Okay, I hear your first thought – What?

Take a moment and think about it.  The over arching want and need of every human being, the general conclusion to all our journeys, is to be happy, fulfilled, and contented.

Happiness is more than a pleasant moment or an agreeable sensation. It is a way of Being and of relating to the circumstances and events of your life. It transcends your momentary and your life-long conditions.

Happiness is a choice and a discipline which defines the manner in which you experience your world. Authentic and enduring happiness is contingent on what’s inside you rather than on outside situations. It is a byproduct of cultivating your inner peace and strength.

Practicing the Art of Happiness sets you free—not from experiencing negative emotions—but from being enslaved by them.

But how do you reach this place of Happiness when you “don’t know” what you want and how to make it happen?

Well, you start sorting this out by first learning or relearning what makes you Happy and places you in a state of “Being Happy”. This life altering exercise allows you to discover all the answers to the above.  It is your gauge, your “Internal Happiness Gauge”, to help you weigh each experience and sort through to find your answers.

Here is a way to put this to work for you.

First, set up your “Internal Happiness Gauge”.  Create a scale from 1-10 with 1 being the lowest Happiness you received from an item or occurrence to 10 which would represent Ecstasy, Supreme Happiness and Joy.  Decide what each increment of the scale will represent for you in your definition of Happiness. Then, it’s suggested you start and make a daily entry into a “Happiness Journal” and rate it according to your “gauge”.

In addition, you will want to make a place in your journal each day to write down what you are grateful for. In essence, your journal will be a “Happiness and Gratitude Journal” all-in-one, since they compliment and support one another and are beneficial in your discovery process.

Now, I know you hear a lot about journaling but this process can take a while and you need a tool to help you remember how you felt about a particular thing or circumstance. It also allows you to go deep inside to sort out and record the many possible levels of insight this will bring.  So I strongly encourage you not to skip these steps.

After doing this preliminary set up, start your process by writing down and “gauging” the things you already know make you Happy and that you are grateful for. In addition, start taking 5 to 10 minutes, at minimum, each day to do something that is “outside your box”, so to speak, to find out if it makes you Happy and where it falls on your “Gauge”.  Get very creative here and don’t be afraid to try new things.  These will help you to arrive at your answers faster when added to the things you’ve not done in a while or forgotten.

Some examples might be:
-a walk in a creek while barefoot
-skipping rope
-singing a song you just created on the spot at the top of your lungs
-coloring in a coloring book with crayons
-walking backwards
-calling an old friend
-trying something new like a sport or a new way to drive home

This list could go on and on and as I said, let yourself get really creative here.  Then record what you did and how it felt by your “Gauge” and record any other thoughts or feelings which come up around this for you.  If something particularly seems to hit a button or a right spot for you, dig a bit deeper and explore what underlies what you are feeling and experiencing.  You can see here how important the journal is to help you remember and sort through all of what you are experiencing.

This will begin your process of knowing what makes you Happy and you build from there.

As you start seeing areas or thoughts that reoccur for you, you will begin to differentiate what makes you Happy and what does not.  It allows you to begin to see answers to what you want and how you want to do it.  It allows you to begin to make conscious choices and decisions based on what makes you Happy so to operate from a state of “Being Happy” to find out how to “Be” continuously Happy.

Remember, Happiness is a choice and a discipline. By practicing the art of “Being Happy”, it sets you free from being controlled or ruled by fear or other negative emotions and helps you in your growth of inner peace and strength.

As I said before, this can be lengthy process, all meaningful personal growth and development work has that possibility.  However, you can be helped and supported along the way to facilitate a faster breakthrough.  This is where I can be of service.  If you feel you are not moving fast enough, are coming up with more questions than answers, are encountering a fear, are unfocused, are finding excuses not to do this process or are feeling blocked, then contact me to discuss possibilities and options of how I can be of service to you during this life altering, very important process.

Learn to change “I don’t know” to “I do know” and Be Happy by Being Happy!

A colleague of mine, Annemarie Cross, who specializes in Business Building, Online Marketing and Personal Branding, has just written this very info packed tip article, “51 Ways to Increase Your Credibility, Visibility and Hireability”.

It is definitely a must read if you are struggling in today’s competitive marketplace!

Here are just a few of the areas she covers in more depth in the article:

- Increase Credibility with a Powerful Signature Brand

- Increase Visibility by Creating & Sharing Compelling Content

- Increase Hireability by Maintaining a Solid Reputation

Read the article here right NOW!

To Your Success!!

Elaine

Over the past few months, I have been putting a lot of thought and effort into re-shaping how I conduct my work and business. However, I realized recently that I was procrastinating for some reason in doing some of the work on my To-Do list and was having trouble zeroing in on just what my problem was.

Well, the Universe to the rescue! My friend, Rhonda Hess, must have been picking up on my vibes and I received an email from her with her latest blog entry, “What Are You Putting Off Now?” and boy did it help clear the cobwebs out of my way.

In the article she asks 3 powerful questions to get your juices flowing again and to get back in action.

They are:

1. What exactly am I putting off?

2. What are the possible reasons why I am putting this off? (She lists 8 possibilities)

3. What little step am I willing to take right now?

Asking myself these questions made me realize I was on big time overload and needed to take a break, regenerate and wait for more inspiration and clarity while all my plans come together. Now I know your saying that I should have known this and yes I did know it to a point but sometimes you can be too close to understand the full depth of where you are when you are in the middle of it. It’s always good to have something that wakes you up!

There is much more to this article, so I encourage you to read it here on her blog. And then ask yourself, “What AM I putting off now?”

If you are still uncertain why you are procrastinating or need accountability or support in your process, I can help. Please contact me to arrange an informational chat to determine how I can help you put the word “action” back in your work.

The one thing that seems to be missing most in life today is Happiness, true HAPPINESS!

As a gift to YOU to help in your search for daily Happiness, here is a list of 15 Actions.

It is in pdf format so you can download and keep it for reference.

ENJOY!

15 Happiness Actions

]]> http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/25/15-actions-for-happiness/feed/ 0 http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/21/where-positivity-meets-peace-revelri/ http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/21/where-positivity-meets-peace-revelri/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:31:33 +0000 Elaine Lockard http://elainelockard.com/?p=2842

Here is a review of a New Website called Revelri which I highly recommend checking out!

It’s the Perfect website to support and compliment the Age of Change we are in currently!!

Utopia – the very word kicks up a feeling of euphoria and brings to mind a perfect setting where happiness is a norm. Revelri, a newly launched website that provides daily tips with a twist, aims at sowing the seeds for a utopian world by injecting some fun into people’s lives. The portal does this by kindling awareness about the smaller things in life, through everyday actions that bring pleasure in the minutest of quantities.

Revelri caters to a wide range of people who act as functioning pillars in the fabric of our society, with a target that’s not only community oriented but even individual-oriented. Revelri is a FREE website, and when people sign up they gain access to the different features of the website like Actions, Synergy, Wish Tree and Gratitude Journal and get an idea about their journey through self discovery.

Check it out NOW! (jv link)   —   tinyurl.com/revel2012

—–Actions and Gestures, With a Pinch of Fun

When was the last time that you went for a calm walk with your wife?

Or stayed up a bit late in the night listening to your favorite songs before drifting off to sleep?

Are you in touch with your relatives, and friends of the family who were an integral part of your life when you were a child?

As time passes, we all tend to get sucked into a materialistic lifestyle where relationships slowly falter and become meaningless, while previously trivial entities like virtual lives overtake personal goals and values. One of the key things about Revelri is its actions – the website offers daily actions for all its users, just small tasks that they can do on an everyday basis to make their day a little bit more cheerful.

There are tips and tasks for the health conscious, actions that are specifically meant to improve personal relationships and familial ties. There are even actions that are designed to rouse people and get them out of their daily fears and insecurities to make their outlook much brighter, changing their perception of what they’re capable of.

From dancing when no one’s watching to rolling down the car window to feel the breeze, the website must be commended for providing simple actions for people to do, and effective ones at that!

Get more details here!  –  tinyurl.com/revel2012

—–How Unique Are These Actions?

The actions in Revelri are diverse and apply across all cultures, and they are rooted more in human emotions and feelings. Another aspect is that these actions are tailored specifically for different users across the website, a smart move that makes them a lot more doable.

Women who have signed up don’t have to worry about sporting a beard to work – Revelri makes sure that such actions only apply to an audience that can successfully pull off a goatee – men!

The finer actions among these are the ones that cater to parenting. The tips provided are neatly classified by the website into those for boys and those for girls. This will surely prove to be useful for clueless parents of the modern age who’re struggling to establish a rapport with their children.

Revelri strikes the right chords when it dishes out actions that can make the world a better place to live in, urging people to go green, reduce their waste, recycle materials that they use daily and passionately work for a cause.

There are different levels that Revelers (a fancy name for its users that’s very catchy) can reach over a period of time, and these levels are pegged as Clouds. Revelers can start off from Cloud 0 and slowly work their way up to Cloud 5.

These little tweaks give the website a very positive vibe and contribute towards making the entire experience an engaging one.

See for yourself here!  –  tinyurl.com/revel2012

—-A Gratitude Log on the Virtual Space

Apart from its actions, Revelri goes a step further by providing a Gratitude Journal where Revelers can note down their gratitude for all that they have in life. The website also has a Wish Tree where users can jot down their desires and wishes, and strike them off once they are fulfilled. These neat little features add on to the site’s overall feel, although a little more attention could have been paid in this direction.

Another striking feature about Revelri is Synergy, where cases of concern can be posted by Revelers and can be healed by fellow Revelers. This serves as a platform where people can pray for each other’s well being, and feel like they’re part of a larger scheme of things. This is a very interesting and unique feature from the website that focuses towards bringing Revelers together in a tightly knit community.

The idea is novel – imagine you’re feeling low due to certain unfortunate circumstances and are hoping that things will change for good. All you need to do is post about your problems, and fellow Revelers are sure to spend some moments praying for your well-being. As a Reveler, you’ll have unending access to such positive vibrations.

Revelers can interact among themselves within the community through features like Messages, and the website provides a platform for like-minded people to get together and share their thoughts and prayers.

With such refreshing concepts, Revelri is quite different from the regular self help groups that crowd the internet. What’s more, the website offers all its services for free, while other websites often charge users for accessing their creamy features. With a little bit of tweaking and some more online prominence, it can soon grow into a platform to reckon with, thanks to its positive content!

Click below to join Revelri for FREE!!

tinyurl.com/revel2012

]]> http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/21/where-positivity-meets-peace-revelri/feed/ 0 http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/06/2012-age-of-change-age-of-choice/ http://elainelockard.com/2012/02/06/2012-age-of-change-age-of-choice/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:45:29 +0000 Elaine Lockard http://elainelockard.com/?p=2743

2012 Is Here!

It is an Age of Change but also, and more importantly, an Age of Choice.

Listen to my podcast presented here and learn more about this incredibly amazing Age we are living in and the Choices it presents to us to evolve and choose our destiny!

Enjoy!!

We have all heard that changing what you say and how you say it is so important. This goes too for what and how you think and say internally to yourself. Well, this photo, with it’s list, certainly explains it all in a nutshell.

How will you change your words and thoughts today to be more successful?

The other day, a friend of mine sent me this video. I was amazed at this wonderful lady and all that she has accomplished and the beauty she has created in her life with the immense challenges she faces. And she handles it all with one of the most positive mental attitudes I have ever witnessed. Kind of made me think twice and even a third time about my complaints I make on a daily basis. It’s nice to have a “splash of cold water in the face” from time to time to get your thoughts and priorities in place.

Enjoy this wonderful, incredible video!!

When I read the attached poem, it took me back to my childhood when things were simpler. There was not the hustle and bustle of today’s world. I enjoyed every aspect of Christmas and there was always plenty of time to enjoy shopping, wrapping gifts, baking cookies and decorating.

It seemed the Christmas season lasted a long time and it took forever for Christmas Day to arrive. Always the start of the holiday season for me was watching the musical, cartoon special “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and I still remember all the words to the songs. LOL And, I remember the Christmas my dad bought an aluminum Christmas tree (all the rage at the time) with all blue ball ornaments and the Christmas that Santa brought me my first kitty.

I hope this poem brings back fond memories for you too!!

Please comment below and share of some of your holiday memories!!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and out on the ranch
The pond was froze over and so was the branch.
The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.
The kids were all home on vacation from school,
And happier young folks you never did see-
Just all sprawled around a-watchin’ TV.

Then suddenly, some time around 8 o’clock,
There came a surprise that gave them a shock!
The power went off, the TV went dead!
When Grandpa came in from out in the shed
With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.
“Just what I expected,” they heard him remark.
“Them power line wires must be down from the snow.
Seems sorta like times on the ranch long ago.”

“I’ll hunt up some candles,” said Mom. “With their light,
And the fireplace, I reckon we’ll make out all right.”
The teenagers all seemed enveloped in gloom.
Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,

Uncased his old fiddle and started to play
That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.
Mom started to sing, and first thing they knew
Both Pop and the kids were all singing it, too.

They sang Christmas carols, they sang “Holy Night,”
Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.
They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,
And Pop read a passage from God’s Book of Truth.

They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,
The youngsters agreed ’twas a fine Christmas Eve.
Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;
And when the kids wakened, the power was on.

“The power company sure got the line repaired quick,”
Said Grandpa – and no one suspected his trick.
Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,
He had pulled the main switch – the old Son-of-a-Gun!

~ Anonymous ~

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to You and Yours!!!

Elaine

At this time of year, I always love to read inspirational stories and poems. They remind me just how miraculous life is. And what they teach in just a few short phrases or paragraphs, is amazing.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some gems I have found. I hope you like them as much as I.

Here is the first I have found entitled “A Family Tradition”.

It was mid-October when I first spotted them. They were nestled in next to the candy and Halloween costumes as I walked through the store. They were the first Christmas decorations of the year. It was the beginning of the 10 week period when the stores do all they can to get us to buy all we can. It was the great Christmas shopping rush and the bigger the gifts the better. I shook my head sadly and walked on, but then a wonderful memory came back into my mind.

It was late-December from several years earlier. I was shopping alone trying to pick up some thick Winter socks to warm my frozen feet. As I rounded the corner in the store I saw a Christmas tree full of paper angels. On each angel was the name of a needy child whose family couldn’t afford to buy them a gift that year. Shoppers who picked an angel could buy a simple toy or gift and the store would wrap it and send it to the child that Christmas. Around the tree I saw a teenage boy and girl picking out several angels apiece. Their mother was smiling while she watched them. I walked up next to her and started talking with her. She told me that her children started this several years ago when she first explained to them what the Charity Angel tree was for. Each offered to give up one of their toys that year so that a needy child could have one. It didn’t stop then, though. Each year since the kids had saved money they earned throughout the year and bought more and more children the gifts they wouldn’t have otherwise. It had become a family tradition. I smiled when she finished, walked over to the tree, and picked out a few angels too. I left the store feeling in touch with God, Christmas, and life once again.

May we always remember that life is about the love you share not the money you have. Life is about the people you help not the things you own. And may we also see that it is never too late to start a family tradition that makes the Father of us all smile.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

You can get Joseph Mazzella’s book, “WALKING THE PATH OF LOVE,” at www.amazon.com
[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright © 2011]