What is the Secret to Happiness and Money?

When I wake up and before my feet hit the floor, I lie in my bed for a few moments and run through my gratitude list. I send love and blessings to several people and then plan my day. I think about how I am going to experience joy. 


The first thing I do is have a tasty breakfast. To me, it is the most important way to begin my glorious day. Then, I go for a walk with my dog to the park and take in the beauty of the trees, plants and birds. I am amazed and grateful that I live in California. If it's a dog park day, I go to the dog park and I am usually met by the ebullient, Nelly, the happiest golden retriever in the world. She exudes pure joy. Dogs are a blessing and examples of how to live in the moment. I get such pleasure from watching them play. My own dog, Rocky, is always happy to walk through the park, taking in the numerous scents that I can only imagine invigorate him. It's these little things, these moments that bring me joy and happiness.


Working in design and writing on blogs also brings me joy. I'm a researchaholic and surf the net for good information to share with others. Today, I discovered a good article: What is the Secret to Happiness and Money?, written by Derek Thompson, Associate Editor at The Atlantic where he basically says, "Well-being does increase with more money."


In his article, he also lists three principles to follow:

1. Buy more experiences and fewer objects. 
2. Don't worry about insurance. 
3. The frequency of happy events matters more than their intensity.

Recycling and Money

I visualize me smiling, and I feel happy as I imagine money coming to me. What I realize, though, is it comes in all different ways--we just have to look. Sometimes, we might get a nudge from a little voice in our head that we have to take action.

In my case, I started taking beer bottles, aluminum cans and plastic water bottles to the Recycling Center. I realized that it is actually a fun thing to do. You see all types of people. There's the homeless guy riding up on his rusty old Schwinn with three garbage bags filled with whatever he picked out of trash bins. Then there's the dad who pulls up in his BMW SUV with his three children. The kids are boys or girls ranging from ages 7 to 12. I also see the Mexican families who come with several bags of various recycling items. The money from recycling adds to their family income, which they desperately need. Then there are people like me. As I stand in line, I see and experience camraderie-we are sharing a common experience. People help others unload their bags or give them a hand. I've even had someone share some of their recycling goodies with me. Another thing is that no one cares about getting dirty or the messiness of the act of recycling. Maybe people inherently feel that by recycling they're connecting to the Earth. 

So, after separating, pouring and plodding along in the line, I reach the register. I am handed a five, four ones and three dimes. I smile because I was expecting less, and I am grateful because going to the Recycling Center is really just an amazing act of giving and receiving. 

Life is Short. Appreciate it and Live it.

This is an amazing read, plus I love the typography. The message is awesome. Read it and think about it.

Do What You Love And The Money Will Follow

What is it you love to do? Think about it. Then ask yourself another question:
What did you find joy in doing as a child?
When I was a child, I remember that I loved to draw. I could do it for hours. I also loved to talk to people and network. Even as a little child (it started around age 5), wherever I went I met people, and I talked to them. I asked them questions and wanted to know about their lives, who they were and what was important to them. I still do it. I'm fascinated by people and their lives. As an adult, I realized that I loved to write fiction, and what I was doing by talking to people was creating characters. People are incredibly fascinating. Everyone has a story, and we should all listen to each other. We will learn something about them and ourselves. I further discovered that by talking to people, I was networking (that's funny--networking in kindergarten). My networking skills lead me to pursue a Marketing Degree. I enjoy connecting people and promoting them and their businesses. I like helping them find what makes them happy. Additionally, my love of drawing made me realize that I'm a visual person, as well as verbal. These two inherent qualities lead me to visual communication. I studied Graphic Design, Typography (yes, I love typography, an important part of visual communication), Illustration, Photography and Web Design.

So, really think about what you love to do. If you love to surf, think about how you can turn that passion into attracting money. If you love dogs, think about how you can turn that passion into a business. If you love to work on cars, think about how you can draw prosperity from that passion. If you love to eat and cook, look how many people have turned those passions into financial abundance. Pursue it. Believe in yourself. These are just a few examples of turning your passions into financial abundance. 

Stop and think for a moment. Sit with your thoughts--visualize, imagine and listen. Let your thoughts evolve, and the answers will come to you when you least expect it. It will be like a light bulb being turned on in your brain.

Remember, life is about feeling joy and being happy. Follow your dreams, and it will happen.
 

Confidence and Belief

When in doubt, act your way into belief. If you are not confident, act as if you are, and you will become. Do this with everything you are not confident in but wish to be. Believe and your confidence will begin to grow as you see your successes. Those feelings will then encompass more aspects of your life.

Smile and be happy. You are already there!

Love

Love is about giving without expectation.

Love all the people in your life. Be grateful for them because they could be gone at any moment. The more you give and send out thoughts of love, it will come into your life.

Love your enemies and people who at the moment do not seem nice. They need love the most. Remember, sometimes people have bad days. They may have lost a loved one, a dear pet, received bad news, etc. Smile at them, and you will see how sending thoughts of love will make them and you feel better.

Observe and be present in the moment.

Gratitude

Have gratitude. Look around you and see the good in your life. Every little thing that you have can bring a smile to your face. Be grateful for your eyes, ears, your feet, your toes, your nose and for being alive on the planet at this moment. Think about how you can see, hear, walk, smell. It's that simple.

Make a gratitude list. If you are not in a good space, take a moment and bring yourself to the present, get a piece of paper and write down every little thing that you can think of for which you are grateful. Just by the act of writing and thinking, your thoughts will change because you are in the present. When you view the list, it will change your feelings (even for that moment), and that day something good (it may be small, you have to pay attention) will definitely come into your life. Be grateful for it, be grateful for the small things and you will start seeing bigger and better things for which to be grateful.

Remember, it's a process. Try to practice gratitude moment by moment and you will attract good into your life (including money).