Happiness is something that so many people strive for each day and yet many times it eludes them. Often, they feel that happiness can be theirs if only their situations were different. Have you ever felt like that?

So often we get caught up in what I call the “if only’s”. If only my husband were nicer to me. If only I had a better job. If only the children were grown and out of the house. The list can go on and on.

We can waste so much of our precious time dreaming of the “if only’s”. So many people fall into this trap and end up miserable most of their lives.

The problem is that they are looking for happiness to come to them somehow. As if it were something that could be possessed. When happiness does happen to come it seems so fleeting that it quickly passes away.

People erroneously think that happiness is just a feeling like some passing fancy. I am here to tell you that happiness is not a feeling, it can be a way of life. Happiness can be yours on a daily basis if you will only follow some basic principles.

First, you must live in the NOW. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised to us so you need to be present in the now.

Secondly, you must control your thinking and the thoughts that pass through your mind. Happiness can be called a state of mind and the way to happiness is bringing your mind into its proper state.

If I live in Texas and I want to be in California I need to change states. In order for me to be in that State I need to make some changes. In this analogy we will decide to take a train. The train must be going in the proper direction and we will arrive at our destination. We must know which train we are on, or we may end up where we don’t want to be.

Think of this train as your thoughts. That’s right, your train of thought. If you don’t want to stay in Texas you have to get on the right train. If you let any train of thought into your mind then you will be taken to and fro and never arrive at the destination you want.

The question then is how do we get on the right train?

The ticket to getting on the right train is called gratitude. Gratitude is an attitude and as we look to all that we have to be thankful for instead of dwelling on what our problems are we will find that we too can be whisked away to the state that we wish to be in.

There is a path to happiness and that path is gratitude.

This article is bought to you by Sharron Myers

Sharron Myers has been a teacher of Spiritual Truth for over 30 years. She also is a Certified Aromatherapist and Personal Development Consultant. Be sure to check out her site: www.sharron-myers.com

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Over the past 15 years I’ve discovered several concrete reasons
why people fail. Here are the Top 8 reasons people do not reach
their goals:

1. Incompetence. People lack the skills they need to
succeed.

80% of businesses fail. It is usually due to poor sales skills.

50% of marriages end in divorce. It is usually due to poor
communication skills.

The future belongs to the competent.

2. Lack of clear goals. Only 3% of the population has
clear, written goals with an action plan to achieve them.

3. Poor interpersonal skills, including: Inability to
receive criticism Resisting tasks; being argumentative and
stubborn Poor listening skills Inability to express ideas in
meetings Lack of self-assertiveness

4. Poor decision-making skills. This is usually an
extension of reason #1, incompetence. Most people either delay
decisions or make poor ones that impact the business negatively.

5. Pessimism and its counterpart, learned helplessness.
People give up too easily when they meet resistance from a
client, colleague, boss, or supplier.

6. Choking under pressure. People have not been taught
how to overcome performance anxiety to perform their best in
meetings, presentations, and negotiations.

7. Laziness. Most people are working at 30% capacity and
think they are working too hard.

8. Poor time management. People are working on the wrong
things; they choose tasks in their comfort zone instead of
priorities that really matter.

Mental Toughness Exercise

Take out a blank sheet of paper and write down your #1 goal in
life.

Now, walk yourself through every factor I’ve listed above,
giving yourself a ranking from 1 to 10 on each of them with
reference to your goal. 1 is the lowest score; 10 is the highest
score.

For example, you might give yourself an 8 on time management
because you work on high priority items most of the time.

This simple exercise will make it abundantly clear what you need
to do to attain your goal now.

Your friend, Lisa Brown

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