{"id":584,"date":"2012-01-15T21:33:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-15T21:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/areasontosmile\/?p=584"},"modified":"2012-01-15T21:36:18","modified_gmt":"2012-01-15T21:36:18","slug":"how-to-be-happy-or-the-un-given-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/01\/how-to-be-happy-or-the-un-given-gift.html","title":{"rendered":"How to be HAPPY, Or, the un-given gift"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Let the sun shine in! =)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”
\n-Buddha<\/p>\n

Well, I have some good news, and some bad news.
\nThe good news is, I am going to tell you the absolute secret to feeling true and lasting happiness, all the time, no matter what life throws at you.<\/p>\n

The bad news, however, is that you probably won’t listen to me because you won’t believe it can be this simple.<\/p>\n

I have talked previously about how to feel\u00a0happy in an instant<\/a>, and in the video below I share several important ideas, like:
\nhow we decide what makes us happy, how our parents affect our thoughts about love, why external things will never make you happy; why limiting beliefs hold us back and how to see yourself in order to experience *true* joy.<\/p>\n

In my\u00a0Coaching<\/a>\u00a0work, one of the first things I ask is: what is it\u00a0that you want.
\nSeven out of ten times, the answer is ‘I just want to be happy’. The other 3 times are ‘I just want to feel\u00a0loved<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n

Well here it is, the secret to feel happy, loved, joyful and fulfilled!<\/p>\n

Actually, not just yet.<\/p>\n

Let me ask you a question first: what are you happy about right now?
\nLike tell me one thing you are truly happy about right now, or at least you really enjoy doing.<\/p>\n

Is it hanging out with friends? Spending time with that special someone? Maybe it’s listening to music, playing with your dog, or playing with your kids?<\/p>\n

Think about it now, as clearly as you can.
\nWhat’s it like? Where are you? Who’s with you, and what are you doing?
\nWhat can you see, what can you hear, what can you smell and taste?<\/p>\n

Got it?
\nReally take the time to think about it before you go on!<\/p>\n

If you did, you should be feeling pretty good right now.<\/p>\n

And that, my friend, is the secret of feeling happy whenever you want.
\nThe secret to happiness is this: to choose to be happy.<\/p>\n

To choose to focus on what makes you happy and brings you joy, and NOT on what makes you unhappy and makes you sad.<\/p>\n

Since in point of fact, nothing and no one can ‘make’ you happy, or ‘make’ you sad. The fact is people do what they do and things\u00a0happen\u00a0how they happen<\/a>. It isn’t what happens to us in life that matters, but what we make those things *mean *.<\/p>\n

So let’s say you are hopping out of bed in the morning, what is the first thought through your mind?
\nDo you wish you had 5 more minutes of sleep? Are you upset that you have to go into work for yet another day, and deal with all those\u00a0negative people<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Or do you wake up thanking\u00a0God<\/a>\u00a0for another day?
\nDo you wake up thankful for the sunshine, and full of confidence that it is going to be a GREAT day?
\nDo you wake up excited about all the wonderful things that are going to happen to you that you can’t even anticipate yet?<\/p>\n

Because either way, it is a choice.<\/p>\n

Remember, what you focus on expands. If you focus on the things that aren’t working and upset you, then don’t be surprised when you are upset all the time.<\/p>\n

I told you you wouldn’t believe me!
\nIt really is that simple: if you want to be happy, focus on things that make you happy.<\/p>\n

Now, I can hear what you’re thinking: but how can I be happy now? I won’t be happy until I find my new love \/ car \/ job \/ body \/ puppy.<\/p>\n

But the fact of the matter is, those things won’t make you happy, if anything they create the space for you to CHOOSE happiness. Since I can tell you there are people in this world who have everything you want and more, and are still\u00a0miserable<\/a>. And there are people who have way less than you do, and live their life in a constant state of joy and\u00a0gratitude<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So I invite you to start to look at things in a new way.
\nUse the tricks I share in the video below to be able to modify your emotions at will, and start consciously choosing to focus on the good, and more good will come to you.<\/p>\n

It REALLY is, that simple.<\/p>\n

What do you think ? Feel free to comment down below!<\/p>\n

You are great, and I love you!<\/p>\n

And if you love me back, click ‘share’ up at the top!<\/p>\n

B. Dave Walters<\/p>\n

Writer, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host<\/p>\n

Find out more about me:
\nhttp:\/\/about.me\/BDaveWalters<\/a><\/p>\n

Ask me anything:
\nhttp:\/\/formspring.me\/BDaveWalters<\/a><\/p>\n

Pages I support:
\nJesus and Buddha\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0— Interfaith dialog<\/p>\n

Gnostic Theism<\/a>\u00a0— Religion and Spirituality for the 21st Century (Join the Movement!)<\/p>\n

Love One Another<\/a>\u00a0— \u00a0A group for the coolest Spiritual people on the Internet!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.” -Buddha Well, I have some good news, and some bad…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,55,80,39,35,15,114,29,81,38,40,46,28,112,41,43,48,45,30,17,78],"tags":[3,34,13,12,115,11,109,36,6,14,23,26,25,51,24,42,56,7,113],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-change-2","category-emotions-2","category-family","category-fear","category-getting-over-it","category-god","category-guilt","category-happiness","category-healing","category-hope-inspiration","category-law-of-attraction-2","category-love-yourself","category-peace","category-pessimism","category-positive-thinking","category-relationships-2","category-spirituality","category-tainted-love","category-the-past","category-universal-law","category-worry","tag-b-dave-walters","tag-breakthroughs","tag-change","tag-emotions","tag-family","tag-gnostic-theism","tag-god","tag-hope","tag-law-of-attraction","tag-life-coach","tag-love","tag-peacelovemoney-com","tag-psychology","tag-rejection","tag-relationships","tag-self-talk","tag-stress","tag-the-secret","tag-universal-law"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to be HAPPY, Or, the un-given gift - A Reason to Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/01\/how-to-be-happy-or-the-un-given-gift.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to be HAPPY, Or, the un-given gift - A Reason to Smile\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. 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He is the author of one book, \"49 Lost Secrets of Peace, Love, and Money\". For years, friends and relatives looked to him for guidance and support during difficult times, and he realized at an early age that his purpose in life was to serve and inspire. While touring as a personal coach with a prominent rock band, he was discovered by one of the top trainers of the Anthony Robbins companies, which lead to him settling down to open and operate a Marketing, Business Services and Coaching firm in Los Angeles. Armed with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he brings the same discipline and determination that helped him earn Black Belt rankings in Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi to all areas of study and focus. In addition to earning a degree in English from Morehouse College, he has mastered the science of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and other communication, healing, counseling and spiritual systems from all over the world. 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