9 Steps to Happiness in 2008

Author: Danette Hibberd

What was your new year's resolution?
- to lose weight?
- to get healthy?
- to get a new job?
- to make more money?

Will any of the above make you happy? Perhaps for a few weeks, but soon you will more than likely be caught in the same rut as before.

It is ironic that in today's society, we are healthier, wealthier and live longer than any previous generation, yet are we happier? Unfortunately the answer is a resounding NO.

Following are 9 steps to happiness in 2008.

1. Be Grateful
It is necessary to focus on the positive. By showing our gratitude for all things great and small that appear in our day, we allow ourselves to focus on all the good events. Noting that you are grateful to see the sunshine, to smell the roses, to make a fantastic sale, to complete a small task - whatever you achieve, show your thanks. Spend just a few minutes each day and think about what you should be grateful for.

2. Simplify Your Life
Our lives seem to be so cluttered with needless people, things and chores that we seem to have no time to get on top of. So spend a little time and declutter. Turn off the mobile phone for an hour or so. Don't constantly check your e-mails.

3. Avoid Shopping
Why do we spend so much time worrying about what we don't have - the ipod, the gps system, that car, that holiday or that plasma television that we can't afford? Think what you DO have. Don't waste time and money fighting the crowds at all the New Year Sales. Go for a walk or do some exercise instead.

4. Exercise
In the world today, obesity and idleness is rife. Performing just half an hour of exercise each day is enough to elevate your moods and lift your spirit. There is no need to sweat it out at the gym. Exercise not only makes us fitter and feel good about ourselves, but it releases hormones and other feel good chemicals.

5. Take Pleasure in the Simple Tasks
We all get amazing satisfaction from performing simple tasks extremely well. What about completing a crossword? Or playing a game of tennis really well? Or cooking a delicious meal?

6. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Much more happiness and satisfaction is achieved when you reach realistic goals, rather than shooting for the moon, or having no goals at all. Put your energies into achieving something you know you are capable of, even if your goal is aimed a little higher and you need to take tiny steps to get there.

7. Don't Try Too Hard
Don't try too hard to find your happiness. It will turn up when you least expect it. You never know, if you stop looking for happiness, it may just come looking for you.

8. Avoid Commuting
It is a well known fact that spending many hours each day commuting to and from the office is stressful and correlates strongly, and negatively with happiness. Life becomes miserable. If you must commute, use the time wisely. Read or listen to personal development books or tapes, or music that keeps your spirits up. However, if you want to find happiness, get a job closer to home, or work from home.

9. Smile and Add Humour
The only way you'll ever feel great inside your own skin is to smile. Look around you. What can you smile at right now? Try to find humour in each situation - look at the good side. Practise smiling at people and notice how they smile back.

"Make one person happy each day, and in forty years you will have made 14.600 human beings happy for a little time, at least." - Charley Willey

By following the above 9 Steps to Happiness, you will allow yourself to enjoy and achieve happiness in 2008 and beyond.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/9-steps-to-happiness-in-2008-295567.html

About the Author:
Danette HibberdWellness CoachNLP PractitionerAuthor - From Flutter to Fly, Inspirational Quotes to transform you.
Transform your Life and Create Happiness and Success in 2008. 7 Simple Steps FR^EE e-course.
fabat40.com Total wellness for women 40 yrs plus

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Seven Steps for Saving Time (by Organizing Your Life)

Author: Jamie Jefferson

We all wish we had more time to do the things we enjoy. But the list of things to do seems to never end. Here are seven simple organizing techniques that can save you a few minutes every single day or week, and that's time you can spend doing absolutely anything you like.

1. Get a portable file box (which you can generally purchase for $10 or so) as well as a box of letter size hanging file folders. Create a separate file for monthly bills, bank statements, medical bills, a "To Do" file, and so on. Then hang these files in your file box so you can move your "file cabinet" to the area where you pay your bills. This type of box is easily stowed out of the way when you are not using it, too.

2. Stand in front of the shredder, recycling box, and file box when you go through the day's mail. Make a point to touch each item only once. Each piece of mail gets recycled, shredded, or filed in the "To Do" file of your file box. (You can save yourself even more time by reducing the amount of junk mail you receive. Simply send your full name and address, along with a $1 check or money order, payable to DMA to: Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512). You will also want to place in the "To Do" file any documents that need your attention in the short term, such as rebate offers and newsletters from the church or children's school.

3. Designate a particular day each week to handle the items in your "To Do" file. Pay the bills, catch up on your filing, and write down deadlines in your calendar for bills you aren't going to pay right away. For credit card bills, for example, I write down the payment deadline, and I also make a notation in my calendar ten days before the deadline (to make sure that I send it off in plenty of time for it to arrive by the deadline.) Store everything you need for paying bills in a separate file of your file box so you don't waste any time looking for the essentials: stamps, address labels, envelopes, calculator, and pen.

4. Organize items that you will need to reference occasionally, such as warranties and instruction manuals, in a three ring binder with clear plastic covers (which will let you slide papers inside). This will allow you to easily flip through the binder to find the one you need.

5. Set up a Chore Chart to help your kids learn the value of being organized. Assign each child's chores on an age appropriate level. You may even want to ask your kids how they would like to divvy up the chores. (Kids love to give their input.) Make a table in your word processing program for each child, so they can put a checkmark when they have completed each task on each day. We have our chore chart posted on the refrigerator, and I'm always amazed by how excited the kids get to check off their chores (even though they are earning nothing but a checkmark).

6. Keep a grocery list and a pen on the fridge. Don't use a dry erase board for grocery lists because you want to be able to rip off the list and take it to the store.

7. Make sure you have a good appointment book and write all of your commitments and deadlines on one calendar: work engagements, important things to do with the kids, carpool schedules, birthdays, due dates for bills and library books, etc. Schedule your daily workout, too.

Now take a break and enjoy the extra time you have saved by being organized.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/seven-steps-for-saving-time-by-organizing-your-life-307905.html

About the Author:
Jamie Jefferson writes for Susies-Coupons.com where you can save on office supplies with the latest Office Depot Coupons and Quill Coupons.

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PERTAINING TO ONE WHO INTRODUCED SOMETHING GOOD OR EVIL, OR HE WHO CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS OR TO THE PATH OF ERROR

Jarir b. Abdullah reported that some desert Arabs clad in woollen clothes
came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He saw them in sad plight as
they had been hard pressed by need. He (the Holy Prophet) exhorted people to give
charity, but they showed some reluctance until (signs) of anger could be seen on his
face. Then a person from the Ansar came with a purse containing silver. Then came
another person and then other persons followed them in succession until signs of
happiness could be seen on his (sacred) face.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: He who introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed
after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without
their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who introduced some evil
practice in Islam which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be
required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this (evil practice) without
their's being diminished in any respect.

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