2. Stop Worrying

If you really want to be happy, STOP WORRYING! 
Usually it is in worrying that we become sad. 
We worry that our mother will scold us for the wrong we did.
We worry for the bad weather.
We worry that the world will end in 2012. 
So much to worry, so much to be sad. 
For you to be truly happy, stop worrying!

Take It One At A Time

The reason why we worry is because we have so many things in mind. 
We think of food for lunch.
We think of the bad weather.
We think of the very hard assignment in Math.
We think on how to gain more money, etc. 
But here is the key.
You take them one at a time and you'll not notice it, you have solved everything for that day.
Take every problem one at a time.

Your Mind Keeps Dragging You To The Future

Yes, it is true, our mind keeps dragging us to the future.
On what will happen in the future thus we worry. 
For you not to worry, focus on what's happening in your life now. 
Will you have problems in the future?
That's sure because you're a human being. 
That's part of the package deal of being human. 
So don't worry on your problems in the future. 
Think of your present.
Is there really a problem you can't solve?
I don't think so.

Why Worry?

When someone asks, "Aren't you worried about that?" tell them, " I've been meaning to worry about it- but I haven't got around to it!".* 
Some people will force us to worry, don't buy their idea. 
Let them worry about the traffic condition, about the high prices of commodities, etc. 
But you keep you mind focused by not worrying.










*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

You should not Worry

We are only given 24 hours a day. 
All you can do is give your best effort until bedtime. 
Let tomorrow take care of itself.* 
Why keep worrying on what will happen tomorrow? 
Relax, let tomorrow take care of itlsef.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

3. Strengthen Your Mental Fitness

Strengthening our mental fitness is like strengthening our muscles when we exercise. 
Yes, we need to exercise when we want our bodies to be fit. 
It is the same with our thinking. 
We have to practice thinking positive things. 
We have to practice changing our line of thinking.

Problem: A test for your mental fitness

Assume that every problem in your life is a lesson to make you stronger. 
Then you never feel like a victim.*
Be thankful if you have bigger problems.
The bigger the problem is, the happy you become.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Some more on mental fitness

You don't find happiness in the absence of problems. 
You find happiness in spite of your problems.*




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

On Mental Fitness

It is not necessarily an easy life that makes you happy. 
Usually it's the opposite.* 
Mental fitness will be put into test when we have bigger problems. 
But actually these are the instances that give us more happiness, not those easy problems.

*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

4. Take Humor Seriously

Laugh at every time you have a chance to laugh. 
This is a very good practice for you to be happy. 
If you laugh at most of the time of the day, you feel that good things are happening to you. 
There many things that happen to you everyday that you can laugh at. 
Having forgotten to zip your trousers.
A funny text of your classmate.
The loud fart of your seat mate while having a long test, etc. 
You laugh when you have chance to.;
 It's good for your health.
 It makes your day happy.

Why Laugh?

When we laugh we feel good about ourselves.
When we laugh, things seems so easy to handle.
When we laugh, people wants to be with us.
When we laugh, we become approachable.
So many good things are happening when we laugh.

Positive things of Laughing

Many medical practitioners are recommending too much dosage of laughing. 
And it is a good reason to believe that it gives natural health to our body. 
There are many positive things that happen to our bodies when we laugh. 
We stop thinking bad things, our lungs expand, etc. 
So take humor more seriously not your problems.

5. Do Not Expect Anything

Many people are trapped of being not happy it is because they expect many things. 
In school, they expect that their classmates will let them borrow a ball pen and when this doesn't happen they become frustrated.
In office, they expect their officemates to be cooperative, and when they don't, they become frustrated. 
There are many things we expect which do not actually happen.
In order for you not to be trapped on this, stop expecting anything.

I Was Not Expecting

Last March 14 I took an entrance test for my masters degree in one of the exclusive universities here in Manila. The test was too long include with it the high level of difficulty of the test. 
So I was not really expecting to pass.
But I did my best. 
When the results were released on March 28, I was really happy to know that I passed.
It really was my dream to study in that school. 
And I'm glad I made it.

A gift of Surprise

The good thing when you are not expecting anything to happen is you will be surprised. 
If you did not expect to win the contest, you'll be surprised if you win and you will not feel anything when you lose.
If you did not expect to be accepted in a job you are applying, you will be more happy than when you expected it. 
So don't expect!

6. Do the Best You Can

It is in doing our best in every situation, could be at work, school, sports, etc that we give value to ourself. 
We become confident, we become energized. 
The result is not important, either we win or lose, the most important thing is we did our best.

In Competitions

Recently my students competed in a Quiz Bee in one of the universities here in Manila. 
My last message to them was just to give their best shot. 
At the end of the contest, though they did not win, my students became confident and gain respect for themselves that even they lost, they won my respect to them as well. 
Winning is not important, doing your best is what is more important.

Eric Moussambani

Eric Moussambani is an Olympic swimmer from Equatorial Guinea. 
He competed in the Sydney Olympics 2000. 
He did not win. 
But what makes him so popular is he did his best. 
Even he was almost drowning, he did his best to finish the race. 
The crowd applauded what he did, and that's because they saw that Eric was doing his best.



To watch the video, click the link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zjCc_VyxM4

To achieve any worthwhile goal, you first decide, "I will do this, whatever it takes".* That's a nice way of doing your best.





*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

When people know you have given your best, they usually support you.*
Another reason why we always have to do our best.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

7. Be Appreciative

Appreciate the good things that happened to your neighbor.
Appreciate the beauty of your classmate.
Appreciate the award of your son, etc. 
There are many things we have to be appreciative of. 
We need to look at them.
They are just very near. 
Here's the key, when we are appreciative on the good things of others. 
We become more appreciative on the good things in us.

In Appreciating

Did you know that when you appreciate someone, subconsciously you are also appreciating yourself? 
Because you see in that person a god thing that is also in you or maybe you're working to have that attribute. Like when you appreciate a person because of her kindness, maybe you are already kind that is why you saw that in her or you want to be kind also. 
So keep on appreciating someone, or even yourself.

Appreciation vs Flatter

Appreciation is specific. Flatter is general. 
When you want to appreciate others, be specific. 
Like you have a beautiful smile.
You have a nice singing voice. 
Flattery comments are you're good. 
Good at what? 
So be specific for it to be a sincere compliment. 
That's appreciation

Appreciating others' success is a good exercise in order for us to appreciate our own successes.

First trick to Happiness

The first trick to happiness is to appreciate what we've already got.* 
You have many things to appreciate within you. 
You just need to look for them.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

8. Think Positive At All Times

This is better said than done. 
Our mind keep dragging us to think that we are broke.
That we are nothing compared to others.
That we are not beautiful.
That we are weak, etc. 
When these things come to our mind, STOP! 
Stop thinking. 
Even how sad or tragic a situation is, there is always a good thing behind it. 
So let's look at those things. 
Let's look at positive things in everything that has happened to us.

More on Positive thinking

Positive thinkers have the habit of picturing what they want, not what they fear! 
What you think is what you get.*





*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Disasters

Every "disaster" in your life is not so much a disaster, as a situation waiting for you to change your mind about it.* 
In every disaster, there will always be a good thing behind it. 
That's how you should think, always positive.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Thinking positively

As you think, so you become.
As you wish, so you become..... frustrated.*
So just think positive things.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Why Set Goals?

We set goals not for what we GET, but for what we BECOME.*



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

You attract what you think about

You attract what you think about.* 
So keep on thinking positive things.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Keep thinking positive things

We become what we think about.* 
So just keep thinking positive things.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Life Is So Unfair

Happy people don't bother whether life is fair. 
They just make the most of what they have. 
And is life fair? 
Probably not. 
But it doesn't matter why!* 
You just keep thinking positive even how unfair life is.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

9. Be Grateful With What You Have

Many happy people concentrate on being grateful with what they have rather on what they do not have. Miserable people become miserable because they do wishful thinking. 
They just wish all day and all night long that they can have something that others have. 
This is craziness, be thankful that you still breathe. 
Be thankful that you still have a healthy body. 
There are many things we can be thankful of. 
Concentrate on them.
It will make you happy.

The Ten Lepers

In the bible we know the story of the Ten Lepers whom Jesus cured. 
Out of the ten who were cured, only one went back to Jesus and thank him. 
The bible teaches us to be grateful. 
Because if you are grateful, you attract more positive things in your life. 
It could be in the form of fortune, success, etc. 
So be grateful, you'll lose nothing but you'l gain everything.

Things you need to be grateful with:
     1. You're alive
     2. You have enough food to eat
     3. Good shelter
     4. Complete body
  There are so abundant that we just have to look for these simple but important things in us.

Being grateful with what you already have gives you a feeling of contentment.

Your happiness depends on what you DECIDE to notice.* 
Look at the good things in your life. 
You have them abundantly.




*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

10. Don't Ever Try To Change The World Instead Change Your Thinking

This is one of the top secrets if you really are serious to be happy. 
You have to change your thinking because the world will not change for you. 
Even how much effort you put in changing the world, you will just be frustrated. 
Like you wanted others to be polite but not all people you will meet will be polite.
Don't change them. 
You change your thinking by not expecting every person you meet to be polite.

If You're in a Relationship 2

The question now is "If I should not change my partner, who else will tell him that he is doing crazy thing?" 
Well as what Andrew Matthews said, there are two kinds of people. 
Your partner knows what's best for him.
 So just relax, one day he'll change.

If You're in a Relationship

Don't ever try to change your husband, your wife, or whoever your partner is. 
Forcing your partner to change is a dangerous thing to do because often it leads to misunderstanding and worst it leads to separation.

Change yourself.

Your mission in life is not to change the world just change yourself.*
 Let other handle their own mission. 
Focus on your own.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

Two kinds of People

People fall into two groups:
         a.) Those who make regular adjustments to their life strategy
         b.) Those who like to hit a brick wall, and then change.
Neither want you to tell them how to live.*
So don't ever try to change people. 
They know what is best for them.



*Andrew Matthews, Happiness Now

In Forgiving

The bible speaks of forgiveness. 
We forgive not because it is a holy thing to do. 
We forgive not for others but for ourselves.

11. Forgive Others and Yourself

This is important because if you won't forgive others who have done wrong to you, you won't have a peace of mind. 
This is the first important thing you should do if you really are serious to be happy.
 But more than anything else, you should forgive yourself for the mistakes you've done in the past, for the things that you should have done, for the wrong choices you made in the past. 
There are many things you have to forgive yourself about. 
This is easily said than done but you should do it.

Why forgive?

We forgive for our own peace of mind. 
Grudges won't do any good to our happiness. 
So why hold on to them? 
Forgive, forgive and forgive.