Your Need To Know

The Joy of Giving

There is no more special time of the year than the holiday season to reflect on what is important in life and all we have to be thankful for.

This is a time for giving and a time for sharing.  A special time when we seem to be more forgiving of the way things are; more forgiving of the way some people are.  We are more willing to be nice, or be courteous, or to exchange a smile.  We seem to be more apt to do nice things for others.

While many of us frequently do nice things for others throughout the year, the frequency is multiplied this time of year.  Don’t we feel good about how we are at this time of year?  Isn’t it true that we feel good about giving? Yes, you always feel good when you give to others.

How about doing something thoughtful, or giving a gift of kindness, and never telling anyone about it, ever?

When we do things for others, they usually know where it came from.  We are certain to mention our acts of kindness to them or someone else and seek their approval.

Because when we share our own niceness with someone else, it makes us feel like we are thoughtful people.  It reminds us of how nice we are and how deserving we are of receiving kindness from other people.  The ego part of us wants to say, “I am special.”

We should give for the sake of giving and not for receiving something in return.  We really do feel good when we are giving.  Our rewards are the feelings we receive from the act of giving.  Why diminish them by letting others know what we have done?  Why not revel in all the positive feelings of giving? 

Think of something really nice that you can do for someone else, and keep it all to yourself.  Keep all the warm feelings and joy of giving all to yourself. Your ego can still say, “I am special” but you will say. “I feel special.”

You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.   Albert Schweitzer,  French philosopher & physician (1875 - 1965)

Gina 

To experience life in the “present moment” is not a mysterious thing and it is not a big deal. It simply involves putting less attention on worries and regrets.  Less attention on the future, the past, and things that bother you.

Living in the present moment means living life “now”, with your attention on the present, and not allowing your mind to take you to experiences away from “now”.  When you manage to do this, you can enjoy each moment to a fuller extent.  You can bring out the best in your performance and creativity. You become less distracted by your needs and concerns.

Present moment living, getting in touch with your life now, is at the heart of effective living.  When you think about it, there really is no other moment you can live.  Now is all there is, and the future is just another present moment to live when it arrives.  Dr. Wayne Dyer

The happiest people know that no matter what happened yesterday, last month, or last year - no matter what may happen tomorrow, next month, or next year, “now” is the only place where happiness can actually be experienced.

This may sound confusing, so let me explain.  I don’t mean that you’re not affected by your past, or not concerned with tomorrow, because we all certainly are.   There are things in our past that we remember fondly and this makes us happy thinking about them.  There are our dreams and expectations of happy moments yet to come.  What I mean is that we can’t be bothered or worried over something that has already happened, or something that has not yet happened.

Yesterday… Today… and Tomorrow

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word said. Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds - but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - Today. Any man can fight the battles of just one day; it is only when you or I add the burdens of those two awful eternities - Yesterday - and Tomorrow - that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives men mad - it is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but One Day at a Time.

Children seem to do this intuitively and seem to understand that life is a series of present moments. They seem to understand that each moment is important and should be experienced to the fullest. If only we as adults could intuitively do the same.

If you can take this to heart and begin to live more in the present moment, you will find you spend less time being bothered by “life”, and more time enjoying it. You will spend less energy convincing yourself that “now” isn’t good enough, and more time enjoying the wonderful moment you are in - the present moment.

Gina

Technorati Tags: Personal Development, Happiness, Self-improvement

How happy are you?  You may think you know, but this little test will help you keep score. The Satisfaction with Life Scale was devised in 1980 by University of Illinois psychologist Edward Diener, a founding father of happiness research.  Since then, this scale has been used by researchers around the world.

Read the following five statements.  Then use a 1-7 scale to rate your level of agreement with a score of 1 meaning  not at all true, 4 meaning moderately true and 7 meaning absolutely true.

A.  In most ways my llife is close to my ideal.

B.  The conditions of my life are excellent.

C.  I am satisfied with my life.

D.  So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.

E.  If I could live my life over I would change almost nothing.

Scoring: 

31-35 = Extremely Satisfied

26-30 = Very Satisfied

21-25 = Slightly Satisfied

20 = Neutral

15-19 = Slightly Dissatisfied

10-14 = Dissatisfied

5-9 = Extremely Dissatisfied

Polls have shown that Americans are overwhelmingly happy and optimistic people.  One poll of over 1000 adult Americans revealed that 78% are happy most or all of the time.  Need to improve your happiness score? Here are a few simple things you can do everyday to help you be happy. As Happy as You Wanna Be

Gina