The Secret to being Happy...

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

This has been my favorite topic or something to ponder upon. I always wondered and was a bit curious to know what made people happy. I would listen as people would say if they found a perfect spouse or soul mate they would be happy, if they won a million dollars in lottery..it would make them happy..For some a dream vacation and for some diamonds or a big mansion or maybe even an expensive car.  

So all this while , in the pursuit of something else you are miserable and unhappy and forget to enjoy today. It happens to the best of us.  It happened to me as well. I wanted to get a good education to secure a good job. Wanted to get married to a person who understood me and respected me..got married. Bought a house , got a new job, had a kid, worked, had another kid and then just quit. It was getting too overwhelming. It seemed like life was going super fast. Was I enjoying..Sure..Thats what I thought. I could afford all the things I wanted too..and provide for the little things... But then after my second son was born something within me asked me to slow down..take it easy. I was'nt feeling happy. I thought I had it all. Because I was attaching so much power to things and stuff..but deep within I felt sad. Unknowingly we had complicated our lives and added so much stress. 

I took some time off to enjoy the little things in life. To enjoy my kids. Our house ..To have time for my DH. I was feeling happier as I realized the secret to being happy lies within ME..and within all of us..We cannot depend on other things or people to make us happy. Because that just leads to being more unhappy when you give the power to someone else..It is yours to begin with..Its your right and  you owe it to youself to make the choice and look within you and see what makes you happy.

For me spending quality time with my kids..they were 4 and a new born then meant a world to me. We would go for walks and go biking. Go on a nature's treasure hunt and come back home with all kinds of stuff. Go on picnics. Just chilling out and enjoying life. There was absolutely no pressure no deadlines to be met and life seemed so simple..Since then we have simplified our lives. All this credit goes to my DH as well as he enabled me to pursue things  which would make me happy. Its been three years now and I do feel rejuvenated and ready to  reenter the work force again.. as my little one has started preschool and my older son is in 2nd grade.  I had a great opportunity to create many precious memories and will continue to do so. But the main lesson I learnt was to take some time off no matter how important other things are.. for your family.

A Job gives you the money to buy a house but the love, support and the precious memories of your loved ones make it a HOME.

I dedicate this post to all the full time mothers who took some time off from their jobs and careers to be home with their kids. It takes a lot of courage to do so.. I know SO... But here I also have to account for many mothers who had to go back to work because of financial reasons. That requires tremendous courage as well.

Get Out Of Your Own Way - A Book Review.

I have been reading this book on and off for almost a week now and I find it very interesting and its so fascinating to know how our brain(s) work. To be honest I just picked this book from the library as I loved the title and once I started to read the more I read the more I loved it.

The book is " Get Out Of Your Own Way " by Robert K. Cooper. Its a good read but it does take some time to read it and understand what the author is trying to tell you. A bit intense but nevertheless thought provoking and you can relate to it. It gives you real time examples of people you've heard about and how they made it big. I would highly recommend this book to everybody in all walks of life to give this book a try. Mind you I might sound like I'm tring to sell you this book but let me assure you that I'm not being paid for this review.

Also this book has something for everybody. Its a very inspiring book and will motivate you to be the BEST you can be. It talks about 5 keys which the author says will turn your brain's amazing powers to your advantage.

Those 5 keys/ Choices are :

• Direction , not motion
• Focus, not time
• Capacity, not conformity
• Energy, not effort
• Impact, not intentions

The entire book is based on explaining these 5 keys in detail with great examples and insights. It has been backed by a lot of scientific research which the author shares from time to time. It will surely make you look at the way you have lived your life and all your beliefs. It will inspire you to make some changes to the way you think and use the tools mentioned above to live a much enriched, successful and happier life.