Finding Happiness
Life is an endless journey to find Happiness and everything we do is to ultimately be happy, but what is happiness and how do we achieve it? As humans, our tendency is to move away from pain and toward pleasure, and as individuals, our perceptions of pain and pleasure differ. What makes you happy may not be the same for someone else. Whatever you are doing is because you think it will make you happy e.g., the new house, car, clothes, relationships, etc. there is a constant struggle to achieve our happiness.
In our endeavor towards happiness, we come across times when we face challenges, worries, stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, and even fear. These obstacles, challenges or hardships can be very confronting and take their toll on us and we often feel overwhelmed and struggle to find any happiness. To free ourselves and find inner peace and happiness we need to understand how and why it’s all happening.
We need to become aware that everything is energy in motion and that includes our bodies, thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. The way we operate is based on the way we perceive life, ourselves, and others. This means what we experience in our external world is based on the beliefs we are projecting and manifesting as our reality. If we know this, it makes sense to change our beliefs to perceive a different world.
The way we do this is to go within and change what we think of ourselves and others and what we believe is happening to us. So, if we know our internal energy is creating our external experience it then makes sense to take control and change what we think and feel and stay in a state of inner peace and happiness to create a different external world. This seems easier said than done but it can be done by becoming mindful of the present moment and not looking at what is happening but rather staying in a space of inner peace and happiness throughout what’s happening. This requires us to be accepting and allowing of whatever situation arises and trusting it’s all happening for our highest good
We do this by checking if it’s something we can control and if so, we do what we can about it. If it is out of our control, it means it’s not ours to fix so we can acknowledge we don’t like it and it doesn’t feel good, but we allow it knowing it’s for our highest good and will work itself out if we allow it without interference but with trust and patience. We then need to really let it go and trust it will be taken care of, because we always have been.
From this point, we need to choose to stay in the present moment and in a state of inner peace, happiness, and gratitude for what we do have. Happiness is not about getting, it’s about giving, and random acts of kindness are a great way of helping others and feeling good, which will attract more of this feeling in ways you can’t imagine.
The Paradox of a Parent-Child Relationship – Who’s Responsibility is it to Change?
By Manya Monga.
As parents, we often expect our kids to be a certain way or behave in a certain way and no matter how hard we try, we often expect them to change into something we want them to become.
We forget that they are unique beings and special in their own way. Most of the time, parents’ expectations of their children are a reflection of their own fear and guilt.
Some examples of unrealistic expectations that parents have for their kids are:
- To be perfect at school and at home
- To never make mistakes
- To take part in competitions even if they don’t want to
- To do everything we ask them to do without asking questions
- To achieve targets set by others
- To do better than others
Why should we ask parents to focus on the above, when, instead we can teach them ways to be:
- Kind
- Grateful
- Cheerful
- Respectful
And value what we already have such as:
- Family
- Friends
- Relationships
- Truth
- Honesty
We can also teach them to find happiness and celebrate the little things in life and appreciate what we have rather than focusing on unreasonable expectations.
We may think we are doing this for our child’s higher good or a brighter future but what we fail to understand is that it’s not our job to push them into things we want for them. It is our sole responsibility as parents to show them various options and guide them through, in case they need our help. We need to encourage them to take decisions for themselves. They may fail or fall down but we must support them to get back up and learn and move ahead.
Tips to Raise a Resilient Child with Strong Coping Skills
- Support your child
- Educate them that change is normal
- Model for them to observe and learn from you
- Teach them to be optimistic and grateful
- Encourage them to take ownership of their decisions
Putting pressure on kids may result in low self-esteem and low self-confidence as they will constantly feel they haven’t achieved enough. And in this process of trying to achieve more and more, kids lose their individuality, and personalities change due to our actions and behaviors.
Tips to Raise a Confident Child with High Self-Esteem
We can build confidence in our children by telling them:
- You are unique
- You are imperfectly perfect
- Keep going and keep trying
- Accept and celebrate the way you are
Hence, it can be rightly said that in the parent-child relationship, the major responsibility to change is with the parent.
Kids are like clay and can be molded in any way we want. Keeping in mind that they are unique individuals and showing them love, the more we appreciate how wonderful and unique they are in their own special way, and the more they will bloom and become the best versions of themselves.
And that is the best gift we can give to our children.
The Benefits of Gratitude
By Jane Elizabeth.
Gratitude is like a magnet, the more grateful you are the more you will receive to be grateful for, and the same goes for the more you complain. The more you complain the more you will have things to complain about.
Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked superpowers that we have access to every day. People who regularly practise gratitude for the things in their life are more likely to be happier overall, leading to reduced stress and anxiety. Practising gratitude doesn’t take much time at all, and the benefits are amazing. While it can be hard to find gratitude in difficult times, acknowledging what we have, no matter how small, is an important thing to do in our daily routines.
A really good exercise I recommend is to keep a daily gratitude journal, listing the things you’re grateful for. A good time to do this is before sleep, no matter how good or bad your day has been. Start with simple things, like having a bed to sleep in, food, water, education, career, salary, friends, family, your pet, or even something as simple as sunshine in your day. Think about what you can be grateful for.
Helping children to understand that gratitude is more than just saying “thank you”
Gratitude can come in various forms, and thanking people directly can not only form ongoing relationships but can also make someone feel like they truly matter, and this expression of gratitude energetically will create more value and matter in your own world.
Gratitude is something that can be taught to children and has many incredible benefits for them. It enables children to have the ability to feel positive in their own lives. It can also lead to promoting family bonds within the family unit.
To open this communication with your child, start by asking what they know about gratitude, and find out what it means to them. A big part of this is helping children understand that gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.”
Show your child what it means to pause and appreciate the things we take for granted, such as: “I am grateful for my teachers,” “I am grateful for mum and dad/family friends,” “I am grateful for my favourite food,” “I am grateful for my favourite toy.”
Another impactful gratitude exercise is to create a gratitude box. Personalize it to suit you, and each day try to add a couple of notes containing things that you are grateful for.
Whenever you experience one of those days when you are feeling low, you can reach for your gratitude box and remind yourself of the good things in your life.
Gratitude meditations are an amazing way to start your journey toward your overall wellbeing
As you go along following the above-mentioned exercises and taking a timeout in your day to give gratitude, no matter how big or small, you will find that your mind automatically starts to feel grateful for the smaller things in life and this will lead to you feeling happier and more content.
Gratitude meditations are an amazing way to start your journey toward your overall well-being because it enables you to perform two of the most powerful happiness practices at the same time.
If you are ready to start your gratitude journey please check out Miracles Dubai’s upcoming meditations and join us in giving thanks and allowing happiness and ease to flow into your life.
To find out about upcoming events, contact Miracles – Self Empowerment & Wellness Center Dubai, UAE.
Patience, Tolerance & Understanding
We live in a world where we believe we need to be right, correct, and perfect. We have this idea of how we want to be perceived by people and this gives us a sense of security. When we face situations that don’t align with that idea in our head, we tend to become angry, triggered, upset, we feel like we are losing control of the situation and start behaving in ways that are quite the opposite (without even realizing).
It’s like a switch flips within us and we start imposing our beliefs and thoughts to regain control. When this doesn’t work, things escalate, and we feel a sense of hurt and defeat as we get locked in that vicious cycle.
Let’s take a step back. Take a deep breath and look at what is really going on here.
The first question to ask is why do I need to be so perfect? What am I insecure about? What is this ‘trigger’? Is it even possible to be perfect or is it something we are conditioned to believe so we are loved and accepted?
Most of these triggers come from our childhood, where we were told to behave or excel and then we were loved and praised (i.e. false sense of security). Anything opposite that your mind reads as unloved and criticized (i.e. false sense of insecurity).
The root cause is deep feelings of insecurity and then a loss of control. It’s time to heal that inner child in you. It’s time to love him/her and give that child in you the understanding, patience and tolerance he/she requires. It’s alright, you are always doing the best you can. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being human and being human means experiencing everything and not identifying it as who you are.
Of Course, you are loved! Of Course, you matter! and of course, you are fully capable of having all that you desire, because that’s who you are. Anything else is not you. It’s just how you see yourself and maybe now is the time to change that.
The Overview:
- Taking a step back and looking at the whole picture brings back a sense of control, if I lack understanding I lose my patience and in turn have no tolerance. I end up getting upset and act at an impulse, the repercussion of which are clearly not healthy in the long run.
- Why am I scared of being judged?
- Why do I get so aggressive & provoked? – loss of control
- Why am I trying to please people?
- PUT (Patience, Understanding & Tolerance) perspectives for a happy life
By: Rashmi Seth
