PERSONAL NOTE
I live in San Diego, CA which is pretty much paradise. I was lucky to be born in this beautiful place. We have mild weather most of the year and amazing views of the ocean, parks, canyons, and mountains. However, we have 2 months each year that are typically overcast. We refer to the first one as "May Gray" and the second as "June Gloom". Having these 2 months helps me appreciate the sunshine even more. So, to find extra happiness during these gray days I do more gardening when I won't be baking under the sun. There is always something to be happy about.
ARTICLE
How to Have More Happiness-Part 2 of 2
Last month in Part 1 we met Shirley, who was always happy despite her challenges and George, who appeared to have it all in life, yet he was always complaining and wasn't satisfied. We also looked at choosing to be open-minded and flexible, finding time for important things in life, and developing healthy relationships. There are always ways to increase your happiness without a lot of effort. So, this month 2 of the other ways to have a happier life are to manage your personal finances and develop work life balance.
Managing personal finances by:
Understanding your relationship to money. Have you ever stopped to contemplate your relationship to money? How you view money dramatically influences how much you make and how much we keep. Is money your friend? Or is it a ‘necessary evil’? Do you deserve it? Or is wealth reserved for others more fortunate than you? Are wealthy people to be envied and hated for their ambitions? And poor people to be revered for their humility? How you look at money will determine how much you attract in your life. Or not.
Putting yourself in charge. When it comes to managing your personal finances, first and foremost is to ensure that you are managing your money and that it is not managing you. Here are a few tips:
Pay your bills on time. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.
It just makes it worse. So, pay them on time so you don’t have them hanging over you.
Live debt free. I know for some people this is no easy feat. Even if your get-out-of-debt plan is 20 years, chipping away at it slowly is better than not at all. Debt is a heavy load to carry and reducing it as much and as quickly as possible will go a long way toward more joy and contentment in your life.
Save for a rainy day. Knowing you have money in the bank for an unexpected illness, job loss, or major repair will help you be prepared and ease your worries about any unforeseen life situations.
Develop a work life balance by:
Loving What You Do. Most of your days are spent working so if you dread your job chances are it’ll drag down the rest of your experiences. Even the worst jobs offer something to be grateful for such as learning new skills, interacting with interesting people, travel opportunities, or paying the rent.
Living in the present. It’s hard to experience happiness if your thoughts are anchored in the past or fixated on the future. Try meditation or taking a few moments to be silent to help you connect to your feelings and ground you in the present moment.
Conclusion
Perhaps Abraham Lincoln expressed it best when he said, “People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Happiness is an attitude not an event. It doesn’t just happen by accident. It takes effort. There’s no need to wait for things to be perfect to be happy.
Remember Shirley and George? Each face challenges in life but interpret them very differently. You can live like Shirley, or you can live like George. George focuses on the negative while Shirley’s found happiness throughout the good, the bad, and the ugly that life has to offer. Once you learn that happiness is a decision, you can then choose happiness over sadness, gratitude over bitterness, forgiveness instead of grudges.
Remember 5 of the top indicators of a happy and successful life.
- Being open-minded and flexible. See Part 1
- Finding time for the "important things in life". See Part 1
- Having healthy relationships. See Part 1
- Managing personal finances.
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Good work-life balance.
Take a minute to review the above and circle your top 3 doable tips and begin today.
COOL RESOURCE
One of my colleagues, Sherry Gangel owns Bee Organized, a company that not only helps people organize their homes and offices but also helps them pack or unpack when moving, Each month Sherry puts out a short newsletter and this month's topic is about vacations. Since vacations help people feel happy, I thought I would share a link if you would like to check it out.
https://tinyurl.com/bdd9wv8b
EXCITING NEWS
I am getting a great response to my new service called 911 COACHING. These are single sessions usually conducted within 48 hours of receiving the request. This is for those times when you need some quick reassurance, support, and strategies for a challenge you are facing. This month my focus is on weddings, the jitters, too much drama, or unreasonable expectations. If you know someone that wants to reduce the stress of the wedding planning, please share this link with them for scheduling info click here.
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Stay safe, healthy, and happy!
Coach Jan
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