Happiness is the key to success
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
We can only be happy, when we will change our thoughts towards positivity.
Positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results.
A positive person anticipates happiness, health and success, and believes he or she can overcome any obstacle and difficulty. Positive thinking is not a concept that everyone believes and follows. Some, consider it as nonsense, and scoff at people who follow it. However, there is a growing number of people, who accept positive thinking as a fact, and believe in its effectiveness.
Positive Thinking Is a Way of Life
With a positive attitude we experience pleasant and happy feelings. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy, and happiness. Our whole being broadcasts good will, happiness and success. Even our health is affected in a beneficial way. We walk tall, our voice is more powerful, and our body language shows the way we feel.
Positive and negative thinking are contagious.
We affect, and are affected by the people we meet, in one way or another. This happens instinctively and on a subconscious level, through words, thoughts and feelings, and through body language.
Is it any wonder that we want to be around positive people, and prefer to avoid negative ones? The answer would be off course not.
People are more disposed to help us, if we are positive, and they dislike and avoid anyone broadcasting negativity.
Negative thoughts, words and attitude, create negative and unhappy feelings, moods and behavior. When the mind is negative, poisons are released into the blood, which cause more unhappiness and negativity. This is the way to failure, frustration and disappointment.
Positive Thinking Instructions and Advice
In order to turn the mind toward the positive, some inner work is required, since attitude and thoughts do not change overnight.
Ignore what other people say or think about you, if they discover that you are changing the way you think.
- Read about this subject, think about its benefits, and persuade yourself to try it. The power of your thoughts is a mighty power that is always shaping your life. This shaping is usually done subconsciously, but it is possible to make the process a conscious one. Even if the idea seems strange, give it a try. You have nothing to lose, but only to gain.Use your imagination to visualize only favorable and beneficial situations.
- Use positive words in your inner dialogues, or when talking with others.
- Smile a little more, as this helps to think positively.
- Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it, and endeavor to replace it with a constructive one. If the negative thought returns, replace it again with a positive one. It is as if there are two pictures in front of you, and you have to choose to look at one of them, and disregard the other. Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively, and to ignore negative thoughts.
- In case you experience inner resistance and difficulties when replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, do not give up, but keep looking only at the beneficial, good and happy thoughts in your mind.
- It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks. It might take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they will.
- Another useful technique is the repetition of affirmations. This technique is similar to creative visualization, and can be used together with it.
The Positive Psychology — 14 tips taught by Ben Shahar — Harvard University!
Did you know that at Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, the most popular and successful course teaches you how to learn to be happier?__ The Positive Psychology class taught by Ben Shahar attracts 1400 students per semester and 20% of Harvard graduates take this elective course. According to Ben Shahar, the class — which focuses on happiness, self-esteem and motivation — gives students the tools to succeed and face life with more joy._This 35-year-old teacher, considered by some to be “the happiness guru”, highlights in his class 14 key tips for improving the quality of our personal status and contributing to a positive life:
Tip 1. * Thank God for everything you have: * Write down 10 things you have in your life that give you happiness. Focus on the good things!
Tip 2. * Practice physical activity * Experts say exercising helps improve mood. 30 minutes of exercise is the best antidote against sadness and stress.
Tip 3. * Breakfast: * Some people miss breakfast for lack of time or not to get fat. Studies show that breakfast gives you energy, helps you think and perform your activities successfully.
Tip 4. * Assertive *: Ask what you want and say what you think. Being assertive helps improve your self-esteem. Being left and remaining silent creates sadness and hopelessness.
Tip 5. * Spend your money on experiences..a study found that 75% of people felt happier when they invested their money in travel, courses and classes; While only the rest said they felt happier when buying things.
Tip 6. * Face your challenges *: Studies show that the more you postpone something, the more anxiety and tension you generate. Write short weekly lists of tasks and complete them.
Tip 7. * Put everywhere nice memories, phrases and photos of your loved ones *: Fill your fridge, your computer, your desk, your room, YOUR LIFE of beautiful memories.
Tip 8. * Always greet and be nice to other people *: More than 100 inquiries state that just smiling changes the mood.
Tip 9. * Wear comfortable shoes *: If your feet hurt you, you become moody, says Dr. Keinth Wapner, President of the American Orthopedics Association.
Tip 10. * Take care of your posture *: Walk straight with your shoulders slightly backwards and the front view helps to maintain a good mood.
Tip 11. * Listen to music * (Praise God): It is proven that listening to music awakens you to sing, this will make your life happy.
Tip 12. * What you eat has an impact on your mood *:- Do not skip meals, eat lightly every 3 to 4 hours and keep glucose levels stable.- Avoid excess white flour and sugar.- Eat everything! Healthy- Vary your food.
Tip 13. * Take care of yourself and feel attractive *:70% of people say they feel happier when they think they look good.
Tip 14. * Fervently believe in God *: With him nothing is impossible! Happiness is like a remote control, we lose it every time, we go crazy looking for it and many times without knowing it, we are sitting on top of it …
So, after positive thinking happiness and success will come in our life.
Shawn Achor’s TED Talk and article:
This Happiness Advantage as Shawn calls it can be the difference between leading a fulfilling, joyful and successful life and living far beneath our potential.
Happiness is the joy you feel moving towards your potential. (Shawn Achor)
We think, “If I can just find that great job, or win that next promotion, lose those ten pounds, or (fill in the blank), then happiness will follow.” But Shawn’s extensive research and other recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is completely backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” (Albert Schweitzer)
The three greatest predictors of happiness are optimism (the belief your behavior will eventually matter), social connection, and how we perceive stress (as a challenge or as a threat). If we want to raise happiness we need to make both mindset and behavior shifts.
Shawn suggested 5 steps for happiness which are as follows
1) Bring gratitude to mind: Write down three NEW things that you are grateful for each day
2) Journal: About a positive experience you’ve had recently for two minutes once a day
3) Exercise: Engage in 15 minutes of mindful cardio activity
4) Meditate: Watch your breath go in and out for two minutes a day and
5) Engage in a random, conscious act of kindness: Write a two-minute positive email thanking a friend or colleague, or compliment someone you admire on social media Do these steps for 21 days, and you will begin to see a lasting shift in your mindset towards more positivity.
Our brain works significantly better at positive than at negative, neutral or stressed. Every single business and educational outcome improves when we start at positive rather than waiting for a future success. Sales improve 37 percent cross-industry, productivity by 31 percent, you’re 40 percent more likely to receive a promotion, nearly 10 times more engaged at work, live longer, get better grades, your symptoms are less acute, and much more.
My experience before applying these tips:
All things were too good till matriculation. After that,I entered in intermediate with Fsc (Pre-Medical). I was good in my studies but despite this I could not got good marks in sendups. The reason was giving more stress to myself due to change of medium and I was not adjusted in environment of college. I wanted to get good grades but I was not happy as I mostly remained upset those days. I was not enjoying discussion with friends, focused during prayer, too health conscious, and confident to do something better for anyone. That’s the reason that I hold the book whole day but lack of happiness I never able to concentrate on my studies.
My experience after applying these tips:
I do not remember to become stressed out after acting upon it. Salah (Worship of GOD) in Muslim religion is the best way to get the benefits of meditation.
I thought one day after my prayer, when I was upset due to bad performance and lack of concentrations that I had performed well in metriculation, now the only change is that medium. I should try once again and apply my full potential to cope this situation and Alhamdulilah within days, my negative thoughts changes to posititve one that if I face difficulty in learning and understanding then I am also learning a new thing, will better understand in future with practice. By grace of Allah almighty, I secured A plus in Fsc (pre-Medical).
Recently:
I also practiced some of steps during this week after refreshing these tips for happiness, for example our alumni give us their precious time last sunday for mock interviews and give us productive and positive feedback so, I send them a thank you email to them for their great effort and kindness.
During this week when I was stressed, upset and tired then I did walk for 20 minutes and engaged in a random, conscious act of kindness after that I was feeling calm and relaxed Al Hamdulila and during this activity I also recalled achievements of my life and then thank to Allah for His blessings on me all the time which feel me further relaxed.
Lessons what I have learned from these tips
I realize that if you are kind with Allah`s creatures then you are actually spreading happiness. For happiness we do not have to wait for some special kind of event or achievement. We just need to be kind to others to get real happiness. Happiness does not come from success and external factors, instead it always come from when you are positive and happy during your struggle time. From this activity, I have learned that if any difficulty come in your life, take it as challenge and opportunity to propel your self in life, don`t afraid from failure, always try, if you lose then you gain a lesson and if you succeed then it will be your achievement.
“No medicine cures what happiness cannot.” (Gabriel Garcia Marquez).
