On the way to happiness
It is EASY and FREE
It does not require any money s neither too much or zero time nor money. It is INDEPENDENT on anyone or anything. It is in our hands. When we do it, we will make not only others feel good, but we will also, sometimes instantly, feel better and happier.
So, why should you wait? I did it and I do it every day, and I hope you can do it as well.
So, what can we ALWAYS give to others, in fact, no matter what? They are:
- Respect
- Kindness
- Love
- Smile
- Forgiveness
- Compliment
- Attention (listening)
- Advice (only when you are asked for)
This reminds me of the quote from Dalai Lama:
“When we feel love and kindness toward others,
it not only makes others feel loved and cared for,
but helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.”
I can write an article on each of the gifts above and maybe I will do it in the future. Today, I will give you a glance of the POWER of each of them.
We can always be kind to people even if they are not kind to us.
We should respect them as well, even if we think that they don’t deserve our respect. Why? When we do so, it tells them about who we are and what are our values. On the other side, when they are impolite and disrespectful to us, it tells us what kind of people they are. When we are not triggered by others, by their mean behavior, and we can control our emotions, it says about our emotional maturity. Plus, let’s behave the way we want to be treated by others, with kindness and respect. And, this will make us feel good and happy.
It may be challenging for some people to receive love.
We can always give love, not only to other human beings,
but also to our pets, our passions, nature, and more.
Once I gave a workshop at which I asked, “How do you feel when you give love?”, and one of the participants said, “Much stronger and deeper than when I receive love.” It touched me a lot, because I feel that way as well.
Smiling is contagious, and we all know that.
Try it. Smile at someone on the train or in the lift. I guess, large majority of people will give you a smile back. Therefore, spread it around. Once, I posted on Facebook that I love to go jogging in the village where I live, in the Netherlands. When we are outdoors in a village, people greet each other and say, “Hi”, Hello”, “Goede morgen”, always with a smile. Smiling has a big impact on our positive emotional state. Please read my article about the power of smiling.
Forgiveness is an act of strength.
And forgive, even those whose actions hurt you and they never apologized. This way we close that chapter in our life, and then we will be able to move on to the next one. Remember, forgiveness does not mean that we approve what harmful happened in the past. It means that we accept it, learn from it, and we wish good luck to those by whom we were hurt. It is not easy, but it is possible, and I dare to say, even necessary in many cases. When we do so, we feel free. Someone once told me regarding forgiveness, “It is in weakness where we find strength.” Please read my article about the power of forgiveness.
Give compliments.
Traditionally, women are expected to receive more compliments than men. And at least for that reason, it would be very nice for guys to hear a compliment from time to time, because they do not expect it. Who doesn’t like to hear something positive about either their outfit, successes, intellect, charming smile, etc, right? In the communities I belong to, many women give each other compliments, there is no competition, and we enjoy our time together. Let’s remember, however, that the compliment must always be specific and sincere. And when we give a compliment to somebody, they usually say, “Thank you,” and give a compliment back, and the conversation continues in a warmer atmosphere.
Give your time and attention – so many people need it.
Many people share with us their thoughts, worries and challenges. Not all of them want our advice, in fact just a few. They need us to effectively listen to them, give them our attention, our presence. Maybe there is nobody else around them who would like or has time to listen to them. One of my friends works in a shelter once every week. She meets and helps many people who need not only a roof above their heads and warm meals, but also listening. We may also advise, but only when they clearly ask us for our advice. We can, however, always spend some time, even a few minutes, and listen to people. It will make them feel that somebody cares, and believe me, we will feel good and happy as well.
See how you feel when you do so. Pay attention to this for another 14 days, and see how this practice impacts your wellbeing, inner peace, and inner happiness.
And it would be great if you could share your feelings with your loved ones, your friends, or here, in the comments.
So, give your respect, kindness, love smile, forgiveness, attention (listening)
and advice, when you are asked for
a few of them every day.
With love,
Sylwia
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