10 Tips to True Happiness
What really makes you happy? Big bank accounts? A clean bill of health? Love? Brian Johnson, spiritual guru and author of A Philosopher's Notes, offers the 10 Principles of Optimal Living.
1. Optimism
It all starts with Optimism. If we can't tame those gremlins in our minds and learn to shape the contents of our consciousness, the rest of this stuff doesn't matter. Optimism isn't helplessness and the results of a disempowered mindset can be depression/anxiety and ick. There are a range of great teachers who have a lot to say on how to Get Our Optimism On-from Marcus Aurelius and the classic Stoic philosophers to Buddha and modern Zen teachers plus Viktor Frankl, Byron Katie, Esther & Jerry Hicks and Positive Psychologists. De-gremlin-ify your mind and Rock Your Optimism!
2. Purpose
Purpose. All the great teachers talk about it. Confucius tells us that an army can lose its commanding officer but even an average person is in trouble without a purpose, while the Bible, the Gita, the Stoics and everyone else echoes the sentiment. I encourage people to explore Maslow's need to self-actualize and his directive that "What one can be, one must be!" along with Deepak's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success-the Law of Dharma-and have fun discovering your Highest Goal, holding the Dynamic Tension between your ideals and your current reality and celebrating both your Being and your Becoming. Good times!
3. Self-Awareness
It's hard to figure out our Highest Purpose without a deep sense of Self-Awareness. As Socrates says, we've gotta know ourselves, eh? Several transformative journaling exercises can help you reach a greater understanding about yourself. Imagine your 110 years old and able to talk to your current self, what would you say? Write down the 10 of THE Most Powerful Questions You Know. It's time to Know Thyself, yo! Socrates would be proud.
4. Goals
Goals. Goals. Goals. Whether it's living with love/appreciation/joy/ kindness/generosity/and-all-that-goodness or starting a business, competing in a triathlon or creating financial freedom, Goals are (super!) important. And so are Intense Desires (minus the attachment, of course). Compare Rat Racers vs. Hedonists vs. Nihilists vs. Happy Peeps, revisit your Highest Goal then go on a little Goal Bonanza. Imagine all the things you want to Be, Create, Do and Have (in that order). Create a Treasure Mapl! Oh, yah. Remember that Outcomes Are By-Products of consistently rockin' it. Which brings us to…
5. Action
As the Greek guru Nike tells us, at some point it's time to just do it, eh? Indeed it is. Spend a lot of time thinking about how to best Diligently, Patiently, Persistently and Playfully crush it as you create the life of your dreams. It all starts with Commitment and Re-Commitment, Consistency on the Fundamentals, knowing that 99% Is a B*tch & 100% Is a Breeze, Acting As If, developing Blissipline, taking One Small Step (then another and…), practicing Kaizen and a bunch of other goodness. You shall be an Action Superhero by the end of this.
6. Energy
We're gonna have a hard time living at our Highest Potential if we have a hard time getting out of bed, eh? That's why we've gotta create Radiant Mind/Body/Spirit Health so we've got the mojo to rock it! Four key categories for Energy Optimization: 1. Exercise + 2. Nutrition + 3. Rejuvenation + 4. Money. Exercise can be just as effective as Zoloft in treating depression (why isn't that every other commercial on TV?). Nutrition and lifestyle choices affect our well-being (or destroy it). Meditation is a good thing and so is having the consciousness that attracts wealth of all kinds into our lives. Ye shall be an Energizer bunny if you keep up this mindset!
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