"Did You Ever Stop to Think...

...and forget to start again?"
"Well," said Pooh. "what I like best--" and then he had to stop and think.  Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than you were, but he didn't know what it was called."


Winnie the Pooh always seemed to be a good bear.  Pretty upbeat.  So I'll share some of his happiness tips that each of us can use.


Don't Get Bogged Down in Details.
"You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't it everything.  There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count."
Getting bogged down in details, focusing on small problems can have advantages.  But it can also make you miss the big picture.  What really important in life?  Don't make the mistake of spending too much time nitpicking or making mountains out of molehills.  Relax instead.  Focus on positive things you have and want in your life.  The days may seem long but the years are often pretty short!


Be Proactive.  Take the Lead.
"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you.  You have to go to them sometimes."
It's easy to get locked into a reactive mindset.  You just follow along with whatever is happening.  You do what people around you do.  You react to whatever is going on.
A more useful and pleasurable way of living is to be proactive.  This feels better and provides better results.  But on the other hand it's also more difficult.  You have to get out of your comfort zone and that can be scary....yet worth it.


Keep conversations positive and simple.
"It's more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "what about lunch?"
What do people want in a conversation and relationship of all kinds?
Long winded negative babbling?  Or positive talk that is focused and interesting?
Three tips that help me keep the conversation positive and focused are:
*Live a positive life.  If you focus on the positive in your daily life then it's usually no problem to keep focusing on it and talking about it in conversations.
*Be aware and be alert.
If you know you have a problem with negative conversations be aware of that fact before you go off on a rant.
*Focus on other people.
If you focus too much on yourself then it's easy to get lost in your own thoughts and words and forget that you are having a conversation.  As if you enjoy listening more to yourself than having a two-way conversation.


Appreciate the little things.
"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon."
Daily happiness is to a large part about appreciating the small things.  If you just allow yourself to be happy when accomplishing a big goal or when having some great luck then you are making life harder than it needs to be.  Instead, focus on appreciating things you may take for granted.


Thanks Pooh Bear

12 Ways to Live Your Life

It seems that everything comes in a list format nowadays.  "Wash, Rinse and Repeat." Or "Open box, Remove Contents, Assemble."  Maybe its because when we see things in a list format our brain interprets them as a set of directions - rules that must be followed.
The proliferation of articles about happiness as of late has been astonishing.  Everybody is coming up with the magic formula for finding happiness.  I don't know about you, but I nee to keep things simple and in perspective at all times.
Wouldn't it be great if there were a simple set of instructions for living a happy and fulfilled life?  How about an instruction manual for life?  Something along the lines of "Enjoy childhood, Explore young adulthood, Engage in a rewarding career, and Enjoy life."
Unfortunately, things are not that easy.  That doesn't mean there aren't techniques and tips you can use in your everyday life that can help you find happiness and fulfillment as you go through the journey of life.  Here's how:
1. Keep it simple.  Don't clutter your life with unnecessary decisions by making everything complicated and complex.
2. Practice being satisfied.  Many people don't know how to satisfied with what life gives them.
3. Beware of indecision.  Nobody said life was easy and sometimes you have to make the tough decisions.  Successful people didn't get where they are by prolonging or going back and forth on decisions.
4. Practice cheerfulness.  A simple smile or kind word can spread through our culture like wildfire - not only will you feel better, but those who interact with you will too.
5. Learn to love people.  You don't have to like them but you can learn to love them beyond the blemishes.
6. Live and let live.  Learn to live your life to the fullest and let others live live to the fullest.  None of us is above anyone else.
7. Adversity teaches.  Adversity often comes dressed in many different outfits, but you will change your life by learning how to deal with it and prosper from it.
8. Don't take yourself too seriously.  Here's a secret...it's OK to be alittle goofy every now and then.
9. Have a sense of humor.  Laughter has been shown to help people live longer, reduce their blood pressure, and help them relate to people from all corners of life.
10. Practice objectivity.  Be objective in your decision-making and risk-taking.  Know the facts and avoid bias influence on your decisions.
11. Tolerate your own mistakes.  Learn that mistakes happen and the best thing you can is to learn from them.
12. Forgive yourself.  Stop beating yourself up over the things that happened in the past - things you did or didn't do, and mistakes you may have made with others.


Life happens....be a part of it. 

The Ant Philosophy

I think everybody should study ants.  They have ab amazing four-part philosophy.  Here is the first part:
Ants never quit
That's a good philosophy.  If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way.  They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around.  They keep looking for another way.  What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're suppose to go.
Second...Ants think winter all summer.
That's an important perspective.  You can't be so naive to think that summer will last forever.  So ants are gathering their winter food in the middle of summer.
The third part of the any philosophy is that ants think summer all winter.
That is so important.  During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long---we'll soon be out f here."  And the first warm day, the ants are out.  If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the next warm day.  They can't wait to get out.
And here's the last part of the ant philosophy.  
How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for winter?  All he possibly can!  What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-can-philosophy".

WOW what a great philosophy to have...the ant philosophy.

Never give up....look ahead...stay positive...and do all you can.