The path to finding happiness is a life-long journey, full of ups and downs and twists in the road that lead many of us astray. But the good news is that happiness can be attained through many sources such as creative expression.
Though each one of our paths to happiness is undoubtedly unique, one of the greatest indicators of whether or not we will succeed in our quest lies in how we talk to ourselves. According to Peter Meyers, a public speaking consultant and the founder of Stand and Deliver Consulting Group, "We talk to ourselves more than we talk to other people". Therefore, in order to create the feeling of overall well being that often translates to happiness we must first work to create an aura of happiness, which can best be described as a subtle and luminous field of positive energy surrounding one's being.
Of course, the simplest way to exude happiness is to simply smile. Though our first instinct is to question the validity and worth of a smile when we have no reason to smile, scientific research has shown that when we attempt to move the muscles of the face in a way that we would when we feel joyful, AKA smile, we literary create these positive emotions within our psyche and these positive emotions directly influence the nature of the thoughts running through our minds.
Positive Affirmations Will Make You Smile!
The power and luminescence of our aura of happiness is directly linked to the positive nature of the thoughts running through our minds. Of course, we have far more control over the nature of our thought patterns than we believe. However, during times of hardship, when our minds are bombarded with a multitude of negative emotions, we often lose control of the nature of our thought patterns and thus become overwhelmed by the negative energy of a vast array of negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and despair. This negative energy drains the luminescent power of our inherent aura of happiness and leaves us unable to see the positive in life.
The good news, however, is that we have a number of highly effective psychological tools at our disposal when it comes to fighting the collective negative energy that stands in our path to finding happiness. Positive affirmations are one of these powerful tools designed to help us control the effects of negative emotions on our overall psyche. Though practicing positive affirmations sounds complicated its important to remember that positive affirmations are nothing more than positive self talk and since we talk to ourselves more than we talk to anyone else all we have to do is make a conscious effort to keep negative thoughts at bay as we engage in self talk. At first, consciously keeping negative thoughts at bay will take a great deal of mental energy. However, before long, your mind will become once again accustomed to processing positive thoughts and you will begin to feel the weight of the negativity keeping your spirits down being lifted.
The simplest way to begin practicing positive self talk is to make a list of all the things in life that you are grateful for and that bring you pleasure in order to remind yourself of these truths often. For example, "I am grateful for the love of my family" is a great example of a positive affirmation that reinforces a positive truth many of us embrace. So, if this affirmation applies to you write it down and place it anywhere where you need to be reminded of how lucky you are to have a loving family.
Another way to practice positive self talk is to make a list of all the negative thoughts and emotions floating around in your mind and to consciously write positive affirmations that are in direct contrast to those negative thoughts. For example if you are a person suffering from occasional mild depression and/or anxiety the phrase, "Today, I choose to open my heart and allow good to flow into my life" is a powerful affirmation that can help you overcome your anxious and/or gloomy thoughts.
And finally, one of the more advanced and often neglected ways of practicing positive self talk is to do so while in a deep state of meditative relaxation. Practicing positive self talk, while in a deep state of inner peace is a highly effective means of transferring your positive affirmations deep into your subconscious mind, where your psyche, utilizing its own intellectual power, transforms these positive subliminal messages into truths. In the scientific field this phenomenon is called a self-fulfilling prophecy and its power is derived from the positive feedback between belief and behavior.
To practice meditative relaxation first choose a positive affirmation to focus on. Next, simply sit in a chair or on the floor, in a quiet, familiar and comfortable spot, and clear your mind of all thought and/or negative energy. If music has a soothing effect on you, you may listen to any tune that tends to relax you. Now, begin visualizing or chanting the positive affirmation you've chosen to focus on. Do this for as long as it takes you to genuinely begin feeling the positive emotion linked to your affirmation.
Over time, this systematic practice of positive self talk will bring about a sense of mental calm and spiritual peace which is the first step towards attaining lasting happiness.
Paulin Soleyman is a Holistic Health Practitioner who specializes in the teachings of Dr. George Engel, the American psychiatrist who designed a philosophy and comprehensive approach of holistic wellness that applies to all areas of life including our inner selves and our interactions with our environment and others.
Paulin Soleyman is also the founder and editor of The Underground Bootcamp, a comprehensive health and fitness website designed to address all aspects of healthy living. As the founder of this website Paulin's goal is to help everyday people live healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives.