complete a little more of the picture. You don’t like it so far? Not to worry, you’ve still got a bunch of canvass and paint left. Start making it better. Think better. Dress better. Eat better. Love better. Speak better. Pray better. And you will be better.
It’s tough to be happy in today’s world but it will never be impossible for you as long as you stay grateful, desirous and wonderful.
P.S. -You can start right now.
(c)2012 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
August 6th, 2012
(Today’s outlook ; Mostly happy with a slight chance of upsets.)
Who is watching you? Not in the creepy, peering through the blinds kind of watching but who in your life cares about you? Who looks to you to determine whether the world is a happy, mad or sad place today? Who is watching you to see how you deal with your problems? Who is watching you because they worry about you?
Nothing in our life stands alone. Everything we do, say and think has an effect on us and we in turn affect everyone we come into contact with even if it is but for a moment. Parents know that their own mood has an instant and formidable effect on their children. When they are feeling discombobulated and stressed, it’s a pretty good bet that the children will be bouncing off the walls simultaneously.
So, at this point you’ve got to ask yourself, am I influencing my world or is my world influencing me? The answer to that question is another question; Are you a leader or a victim? You see if you are a leader than you are the one that decides, come hell or high water, I’m going to be happy, caring and successful. If, on the other hand, you see yourself as a victim, then you are the one that says I am but a leaf in the wind and I hope I don’t get blown into the gutter.
When the people who love you, care about you and look up to you watch you, they want to see a leader. They want to see a role model, they want to see you turn your day around, overcome upsets and be happy in spite of what you face. If you really want to make a difference, you have an obligation to be strong and caring and happy. You can’t change the whole world but you sure can bring sunshine into your part of it.
So, what’s it going to be? You, standing on the top of the mountain telling everyone to come on up or you blowing down the gutter? Everyone you know is watching and waiting for your decision.
(c)2012 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com