Day 225 of 365
It's a little bit funny
For the last few days we have been sorting through all of the things that my mother used in the pursuit of a happy life. In all of her little bits and goodies I found a mini edition of "50 ways to a Better you, for dummies."
I've never needed a "dummies" book until I became my mother's "techie." She struggled with anything electronic even though she managed to use a computer at work for 20 years. She called me on the phone when I was living in Colorado to help her get rid of the blinking light on her VCR. My mother was so amazing and brilliant but she bought a lot of "dummies" books.
As firsts go, finding this book was a surprise and it wasn't.
My mother may or may not have read this book. If she did, she took it to heart. If she didn't read it, somehow she was already living all of these things.
This is the list from the book:
1. Talk to someone
2. Broaden your focus and expand your thinking
3. Linger in the moment
4. Remember that timing is everything
5. Gather four basic ingredients
6. Don't overlook pleasure in your life
7. Be grateful
8. Strive for serenity
9. Be well by looking after your well-being
10. Don't expect money to buy happiness
11. Don't look for transforming experiences
12. Don't be afraid
13. Be in sync with your surroundings
14. Stick with the right people
15. Do the right things
16. Never pass up an opportunity
17. Embrace optimism
18. Fight negative expectations
19. Move beyond pessimism
20. Become a hardy person
21. Live an honest life
22. Be ethical
23. Pursue what you want, not what you have
24. Get into flow
25. When trouble strikes, ask yourself whether the sky really is falling
26. Redirect your energies
27. Forge closer ties to those around you
28. In the face of challenges, revise your life plan
29. Have a heart-to-heart with a higher power
30. Know how to begin each day
31. Count your opportunities and blessings
32. Find meaning
33. Think positive thoughts
34. Feel positive feelings
35. Take positive actions
36. Keep a journal
37. Engage in group confessions
38. Identify who or what makes you smile
39. Start with a smile and go from there
40. Be generous, but give the right way
41. Increase your uplifts
42. Recognize the importance of rituals
43. Spend more time doing absolutely nothing
44. Set priorities
45. Indulge your alternative self
46. Be more balanced
47. Develop meaningful social ties
48. Get enough support
49. Take solitude seriously
50. Love what you do
On the first page two ideas are listed:
You need to work toward finding happiness in your life and discover common elements in happy people.
It seems pretty simple. My mom seemed to do it without effort but she never did learn how to program her VCR.
My 225th day was my first solitary "dummy" experience and I feel like it might be the best experience I've never had with my mom. I feel like she led me to it today. If you believe in the possibility of guidance from the afterlife, I know this book is in my hand today for a purpose.
Love & Light
