Imagine being happy all the time. How would your life be different if you were happy all the time?
All of us want to be happy. In fact in most polls people say that they want peace and happiness more than anything else in the world. The problem is: most of us are looking in the wrong places.
But all has recently been revealed thanks to a multi disciplinary team of six British specialists who span a variety of disciplines from psychology, psychotherapy to economics who embarked on an unusual social experiment.
Their unusual challenge?
What does it take to make residents of a town happy?
During their experiment in Slough, a commuter belt town, twenty two miles from the centre of London they discovered 10 “seeds of happiness”.
Ten things which when you do them all regularly will not only improve your life in your community but will make you happy and contented.
What are they?
- Plant something and nurture it. When you water and feed plants they grow. When you water and feed the seeds of your interest- they grow.
- At the end of each day stop and think how fortunate you are. Think of five things in your life that you are grateful for.
- Make time to talk to your partner. Every week sit down for at least an hour and talk with your partner or someone you love. That’s one hour without answering the ‘phone or watching TV or listening to music. One undisrupted hour with your loved one.
- Make that ‘phone call that you keep promising yourself you will make. Contact the friend with whom you haven’t spoken for a while.
- Treat yourself. Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it. Be good to yourself. This simple act breeds; self confidence and positivity and happiness.
- Have a good laugh at least once a day. Laughter helps to stimulate your immune system.
Research shows that laughter is important for people who survive a heart attack. It has been found that people are less likely to have a second attack, need less medication and have lower blood pressure if they allow themselves to see and laugh at humorous situations each day.
- Exercise. Make the effort to walk, run, jog, swim, whatever for half an hour three times a week. Guaranteed to reduce stress and make you feel good.
- Every day smile at and/or say hello to a stranger. Smiling is not only good for the person receiving it also makes you feel good too.
- How long do you spend watching TV? Research show that too much TV actually causes unhappiness. So make an effort to cut your viewing time by half.
- Every Day do a good turn for someone.
Now it’s down to you.
OUR CHALLENGE
Implement the 10 seeds of happiness into your life for two months and see the difference it makes.
It works.
Good Luck
Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com
