January 2005



What does it mean to live in harmony with happiness? It is something we all seek on some level — whether it is simply to be content, or joyful, or perhaps blissful. I lean towards the latter or some rich shade of joy. It’s my feeling that it is within each of our reach to create a life that elevates us to our greatest possible happiness. Deep down we know that happiness has very little to do with expensive cars or possessions, and yet we often unintentionally get drawn into that model. Happiness is a state of being that I believe is chosen regardless of one’s situation or challenge. Certainly some are faced with intense challenge such as illness or poverty; however, I am sure we’ve all known someone who’s come to terms with their immanent death or challenge, and is source of inspiration for all, as is Morrie in the book Tuesdays With Morrie.

Guiding Your Thoughts
Every moment is a choice. You have an opportunity every single moment to select where you focus your attention. You may at times feel you are controlled by your thoughts, as though you can’t get out of your mind or stop thinking. You may believe things just “happen.”

I invite you to raise your awareness and your potential for delight. It takes incredible presence of mind to be aware of your thoughts, and I know it is possible. It takes a high level of commitment to yourself and your happiness to then choose your thoughts.

What do I mean exactly? Here’s an example. When you go through a rough time you can either say, “This is terrible and I will never recover” or, “This is a big change. It is difficult right now. What I want to happen in my life is…” And then you must envision it in you mind as if it were already true — joyfully feeling what that desire feels like when you imagine it happening. If you want a fulfilling career do not focus on how much you hate your job. Focus instead on what it would be like to love your career; imagine yourself fulfilled in your work (note: you need not know what the career is or how it will happen. You simply need to feel the joy of what it would be like.) It is as if you are creating a movie in your mind with all the details. When you guide your thoughts and the images in your mind it helps align you with what you want rather than what you don’t want.

Next time you feel confused or in a funk, shift your attention to what you want to create in your life, to what you are moving towards and allow yourself to feel good. This will begin to attract what you want. Negative thoughts and images will not. Meanwhile you receive the benefit of upliftment and joy. Not bad!

Body As Temple
My belief is that we are loaned these amazing vessels, our bodies, for a period of time. For some it is a short period of time, for others, decades. Just like choosing how you live your life, you are welcome to choose how to use your body. You may forget about it and run it to exhaustion, you may abuse it with drugs or alcohol or imbalanced amounts/types of foods, or you may honor it. Consider acknowledging that the body you reside in is sacred, a miracle in every moment of the day. Your breath, your sight, ability to taste — all are miracles every moment. What a gift you have! Let go of any judgment regarding how you’ve treated your body up until now and begin today. The past is over.

With the idea that your body is sacred, how can you better honor it? Here are some ways to treat your body as a temple:

1. Speak the truth and express your feelings rather than stuffing them, which creates underlying stress.

2. Eat “real” food — food that is fresh, vibrant and not packaged or processed whenever you can. Aside from the nutrients in real food, there is a notable vibrancy to food that is fresh and unmodified. That vibrancy (or lack thereof) translates directly to your body.

3. Give it a rest. Take time to relax rather than be productive every moment of the day.

4. Send kind thoughts to yourself rather than perfectionist self-battery. It is amazing the impact of having compassion, forgiveness, understanding for yourself. If it helps,

5. Treat your senses. Pay attention to fragrances that you enjoy or find relaxing; savor every bite of tasty food rather than wolfing it down; get a massage to stimulate circulation as well as receive healing touch; listen to music that “feels good” or puts you in a mood that you like be it happy, relaxed, motivated.

One result of honoring our bodies is joy. We begin to feel more at ease, more optimistic, stronger, and healthier. We begin to realize that we are valuable. We remember how great joy feels. Maybe we even taste bliss.

Editing Joy
At first you may feel guilty for this feeling of happiness. It may feel unfamiliar, you being used to be so serious all the time. You may want to abandon it because you’re afraid it won’t last or you’ll somehow mess it up, this happiness. There are so many people suffering in this world, is it really fair for you to be so happy? Yes, actually. Allow and enjoy happiness. Be grateful for it and roll around in it. It truly is okay to be in bliss. Some people may criticize you — “Why do you have to be so happy all the time?” Let it roll off you and re-commit to crafting your happiness. Soon you will attract the right people who are right there with you or want to know your secret. Live big. Love big. Snuggle up in the harmony of happiness.

Try these ideas on and more Keys to Happiness will come your way soon!

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