Happiness is an inside job.
Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.
Happiness is unique to every person and it can be explored in any phase of life. As we grow older, we move away from childhood and get involved into this world of responsibilities. We can get secluded from happiness and often entangled in the routines of “ground hog day”. We have everything that we wished for when you were younger, like, our own house, a good job, a loving life- partner, healthy kids, supportive friends. Also, our parents and our friends tell us that we have everything to have a happy life. But still we feel that we are missing out on something in life that gives us true happiness. We feel that, “That’s just not enough…I want something MORE than this!”
You are absolutely right! You are searching for that personal fulfilment that will come from within by knowing yourself and revisiting your true values. I can say this as it comes to me with over 40 years of experience as a successful women entrepreneur and running 8 businesses successfully globally. I mentor women in Australia and around the world, through my online and offline training programs assisting them to become successful She’preneurs.
Let me share a short story from my life with you:-
It was Christmas Day; we had driven 3 hours from the country to the city to my Mum and Dad’s house. The kids were tired, I didn’t want to be in my marriage, I was anxious with the expectations of spending Christmas in the kitchen cooking, preparing, and cleaning up. Playing happy families is not my style. Yet on the outside we looked like the perfect family!
I grew up in the wheat belt of Western Australia in an era where children were seen and not heard, I was told that I would get married, I would be a good wife, I would work hard, I would have children and it was implied that I would live happily ever after.
I did get married, I did have children, I was a good wife, I did work hard but I was not happy. I was in love with my husband; I had two adorable healthy children. I had great parents and siblings and friends who supported me. I was still not happy.
That Christmas Day was the worst Christmas Day I can remember. I felt trapped, I felt confused, I felt I was living a lie and the worst thing was that I had no reason to feel like I did.
It was not long after that horrible emotional roller coaster day I had my friend Gail say to me something like “Di do you ever take time for yourself”? That question was like a strike of lighting through my body. Not that I admitted it at the time. I was the super mother, the super business woman (I was about 35 at the time) I was the super housewife. I was the super friend and apart from the bedroom I was the super wife. I mean to say “Who is having fun in the bedroom with their husband when they are not happy”? Be honest! No-one!
I was practising daily Yoga and had done it since before I had kids, I ran in the mornings. I was educating myself about diet and food generally. Our business activities were bring profits. Rob, my husband, used to take the girls so I could have time to myself. I was still not happy.
It takes more than taking time.
It takes awareness to uncover ourselves for ourselves.
Food is often a good educator. Many people begin to uncover themselves through using themselves as guinea pigs with the food they eat and don’t eat. The drinks they drink and don’t drink.
Yoga, Qi Gong, Nei Gong, Tai Chei offer useful skills to uncover feelings, our believes, our family traditions.
Developing our own daily routines, our own rituals even at Christmas time can change how we see the world.
Changing how we see the world opens us up to new levels of self–exploration. What is happiness, what is love, what is trust, what is important to me? Knowing what we value is just the beginning of the journey. Eating what suits our bodies as individuals is one part of the puzzle. Moving our bodies in nature with awareness on breathing and movement is one avenue to personal awareness. Healing our past through meditations, visualizations cathartic expression, varying modalities can be a life long journey.
Below are 4 ways that will help you to find your inner and real happiness this Christmas:-
1. Rituals to achieve personal happiness
I believe that only we humans are fortunate enough and superior to the other living beings on this planet as we have the ability to change our routines and follow what is best for us. Moving with a positive attitude to bring about transformations in our life, we can work upon some easy yet effective rituals in our everyday life that will reap benefits in the coming year. Being a successful women entrepreneur and mentoring women to be successful in online and offline business, I have experienced that practicing the following rituals have helped me and my raving fans to experience the sense of inner happiness. I have abbreviated the 7 rituals I have been practising for 40 years:-
Y E F O B A G
Y – Yoga
E – Exercise
F – Furry Friends
O – Organic
B – Breathing
And
G – Good Night Sleep
- Doing Yoga or similar practise every morning is one of the best gifts you can give to your body. It not only maintains a healthy body but also gives you a sense of another level of vibration.
- Exercising even for 15 minutes a day, like swimming or jogging, brings about a connection with the nature and a positive energy that lasts the whole day long.
- Having pets or furry friends in our lives is a blessing. They are a big joy and an epitome of selfless love.
- It is essential that you eat and drink organic when possible. Grow your own vegetables, herbs, fruit it is surprising what little space you really need to grow 10 spinach plants, 10 lettuce plants, 2 coriander plants, 2 basil plants, a pot of mint. A Lemon tree will fruit in a pot and grow on a balcony. A good squeeze of lemon in warm water when drunk first thing in the morning aids digestion, aids in the function our liver healthy skin as it gently flushs our system, a great start for the day as it is alkaline, is one of the best ways to begin your alkaline input for the day.
- Learning and following breathing techniques will benefit your body the whole day.
- Having a Good Night Sleep is getting to be a rare phenomenon in today’s stressful world for the people. But I strongly recommend not sacrificing your night’s sleep for anything, as it can lead to serious health issues.
To know more about the 7 secrets to your own personal rituals for your own happiness and profit, read my blog.
2. Family Christmas Traditions
Following Christmas traditions year after year is a ritual I personally love. It is a great time to spend quality happy moments with my family. This gives an opportunity to honour my values, while also rejoicing the gifts of Christmas from Santa and the spirit of family. This time of the year is especially reserved for family routines and traditions by all, and that is one of the reasons why we eagerly wait for this occasion. Family is one thing that never changes with time and they add to your happiness anytime and anywhere, especially when we can embrace our history for what it is. Celebrating traditions and rituals together is the best way to share the essence of family values and cultural heritage.
Know more about how I celebrate the Christmas traditions with my family and how they are important in my blog.
3. Do what you love to do
Most of the people in this world are living their lives simply doing their daily scheduled and assigned tasks. Going to work, bringing up children, paying mortgages, etc. Is what most of us are doing day-in, day-out. With so many responsibilities surrounding us, we sometimes actually forget about what we actually love to do. It is important that we do what we love to do, rather than simply living life from our purpose. We can have the passion to do what we are doing that will happen only when you doing what you love. In order to enjoy the kind of life you want to live. I have learnt the concept of ‘BE-DO-HAVE’ This means that I simply can BE MYSELF, DO GOOD and HAVE FUN. Don’t push yourselves to become something else and stress yourself physically and mentally. True happiness is achieved when you come in peace with our aspirations and be peaceful with who and what we are. I LOVE to be myself. I am a successful women entrepreneur running 8 businesses successfully and mentoring women all around the world through my online and offline mentoring programs. Apart from this, I value my family as well having 40 years of marriage and two kids who are well grown up happy adults with their own challenges now. Throughout my life I have lived passionately and turned my ideas into reality. Read here to know more about how you can live a happy life by doing what you love to do.
4. Devotetime to yourself
Christmas break is one of the best time that we can utilize our time think about ourselves as we have this time free from work. We can make the best use of this time of the year and look back on what we have learned from the past year from our varied experiences and travel. It is necessary to have both, time and agreements in our life as they together can bring about the desired change in our life. We all have 24 hours in a day, use them in the best possible way to have a happy life. Don’t be a victim to the Tall Poppy Syndrome. Women manage time in the most artistic way as we multi-task and have multiple roles to play at every phase of living. In my book, A High Heels Paradox, I have shared how we can make agreements with ourselves. To know more about how you can use the TIME in the best way, read here.
So now that I have shared with you the ways that can help you achieve the inner and real happiness within you, I trust it will help you to have a cheerful, relaxed and fun-filled Christmas and New Year. To further add to your joy, I have a surprise gift for all my readers. Click here to un-wrap your Christmas gift.
Hugs and love
Di
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