Monday, April 23, 2012

DOWN DAYS

No matter who we are, how much we work on staying positive, all the reading, meditating, journaling and praying we do… there are days we wake up “down”. Why is that? Where does a “down” day come from? We all know people who start every day down because they’ve predetermined that will be how their life and thought patterns will be for themselves. Why do days like that get thrown in to otherwise happy, positive people, though? What can be done about it?

When you have a down day, try not to get caught up in the negative emotion and let it ruin the day. Instead, look for the causes and try to view it as a learning experience. There are days that you won’t be able to find a cause. There are days that will be down because of grief, loss of a loved one, sickness in yourself, friend or family member, etc… and there are those people who suffer from clinical depression. I’m not talking about extended periods of depression here, just the occasional “down” day that happens to almost everyone now & then.

Down days can be an indicator of stress and/or poor health habits in an area of your life. If you’re in the midst of a down day, or stringing a few together, try to take some time and observe your life leading into it. Are you getting enough sleep? Eating properly? Stress at work/home/money or some other area of your life? Down days can lead you to discover things about yourself that will allow you to make changes and set a new course of action for yourself to create a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle. They can be a catalyst for change… change for the better. You have to look within to find the cause for yourself, then do the work to make the proper corrections in your life.

Using down days for your benefit can be one of the best ways to create a life aligned with your core beliefs and values. When used properly they help us correct course and move ahead in the direction our soul intended for us.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

CULTURE OF HAPPINESS

Last month my wife and I had the good fortune of being able to visit the island of Barbados. The country is known for it’s laid back, care free attitude and you feel it the second you get off the plane. If the USA is a 78rpm record, Barbados runs at 33 1/3rpms or less. If you want a relaxing vacation I can’t think of a better place to go.

One of the reasons we loved Barbados so much was the attitude of the inhabitants we met. It seems like the whole country has bought into the idea that they’re living in paradise and it shows in how they treat others. I can’t think of a time we weren’t greeted with a smile and a hello, or how often the question “How are you?” would be answered with something about “living in Barbados, how could you be anything but great?”…

When you spend time around that many happy people who love their lives and have created a culture of happiness that permeates not only their lives and their families, but an entire COUNTRY, it can’t help but have a positive effect on you. We became used to the day to day life in Barbados as a matter of fact.

As soon as we got back to the Miami airport, though… reality hit us that we were back at 78rpms and were going to be treated MUCH different here. We’d smile, say hello to people and get NO response. Customer service was awful compared to what we were used to. We saw many more upset, frowning, frazzled people then we’d seen all week in Barbados.

The funny thing is that if you drove through a typical neighborhood in Barbados you’d probably think they live in squalor by US standards. VERY small houses, not well kept, tightly packed together. Yet THEY are the country that, when dealing with people on a personal level, have the better attitude. THEY are the ones who believe they’re living in paradise.

We are all one step away from living in paradise – the only thing we need to do is realize it and believe it for ourselves. Once you truly believe it, you’ll spread that goodwill to everyone you meet, your co-workers, your family, your community and your country. By feeding your own angel you’ll feed the angel in others by default. I saw it work for an entire country.