Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles

Posted: January 23, 2010 11:20 AM

5 Steps To Achieving Happiness (VIDEO)

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The first rule of negotiation is to always be willing to walk away from the deal. The first rule of happiness is to not be attached to pleasing moments. So how do we get into sealing the deal of happiness?

We experience happiness as a series of pleasing moments. They come and go like clouds, unpredictable, fleeting, and without responsibility to our desires. Through honest self-work, reflection, and meditation, we begin to string more of these moments together, creating a web-like design of happiness that drapes around our lives. A happiness web makes a nice decorative shawl, but a blanket would be better.

To construct a blanket of happiness that warms the entire world, every single person on this planet would have to be at peace, have comfort, safety and love. That isn't how our world is. We are all connected. The pain and suffering of others is yours also, on some level whether you choose to pay attention or not. The reason we can't achieve total bliss is because you're not here solo. We have a taste in these moments and it's meant to fuel our will to spread it to others. When we accept the responsibility of others, while staying true to ourselves, we begin to fill with love, compassion, and we are able to take on a bit of the suffering of others without spreading ourselves thin. We are here on this planet to add to the happiness of the world.

What we put into the world we get back for ourselves. If you dump your drama into the world you will get the same back. If you take each moment as an opportunity to further your awareness and the happiness of others, what you get back is limitless. When we develop an awareness of the suffering of others and decide that it's unacceptable to us, we can then decide on a course of action. Once we take action, whether that means being nicer to your friends, co-workers, giving your time, money, energy, or talents to others, then we begin to taste more happiness and do our part in constructing the world happiness blanket.

5 Steps to Achieving Happiness

1. Search for dissatisfaction. What goes up must come down. There's beauty in honest sadness. Practice on clearing your psychology so you can observe without your own judgment. Look inward and around. Inhale the emotions of the world. Exhale let it go. Repeat until something happens inside you.

2. Cultivate your unique self. There is only one YOU in this planet. Work on yourself. Face your issues, your fears, and insecurities. Beauty is on the other side. Go with it.

3. Give freely. If you hold on too tightly your whole life will shrink. Your body and your mind are the same. Your body is not a superficial object. Hiding in intellect or misaligned internalized spirituality is a trap. Don't throw your body under the bus of your mind and ego. You only have one body. You will live in it until you die. Take care of it so you can be of use to yourself and the world. When you hold on to your possessions, your ideas, and emotions all the magic will pass you by. When you are of use in the world you will be completely fulfilled. Every moment becomes magical. If your body was a car, your intention is driving, the soul is navigating, and your efforts are the fuel.

4. Learn to receive. Giving and receiving are the same when we remove the ego. Accept a compliment, a gift, and a smile and your life will expand like the sky.

5. Let go of the outcome. Attached to wanting happiness? Let it go. As soon as you let go of desire to have it, it will find you. Simple but complicated. The work is why we're here.

Handstands build strength, confidence, endurance, energy, and courage. Here are some easy tips to work toward overcoming fears and moving your body in ways to get out of your head. Focus on your breath instead of your thoughts and your intuition will surprise you. The physicality of yoga brings you back into your body instead of your head. Focusing on the breath clears the mind so you can see what the heck is going on outside of the world of your worries, needs, and desires. When we put the two together, we realize we are all connected. Through practice we regain the desire to blanket each other in happiness.

 

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The first rule of negotiation is to always be willing to walk away from the deal. The first rule of happiness is to not be attached to pleasing moments. So how do we get into sealing the deal of hap...
The first rule of negotiation is to always be willing to walk away from the deal. The first rule of happiness is to not be attached to pleasing moments. So how do we get into sealing the deal of hap...
 
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happyshirts   05:30 PM on 1/29/2010
Would you like to be happier? There is a 3 minute video that can help.

It describes what makes us happy and the activities that the latest research has shown can increase our happiness and well-being.

Take a quick look and try one of the suggested activities!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUnQg-K-RIw
mjt96   11:58 AM on 1/27/2010
Jesus was a yogi. He taught people to love each other, help each other, and spread kindness. We can spread happiness by example.
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Tennys Daughter   01:37 PM on 1/26/2010
Apart from Christ, no one can achieve true happiness.
3pinkdrinks   11:02 PM on 1/24/2010
This is a topic close to my heart and the heart of my dear friends. Life brings challenges, sometimes all at once, and self-reflection or self-awareness has so far been the best way to deal with them. It's important to understand the dynamic between humans and how you, yourself can effect this dynamic. How I feel and how I express myself has a direct impact on those closest to me. If I am happy, content, so might they be.

~Coach K ( www.3pinkdrinks.com )
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okornot   04:16 PM on 1/24/2010
Hey Tara
I think you're forgetting something with #4. In order to receive something it first has to be offered. No matter what it is if its not offered you don't receive it.
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Bob Weisenberg   12:01 AM on 1/24/2010
Great advice. It's not all that different from the way I dealt with the same question, based on the ancient Yoga texts:

"What is It that Brings Us Happiness?" http://wp.me/PlUox-f0

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jgarma   03:22 PM on 1/23/2010
This "happy" topic reminds me of something Buddha-oriented I once read about this.

It went something like this: Happiness is not the goal. Bliss is. Happiness sits in duality. You can be happy and then unhappy, and each is largely created by outside things: people, places, things, times and events.

There is no "unbliss". No duality. Bliss emanates from within and is not effected by exogenous factors.

Perhaps this all gets down to semantics. So, rather than focus on the terms, ruminate about the cause of your state of mind. Endeavor to make it something you control, something within yourself.

Yoga is a great discipline to recognize and grow that inside thing. Follow the breath... it will lead you deep inside.

Yep.

Jgarma
www.GarmaOnHealth.com
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paliuli   01:53 PM on 1/23/2010
I found that dancing to this video, and I really throw myself into it, watching myself in the mirror and laughing, gets my qi fluffed up and is a good way to start the day. Then I go outside, do a little yoga and qi gong, and then get to work.

Shaika's "Hips Don't Lie" is another excellent qi fluffer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOrc37wNUqU

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