picture by © Simply_Divine

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HOW TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT

IN THE END ONLY KINDNESS MATTERS

A 7 Minute Course in Happiness

LINK TO MANY ARTICLES ON POSITIVE THINKING

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Choosing Happiness — by Catherine Morgan

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

Are you making significant life decisions from a place of fear or anger? Most of us do. When we make choices and respond to people and situations in our life in reaction to fearful and angry emotions, we are choosing unhappiness. From the little responses and decisions in our life, right up to the big ones. So, who cares? Why does this even matter? I genuinely believe we all want peace in our lives. Peace on earth would be great too. The saying; “Be the change you want to see in the world”, suggests that by making positive changes in our own lives, we contribute to a wave that can flow from us, to our family, to our communities, and to the world. It is such a sweet thought. Even if you don’t believe that minor changes you make in your own life can make a difference in the world, there is no doubt that the way we feel emotionally greatly affects our overall personal happiness.

If we all just took a little stock in our daily reactions, and paid attention to our responses and decisions, and most importantly noticed when we are responding from a place of fear or anger. If we did this, we could then choose to take more time before we respond to such things, and think them through a bit more. Why is this important? Well, it’s important because once you realize what you are doing and how it affects your life, you can then take the steps to make changes that bring you to a more happy and peaceful place.

The next time you catch yourself reacting out of fear or anger, take a minute to think about how you would react to the same situation from a place of peace or love. If you can’t do that, at least try to find a “neutral” feeling and respond from there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this is an easy thing to do. It is by far, the harder thing to do. But, just try it. Start out by choosing one aspect of your life (ie: work, family, husband, etc.), and consciously decide to take fear and anger out of your decision process and out of your reactions. See how it makes you feel. You will be happier, and the people around you will be happier too. This is because when you react to someone in anger, they will most likely respond back to you in anger. Of course the opposite is also true. If you respond to someone in a kind way, they will most likely respond back to you in a kind way.

Did you ever respond to someone in an angry way just because something else had made you mad? Did you ever wonder how your reaction may have caused that person to react to the next person they encountered? It’s a vicious cycle, but luckily it works both ways. It seems to me, that we are all being a change that can be seen in the world. The question then becomes; are the changes we make affecting the world for better or for worse?

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Give Someone The Gift Of Kindness

QUOTES ON KINDNESS

HAS THE WORD LOST IT’S EMPATHY?

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ONLY KINDNESS MATTERS — by Catherine Morgan

Jewel has a song, and in it she sings….”In the end, only kindness matters”. Those are very profound words. I would even say, that these are words to live your life by. Because, it is so true. In the grand scheme of things, we are here on earth only a very short time. Many of us spend much of this time being angry at people, making judgements on others, and generally just not being as kind as we should be. So, the question then becomes….How can we change that? How can we live a more kind life?

Well I think, that like everything else we can’t be too hard on ourselves. After-all, we live in a harsh world, where many times people are not even being very kind to us. But, that’s no excuse either. Remember when our mom’s told us, “treat others the way you would want them to treat you”. Well it seems that, somewhere between kindergarten and junior high, most of us forget this little bit of wisdom. But, I say we bring it back. Don’t get panicked, I’m not suggesting anything radical. But, maybe just some baby-steps in the right direction.

The first thing we need to do is be conscious of our thoughts and reactions towards people. This is important because, if we recognize the times we could have chosen kindness over judgement, we find our opportunities to make a change.

Second, begin actively making attempts during your day to choose to be kind to those around you. Do this in random acts of kindness, as well as in the choices you make with the people in your everyday life.

Third, notice if your kindness is rubbing off on the people around you. Are others treating you more kindly? Are others treating others more kindly? It is surprising how positive energy can radiate all around you, and affect all those around you.

Forth, reflect or journal on how choosing kindness is making a difference in your life.

Well, that’s it. Now, just go for it. And remember, IN THE END…ONLY KINDNESS MATTERS.

Jewel - Hands