Yesterday mom and I were out running some errands around town. We were in a pretty good mood because Barack H. Obama had just been sworn in and we were feeling pretty optimistic about the future.
We were browsing at the Gap, minding our own business and I really started to notice how some people act with each other. Some are very nice; they smile, they play with me and are friendly and courteous with others. Some are indifferent and that's okay, we all can be in our bubble and not really notice the world around us. However what shocked me yesterday was this woman who was mean to a salesgirl at the Gap. She obviously was very angry about something in her life and was taking her anger out on a stranger. Then when she passed me and mom she said out loud for us to here, "I can't believe they allow dogs in here". Mom then said, "My dog and I wish you joy, peace and happiness." The woman was shocked and just rushed away.
This made me and mom think. We meet so many people in our lives and although many are polite and civil, it's easy to see if someone is happy in their lives by the way they treat others. One of the foundations of Christianity is "to treat others as you would want to be treated". This philosophy is followed by many of the world religions and spiritual practices. I am always friendly to everyone I meet (except big, black, hairy dogs and horses). I am happy so I tend to see the good in all which makes me want to reach out and share my joy. I am now realizing that I can tell amongst the people around me who is happy and who is not. I can tell who is faking being happy by how they treat others and I am a little shocked as some people can put on a good show in pretending they are happy and everything is going great in their life. Yes, I know these are hard times but it's not an excuse to be mean and lack generosity towards others. In these times we should especially be overly generous with our time and good company. I found these tips for being happy by Nitha Shanti and I wanted to share them with you so you can be more conscious about being happy as I hear it is quite contagious. We at the PPP are also going to do our best to follow these tips.
Tips for being happy!
By Nithya Shanti
1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did the previous year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
38. Share this with someone you care about
Oh btw, it's Squirrel Appreciation Day so for today I will forgo chasing NYC squirrel.
Namaste and chow for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment