17 Timeless Secrets of Happy People (Feb 2010)

1. Forget the unpleasant past
One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory. Rita Mae Brown
You won’t be happy if you carry the burden of the past. Did you make mistakes? Did you have terrible experiences? Whatever they are, you should let them go. There’s nothing you can do about the past, so you’d better let them go and focus your energy on the present.

2. Take responsibility for your life
The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage. Thucydides
To be happy you should have freedom and the most essential freedom is the freedom to choose. No matter how bad a situation is, you can always choose how you respond to it. People can annoy you, but it’s up to you whether or not you will resent. But, as the quote above says, freedom takes courage. Freedom to choose requires the courage to take responsibility for your life. You shouldn’t blame someone else when something goes wrong. Take the responsibility and you have the power to choose.

3. Build relationships
Life’s truest happiness is found in friendships we make along the way. Unknown
Relationships is where we can get true happiness in life. The reason is simple: only through relationships can we love and be loved. Make relationships your top priority and you are on your way to true happiness.

4. Develop multiple passions
The more passions and desires one has, the more ways one has of being happy. Charlotte-Catherine
Passions lead you to happiness. So not only should you discover your multiple passions, you should also expand yourself to new passions. This way you will create new ways to happiness. The key to expanding to new passions is curiosity. If you are curious, you will have an endless stream of exciting things waiting for you.

5. Build your character
Character is the basis of happiness and happiness the sanction of character. George Santayana
Building your character is essential for happiness. When you are true to yourself and others, you will be in peace. The way to start building character is by making promises and keeping them. For example, you make promise to yourself that you won’t smoke. When you keep it, you are building your character. Or you make promise to others to be punctual. When you keep it, you build your character.

6. Be who you are
The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is. Desiderius Erasmus
You can only be happy if you become who you are. Don’t live other people’s life by trying to meet their expectations. People may expect you to have certain job or certain way of living but don’t be intimidated by them. Find who you are and be yourself.

7. Live your life purpose
The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose. William Cowper
To have a fulfilling life, you should find your life purpose and follow it faithfully. Find what matters to you and build the courage to follow it. Having a one-liner will help you internalize and communicate your mission.

8. Count your blessings
Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. Unknown
Being happy is easy if we are grateful. Unfortunately, seeing what we don’t have is often easier than seeing what we have. Sometimes we need to experience loss before appreciating what we have. So don’t take things for granted. Look at what you have and soon you will have plenty of reasons to be happy. You may start with these simple things.

9. Have a positive mind
It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable. Roger L’Estrange
Happy people know how to control their mind. They don’t let negative thoughts come in. While a situation may seem bad to others, happy people look at them in a positive way. They always believe that no matter how bad a situation seems, there is always something positive to take from it. Your mind can make or break you, so guard it well.

10. Work creatively
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. Franklin D. Roosevelt
When you work creatively on something you will find happiness. There is a well-known phenomenon regarding this called flow. When you are in the state of flow, you are fully focused on the task at hand that you no longer realize the passage of time. This state of flow allows you to achieve high productivity and being happy at the same time. Here are some tips to achieve it.

11. Start with what you have
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. James Oppenheim
Happy people don’t need something they don’t have to be happy. They don’t need certain job or certain level of income. Instead, they learn to be happy with what they already have. They have learned the art of contentment. Be content with what you have and you will be happy.

12. Change
They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. Confucius
Being happy requires you to constantly grow. In fact, the process of learning itself is essential for happiness. Have you ever felt the excitement of being enlightened about something? Have you ever felt the excitement of achieving a new level in life? Top 10 Things You Should Change in Your Life gives you some practical tips on changing your life.

13. Use your talents
True happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents. Douglas Pagels
There are two lessons to take from this quote. First, you should find your talents and second, you should use them to the fullest. Working in your talents is a sure way to enjoy your work because it’s something you are “hardwired” to do. Using your talents fully will make you even happier because of the satisfaction of doing your best.

14. Beware of small things
The happiness of most people we know is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things. Ernest Dimnet
This is very true. Often it’s not big things that ruin your happiness. It’s the small things that do. Perhaps you don’t like someone or break some “small” promises. But even small leaks can sink your ship of happiness, so beware of them.

15. Distill your ambitions
Where ambition ends happiness begins. Author Unknown
While wanting to achieve more in your life is good, being obsessed by it is not. Do your best to improve yourself but don’t be obsessed by it.

16. Make others happy
Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is my favorite secret of happiness. The way to being happy is to make others happy first. The more you help other people and make them happy, the more you will
be happy. Happiness doesn’t come through selfishness but through selflessness. You reap what you sow.

17. Practice compassion
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. The Dalai Lama
Compassion is perhaps the highest level of selflessness we could have. As this quote aptly says, practicing compassion can make both others and you happy. But of course, it requires practice. Start with thinking about the people around you. Look at their needs and find ways to meet them. Even if you don’t do it out of compassion in the beginning, your compassion will grow over time.

*** All in all, this quote by Aristotle can summarize the lessons above:
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
It’s you who decide whether or not you are happy in life.
I choose to be happy. What about you?

Twenty Keys to a Happy Life (Aug 2007)

Twenty Keys to a Happy Life
Anonymous
Submitted by: Pat N.

1. Compliment three people everyday.
2. Watch a sunrise.
3. Be the first to say "Hello."
4. Live beneath your means.
5. Treat everyone as you want to be treated.

6. Never give up on anybody; miracles happen.
7. Forget the Jones's.
8. Remember someone's name.
9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
10. Be tough-minded, but tender-hearted.

11. Be kinder than you have to be.
12. Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
13. Keep your promises.
14. Learn to show cheerfulness even when you don't feel it.
15. Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years.

16. Leave everything better than you found it.
17. Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.
18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone's day.
19. Don't rain on other people's parades.
20. Don't waste an opportunity to tell someone you Love them.

Inspiring, Motivational & Enlightening Quotations (Apr 2007)

Set A
1. A merry heart does good like medicine - Proverbs 17:22
2. Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival - Edward Deming
3. I have never let my schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain
4. A goal is a dream with deadline - Napoleon Hill
5. Whatever you are, be a good one - Abraham Lincoln
6. Diligence is the mother of good luck - Benjamin Franklin
7. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity - Albert Enstein
8. Be the change you want to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi
9. LUCK = Laboring Under Correct Knowledge - Denis Waitley
10. You always pass failure on the way to success - Mickey Rooney

Set B
1. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work - Aristotle
2. The twin killers of success are impatience and greed - Jim Rohn
3. Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are - Jim Rohn
4. We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities - Norman Vincent Peale
5. Appreciate people. Nothing gives more joy than appreciation - Ruth Smeltzer
6. Look in the Mirror: That is Your Problem and Your Solution - William E. Bailey
7. The proof of integrity is what you do when no one is looking - Denis Waitley
8. Dollars and guns are no substitutes for brains and will power - Dwight D. Eisenhower
9. Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals - Henry Ford
10. Disgust and resolve are two of the great emotions that lead to change - Jim Rohn

Set C
1. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others - Cicero
2. The little difference in altitude makes a great difference in the outcome - W. Clement Stone
3. If the truth isn't enough, then you must become stronger at presenting it - Jim Rohn
4. Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value - Albert Einstein
5. Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go - William Feather
6. Instead of thinking about where you are, think about where you want to be - Diana Rankin
7. When we give it our all, we can live with ourselves regardless of the results - Unknown
8. Success is being able to go from failure to failure without losing the enthusiasm - Winston Churchill
9. If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out - Arthur Koestler
10. There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment - Norman Vincent Peale

Set D
1. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up - Thomas Edison
2. I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams - Jonas Salk
3. I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible because dreams offer too little collateral - Walt Disney
4. Read books, listen to tapes, attend seminars – they are decades of wisdom reduced to invaluable hours - Mark Victor Hansen
5. In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of result - James Allen
6. If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If plan for a hundred years, educate mankind - Chinese proverb
7. Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don't fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day - Jim Rohn
8. Human beings have the remarkable ability to turn nothing into something. They can turn weeds into gardens and pennies into fortunes - Jim Rohn
9. With clear and focussed goals, a person with average talent, ambition and education can outstrip the most brilliant genius in our society - Brian Tracy
10. If you don't learn to laugh at troubles, you won't have anything to laugh at when you grow old - Edward W. Howe
11. Purpose is the engine that powers our lives - Dennis Waitley
12. The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow - H.G. Wells

Set E
1. Enthusiasm is nothing more or less than faith in action - Henry Chester
2. Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer - Muhammad Ali
3. You are the only person on earth who can use your ability - Zig Ziglar
4. Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? - Abraham Lincoln
5. Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it - Andre Gide
6. For everything you have missed, you have gained something else - Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great - Joe Sabah
8. Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open - Elmer G. Letterman
9. There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it - Edith Wharton
10. You will regret many things in life but you will never regret being too kind or too fair - Brian Tracy

Set F
1. If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow - Chinese Proverb
2. You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing - Michael Pritchard
3. You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want - Zig Ziglar
4. We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience - Teilhard de Chardin
5. The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to be children all our life - Albert Einstein
6. The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind - William James
7. It only takes one lie to taint your entire testimony in a court of law. Honesty is a vital part of having a good reputation - Jim Rohn
8. I have learned that people will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel - Maya Angelou
9. The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts - Bertrand Russell
10. Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed - Buddha

Set G
1. Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration - Thomas A. Edison
2. Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
3. Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential - Winston Churchill
4. An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist see a calamity in every opportunity - Winston Churchill
5. You are only as strong as your purpose, therefore let us choose reasons to act that are big bold righteous and eternal - Barry Munro
6. He who refreshes others will be refreshed - Proverbs 11:25
7. Whoever trust the Lord, is happy - Proverbs 16:20
8. It is more blessed to give than to receive - Acts 20:35
9. Look out for one another’s interest, not just for your own - Ph 2:4
10. With men it is impossible; but to God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26

Set H
1. If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes - Mark 9:23
2. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples - John 13:35
3. Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not insist on its own way. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails - I Corinthians 13:4-8
4. Neglect starts out as an infection then becomes a disease. - Jim Rohn
5. Nothing needs reforming so much as other people's habits - Mark Twain
6. Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding - Harvey Mackay
7. Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours - Tom Hopkins
8. To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then 'act out' the new behavior. - Dr. Maxwell Maltz
9. Habits are like comfortable beds; they are easy to get into, but difficult to get out of - Denis Waitley
10. You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life' - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
11. The core personal productivity habit is neatness. Important tasks are not entrusted to messy people - Brian Tracy

I Am Thankful For (1 Feb 2006)

I am thankful for:
1) The partner who hogs the covers every night because he / she is not out with someone else
2) The teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV, because he /s he is at home and not on the streets
3) The tax I pay because it means I am employed
4) The mess to clean after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends
5) All the complaints I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech
6) The parking spot I can find at the far-end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation
7) The difficulty in finding a good maid, it means that I can afford one.

Conversation With God

Here is an interesting conversation between God and Man:

God: Hello. Did you call me?
Me: Called you? No. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.
Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well, I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium that you are comfortable with.
Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analysing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analysing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better, not bitter.
Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are:
P Purposeful
R Roadblocks
O Offering
B Beneficial
L Lessons to
E Enhance
M Mental
S Strength.
Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.
Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.
Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.
Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live it.... If you don't like the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question...

*** Author Unknown

Best Picture Of Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. Do you know why? "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Top Ten Ways to Live Authentically

By Ann Ronan

1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction....hoping that you’ll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement, and you'll have your own unique compass that will lead you to your true north every time.

2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2004...check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values, you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? List your top four needs and get them met!

4. Know your passions
Honor those things that make your heart sing. Whatever it is, do more of it.

5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind.

6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three—if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths.

7. Take time to play
Give yourself time to recharge doing things you love to do or by just doing nothing.

8. Be aware of your self-talk
Are you blocking your potential? Check out your first thoughts when you wake tomorrow. Are they supportive, encouraging or positive? Choose the kind of chatter that goes on in your mind. Become aware of the negative messages you give yourself. Gently catch them, and turn them into positive affirmations.

9. Surround yourself with inspiration
Keep a success journal. Write down your four or five greatest strengths and post them where you can see them. On the last Friday of each month, write down all your accomplishments, both big and small.

10. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others—your spirit—your essence.

Who's Poor?

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to
the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can
be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family.
When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How
was the trip?". "Very good, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!

You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing.

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

Make The World Better

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

"So you would like to interview me?" God asked.

"If you have the time" I said.

God smiled. "My time is eternity."
"What questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you most about human kind?"

God answered...
"That they get bored with childhood, they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived."

God’s hand took mine and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...
"As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?"

"To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."

"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."

"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply have not yet learned how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

GOD smiled and said,
"Just know that I am here... always."

-author unknown

(see http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/)

Best Regards
Swee Huat.

Secrets to Happiness

Make The World Better

1) Be optimistic
2) Determine your purpose in life
3) Your beliefs determines your destiny
4) He who can make others happy, is happy
5) Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow
6) A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery, on a detour
7) Happiness is not having what you want, but enjoying what you have
8) Success is getting what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get
9) People whose main concern is with their own happiness seldom find it
10) Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they have
11) Happiness is not about having what you want; It is about wanting what you have
12) Until you are happy with what you are, you will never be happy with what you have