Happiness

One thing I know, is that happiness is a choice. I have been singing to that song since I was 19. I made a covenant with myself that I would choose to be happy no matter what. It has not been easy but it has been truly rewarding because sooner than later being happy becomes a habit. A habit I don't want to lose.

We all know what happiness is and we surely want to keep it around like our best friend. Well, it's time to change your out look on life.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” - Aristotle 

The search for happiness can be a lifelong search, especially if we look at happiness as something that will come once we achieve certain goals — a nice home, a perfect spouse, the ultimate promotion … and when we get these goals, instead of being happy, we often are looking forward to being happy when we meet our next goals.

Happiness shouldn’t be something that happens to us in the future, maybe someday, if things go well. Happiness should be here and now, who we are now, with the people we’re with now, doing the things we’re doing now. And if we’re not with people who make us happy, and doing things that make us happy … then we should take action to make that happen.

That’s the simple formula for happiness. Take action to do the things that make you happy, with the people who make you happy, and to be happy with the person you are now. (Disclaimer: this probably doesn’t apply, of course, to those who are clinically depressed or who have other similar medical conditions which I am not qualified to discuss.)

Don’t wait for happiness. Seize it.
“If you want to be happy, be.” - Leo Tolstoy

1 . You choose
How your view yourself and your world are conscious choices and habits. The lens you choose to view everything through determines how you will interpret what is happening. And from your interpretation you act. And all of this becomes your life.You can choose to find happiness in small, everyday things. You can choose to interpret what happens in a positive way. Or in a negative way.And your choices controls much of how much happiness your will find and create in your life. This is so true and can be master through practice.

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.- Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

The world of those who are happy is different from the world of those who are not.- Ludwig Wittgenstein

2. Focus on the present, not yesterday or tomorrow
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.You only have now. And now. And now. Yesterday is a memory and you cannot change it. Tomorrow is just a fantasy in your mind right now. So live more in the now, focus on the present moment and today. Think and worry less about yesterday and tomorrow. Otherwise you might miss a great deal of happiness that is available to you right now. You won't believe how many unnecessary things we worry about: Just let it go.

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim

3. Don’t forget to be grateful
One of the simplest and quickest ways to turn a negative and sour mood into a more positive one is to be grateful. Just try if for a minute and see how it changes how you feel. And it’s a win/win solution. You feel great because you are grateful about your world and the people you are grateful for feel great too because they feel appreciated. So don't forget about gratitude or you may forget about the happiness that is already in your life.

Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it. - Fyodor Dostoevsky

We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.- Frederick Keonig

4. Help someone else find happiness.
Great teacher of spirituality live by the practice and continue to teach the world about compassion; That in showing compassion, then you will know true happiness.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.- Buddha

If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. 

If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.

If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. 

If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.

Chinese Proverb

5. Lose you less valuable desires.
Yes, you want to conquer the world and do a million things and you want more and more and more. You will only have what you want when you release the clutter of your mind and focus on what you really need. If you wan less, you won't expect so much and if you expect less you have peace of mind that you have enough and you are happy.

If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires. - Epicurus

6. Do what you like to do
I have been preaching this since I began my blog. It’s still easy to trap yourself into doing what you don’t want to for many, many hours. And seldom do what you really love to do. You may not be able to choose to do what you want to do right now. Or for many hours each day or week. But you almost always have a choice to do more of what you really want to do. There is always time. Or time you can free up. You always have a choice.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful - Albert Schweitzer

7.  At least do something
Nothing can be done with out action. One of the best ways to not find happiness is just to hold yourself back and do nothing. Seldom show up. Paralyze yourself through over analysis. It’s not always easy to take action, it can be scary and hard and difficult. But if you don’t take action you’ll be missing out on a lot. Including many moments, people and experiences that can bring you a lot of happiness and joys to your life.

Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. - Benjamin Disraeli

What do you want to do with your life?

I was asked a very puzzling question. It was not a question I had not heard before or a question I had not answered. I truly think the question had an  impact on me because I was  sleeping and the question was been asked.  So my brain did not have the time to be on a ego trip and say what it thought would be appropriate or what I thought I wanted. It was my inner conscious listening. Raw, bare and open. "What do want to do with your life?" 


Wow, what a shocker. Who asks questions like that when you are semi- conscious? Well my dear love did. It left my brain frazzled and confuses. I had a hundred thoughts go through my head and I was not even sure which was what. There are lots of things I "want" to do in my life. But that was not the answer to the question. So I turned the question back to him. 


"What do you want to do with your life?" I have three things he said. 
Three things! is this man for real. How could I ever possibly come up with just three things. So I croaked back to him in my sleepy voice, "Well babe, that is very mature of you to only have three things you want to with your life. So what are they?
"Well first..." he said." I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. To be a successful architect and continue to do photography."
My man has his life to a simple 3 answer step. No confusion, no dilution, no side step motto. I found him to be wise and untarnished by this over superficial life, 2.0 generation. He lives to his own standards of life and he definitely had his own perspective about wants and needs.
I signed desperately. 


"I admire that. I am a restless soul. I want many things. I will need time to think on that answer."
I am finding it difficult to separate the want and the true need. I have a list but not even sure if the list is for me. I want everything to feel accomplished in this life time. Now, I am wondering - IS IT WORTH IT?


So for today, my question is What do you want to do with your life?


- Mabe its not even the question we should be asking...

6 Ways to Stay Motivated at Work

I read somewhere that "Staying motivated at work is easier than you think when you know what to do." Yeah, right. Getting out of bed just to go to work is hard enough. Sometimes you love your job and you can not wait to get back to work just to finish it off. And most of the times your dreaming of a holiday where you can forget about work. But until that one day I get paid to go holiday; Here are some tips to keep you motivated.

1. Decide What You Must Achieve Today.
It is easy to get caught up with non-urgent matters that you can either ignore completely or do at a later date. All that clutter leaves you confused about what to do so you end up procrastinating.You need to ask yourself:What is of the utmost importance that I must complete today?Define that specific goal and focus solely on that until you have achieved it. Clarity is power. It allows you to operate in a peak state of concentration and will help to ensure you are at your best. You will be amazed at how much you will get done and how successful you will feel when you FOCUS.

2. Surround Yourself with Love
Surround yourself with personal items that remind you of positive things in your life. Pictures of family, friends, or pets will do the trick. When you're feeling down or stressed, take a glance at your pictures.
Get a wall or desk calendar that you find amusing. Word-a-days, comic strips, and sudoku calendars are just some of the ones you may be interested in.

3. Take a Lunch Break

When you take a lunch break, take a lunch break. What that means is, get out of the office, go outside, get some fresh air, enjoy your food, and rest. You are going to have to go back to work sooner than later, so why don’t you enjoy yourself while taking a breather.

4. Keep Career in Perspective
It is always wise to remind yourself the reason why you decided your career path. This will ignite all the passion and aspirations that you had for your job thus motivating you to continue to do your best. We forget about these goals so its best you write them on a piece of paper and leave it in your drawer for those self reflective emergencies.

5. Thinking Positive in the Workplace
Negativity is a powerful force, which can easily demotivate and depress you to the point where you only  work for the salary with no other reasons. There is nothing worse than that. Avoid negative feelings and people at work. These distractions are there to bring you down and take you nowhere in your life. Try to hang out with the happy people in you office. They are highly contagious and fun people to share ideas.  But please, don't leech off all the good vibes from one person. Find your own joy and share it with others. You should focus on all positives that can be find, however small it may be.

6. Reward Yourself

You are not getting a bonus soon so get a massage after work, do your nails, go to gym or get your friends together to grab a cold beer. What ever makes you feel better to de-stress the load. A reward is needed after a hectic day. 

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Simplify your life

I love short straight to the point facts and points because I like to maximum my time. Get the information I need, remember them (because their short) then try to live a life of abundance. That's my aim and I will continue to share that philosophy with you.

How to Simplify Your Life (or Anything) in 4 Easy Steps

by Scott Ellis on March 16, 2010

The process is simply (in order): Eliminate > Automate > Delegate > Execute

Step 1: Eliminate
Start getting rid of things (physical & virtual) like unnecessary bills, things you aren’t using, people you didn’t really enjoy spending time with, etc… In my case I even sold my house and moved into an apartment in the Uptown Dallas area where I was spending most of my time thereby eliminating a LOT of driving. Other things you can eliminate include email you are never going to get around to reading, subscriptions to magazines and sites you didn’t have time for… you get the idea. The main thing is to get ruthless about getting rid of anything that isn’t really necessary. This step is all about “deletion.” If you catch your self saying “I might need this when…” but haven’t used it in the last few 3 – 6 months… it’s gone! Note, it can be hard to get started throwing stuff out but once you do it can also become addictive!

Now, if something really can’t be eliminated you then…

Step 2: AutomateAutomate anything you can that’s left. From paying bills to email auto-responders, auto-tweeting a blog post to filtering email, a lot of things can be set to just “happen”. You don’t have to physically “do it” every time. Using alerts are a good example of automation since the technology “watches” for something and only let’s you know if something is found based on specific criteria and action is required. For example, you get an email when there is a traffic spike on your website or your site goes down. The guideline here is that if it’s repeatable it can be automated.

Then again, there is no reason you have to respond to the alert. If it really can’t be automated and requires human intervention you can…


Step 3: Delegate It

Are you sure you can’t eliminate or automate it? If not, hand off what you can to someone else who can do it cheaper, better, faster or can do it when you can’t (like when you are sleeping or at work). In the physical world that might be cooking, cleaning or lawn-care. In the world of tech it might be things like video transcription, driving traffic to your site (which can be some what automated as well), customer support, research, etc… The point is you don’t have to do everything and with all of the crap most of us having going on you probably can’t. Take your sanity back and let someone else do the tedious stuff.
Finally, if you can’t or don’t want to hand it off to someone else you…

Step 4: Execute
That’s right, whatever is left after the first 3 steps is what you do. Ideally what remains are only the things that require your special knowledge, skills or presence (like a speaking engagement); or, that you personally just happen to really enjoy doing. This list should be pretty slim but it should also represent the few things you do that deliver the most impact to whatever it is you are streamlining and the things you most enjoy doing.

Follow the four steps in as many facets of your life as you can, work, home, business(es), blogging, whatever, and get as granular about it as you can. Even if your execution isn’t 100% perfect you’ll likely find that when you simplify your life it becomes a richer one.

 At Girlondaloose I try to use my time for the more important things in my life; family, friends and exploring the world and challenging myself.

 I’d love to hear your stories of simplification and what it meant to you. Leave me a comment and let me know how it’s going.

Fall 2010 Fashion Trends

Ah! The pleasure of wearing clothes.
With Spring behind us (Northern Hemisphere) it's time to look forwards to the coming freezing weather, and the fashion it will bring. Yes, Autumn / Fall 2010 fashion trends are on the horizon. With the new season comes a lot of new looks and, for those that aren't new, new takes on established fashion trends.I will share with some of my favorite trends this season.

Sophisticated '70s
I like the feminine chic look. I love being a "Lady" when it come to clothes. By day it's all about high waists, wide legs, soft blouses and '70s accessories. By night, all that shimmers is gold. Flowing, draping dresses in high-shine fabrics or metallic hues are perfect for evening '70s glamour. Be bold and don't hold back, this look is about balancing softness with boldness. 









Military fashion
Yes, military remains a trend for Autumn / Fall 2010. Following on from Spring 2010 the women's military trend, like the men's, takes its cues from 20th Century military uniforms. From army green to shearling lined boots. Military jackets are an item piece that gives you the authority to command attention. Love the shoulder puffs and the straight buttons.

Leather
My dear love would love to see me in leather something.  There seems to be a lot of leather somethings out there in the market. You name it, it'll be an option for your wardrobe in the colder months. Leather shorts, leather dresses, leather leggings, leather underwear (yes, there is) leather hats and more. I will let you know when I get my leather something.

Knee high socks
Given that thigh high boots are on trend (see below) and that they can't be worn every day (unless you've amassed a big collection) there has to be an alternative with similar appeal. Hence for Autumn / Fall 2010 you'll find yourself rummaging through your sock draw and donning a pair of knee high socks. Or over the knee socks. Or thigh high socks. From the sporty to the sparkly, to layerings of socks over tights; a great pair of socks can add that extra, and much needed, eye catching detail to an outfit. I love the knitted details on mine. Gives the viewer something extra to think about. ; )



Thigh high boots
Over-the-knee boots are the must-have footwear for Autumn / Fall 2010. Once considered only for the daring, those wearing this shoe trend will find the tops of their boots creeping up even higher with thigh-high boots also in the mainstream. From elegant suedes to futuristic wound-and-bound leathers, the options are many and various. My thigh high boots will be my best friend this Winter.

Socks under heels
I don't know about this trend. It only reminds me of many 80's movies. It could be as bad as flip flops and socks. But yes, it's been a while since the humble ankle sock has really be worn (fashionably) under a pair of heels. For Fall 2010, fashionable they are. Whether it's a high heeled sandal or a lace-up boot, or even a man-style flat shoe such as an oxford or brogue, a pair of socks can add colour and texture to your outfit. I will let you know if I attempt fate.

Fur boots & mukluks
Forget about mukluks. If you live in the ice death valleys of the arctic. I understand but I don't want to see them unless their super cute. Mukluks are like survival shoes. that you can go hideously wrong. But don't let that deter you. The options for fur, faux-fur and fur-lined boots in Fall 2010 go well beyond yeti-like furry feet and into a number of slicker and sexier looks. Think bed-haired bohemians in fur pelted shoes through to classic ski-bunny boots. Think sex goddess of the snow. Pick-me, pick-me I'm up for that.

Stop waking up tired

We live hard active lives. Too much to do during the day that keeps our minds and body moving. Exercise and eating right during the day will keep us in form and if we are luck, a great 20 minute nap will do. But until that fine day where we can do it all. Let us benefit the most out of our resting time; Sleeping. 

4 Simple ways from getting the rest you need.
1. Sleep in 90 minutes increments - The human sleep cycle is approximately 90 minutes long. To feel as refreshed as possible, you need to sleep through complete cycles. Waking up in the middle of a cycle will leave your body wanting more. This is why sleeping 6.5 hours is worse than sleeping 6 hours. I know that often people recommend that you should sleep 8 hours a night, but 7.5 hours will make you less tired. And you just saved a half hour each day. Isn't it great?

2. Don't eat right before falling asleep - Going to bed on a full stomach is a bad idea. It can make it much more difficult for you to fall asleep and also diminish the quality of your sleep.

3. Go to bed at regular times - Your body gets used to a routine of sleeping and waking times. This means that if you're used to go to bed at 12 and wake up at 7, the day when you go to sleep at 2 AM your body will still think the best time to get up is 7. You've just cut your sleeping time by 2 hours, and you'll feel tired throughout the day.

4. Drink water before you go to sleep - I am not talking about eight glasses. The last thing you need is waking up 2 or 3 times the night to run to the water closet. You need water to hydrate your body before you sleep. While your cells are rebooting and rejuvenating they will have enough energy and fluids to making you feel great in the morning. Trust me, your skin and face will look better in the morning.

There are many more factors to stop being tired. But these 4 things are a great place to start your efforts to never feel tired and have a high level of energy throughout the day.

10 Reasons you are not Rich

10 Reasons You Aren't Rich

By Jeffrey Strain

The reason why you aren't a millionaire (or on your way to becoming one) is really quite simple. You probably assume it's because you aren't earning enough money, but the truth is that for most people, whether or not you become a millionaire has very little to do with the amount of money you make. It's the way that you treat money in your daily life.Here are 10 possible reasons you aren't a millionaire:

1. You Care What Your Neighbors Think: If you're competing against them and their material possessions, you're wasting your hard-earned money on toys to impress them instead of building your wealth.

2. You Aren't Patient: Until the era of credit cards, it was difficult to spend more than you had. That is not the case today. If you have credit card debt because you couldn't wait until you had enough money to purchase something in cash, you are making others wealthy while keeping yourself in debt.

3. You Have Bad Habits: Whether it's smoking, drinking, gambling or some other bad habit, the habit is using up a lot of money that could go toward building wealth. Most people don't realize that the cost of their bad habits extends far beyond the immediate cost. Take smoking, for example: It costs a lot more than the pack of cigarettes purchased. It also negatively affects your wealth in the form of higher insurance rates and decreased value of your home.

4. You Have No Goals: It's difficult to build wealth if you haven't taken the time to know what you want. If you haven't set wealth goals, you aren't likely to attain them. You need to do more than state, "I want to be a millionaire." You need to take the time to set saving and investing goals on a yearly basis and come up with a plan for how to achieve those goals.

5. You Haven't Prepared: Bad things happen to the best of people from time to time, and if you haven't prepared for such a thing to happen to you through insurance, any wealth that you might have built can be gone in an instant.

6. You Try to Make a Quick Buck: For the vast majority of us, wealth doesn't come instantly. You may believe that people winning the lottery are a dime a dozen, but the truth is you're far more likely to get struck by lightning than win the lottery. This desire to get rich quickly likely extends into the way you invest, with similar results.

7. You Rely on Others to Take Care of Your Money: You believe that others have more knowledge about money matters, and you rely exclusively on their judgment when deciding where you should invest your money. Unfortunately, most people want to make money themselves, and this is their primary objective when they tell you how to invest your money. Listen to other people's advice to get new ideas, but in the end you should know enough to make your own investing decisions.

8. You Invest in Things You Don't Understand: Your hear that Bob has made a lot of money doing it, and you want to get in on the gravy train. If Bob really did make money, he did so because he understood how the investment worked. Throwing in your money because someone else has made money without fully understanding how the investment works will keep you from being wealthy.

9. You're Financially Afraid: You are so scared of risk that you keep all your money in a savings account that is actually losing money when inflation is put into the equation, yet you refuse to move it to a place where higher rates of return are possible because you're afraid that you will lose money.

10. You Ignore Your Finances: You take the attitude that if you make enough, the finances will take care of themselves. If you currently have debt, it will somehow resolve itself in the future. Unfortunately, it takes planning to become wealthy. It doesn't magically happen to the vast majority of people.

In reality, it is probably not just one of the above bad habits that has kept you from becoming a millionaire, but a combination of a few of them. Take a hard look at the list, and do some reflecting. If you want to be a millionaire, it's well within your power, but you'll have to face the issues that are currently keeping you from creating that wealth before you will have a chance to call yourself one.

Eat Pray Love Movie Review

Blog: www.lipglossandleopardprint.blogspot.com

I enjoyed the film. It was really good and I will probably go and buy it on DVD! But it wasn't at all as thought provoking or inspiring as the book! It is funny though.. People in the cinema were constantly laughing out loud and it 's definitely one of them feel good films! However, I felt that some of the characters were under developed compared to the book and there were certain things they changed in the film which they should have just kept the way it was in the book. The film also missed out a lot of things from the book that could have made it better to understand for those who didn't read the book first. Also, Some things were notexplained properly! I think by now you can tell that I liked the book better but don't get me wrong I liked the film too.. Just not as much!

P.s. I would like to add, Eat Pray Love is not a book/film for everyone.. If you like stuff from the religion,spirituality and self-development section then you'll love it.. Otherwise I think that you simply won't get it or enjoy it as much!

Thank you so much for your review. I hope everyone goes out there and enjoys the film.

Conquer yourself

Don't leave things to chance or dreams for a better tomorrow. You have right now, this moment to choose to live the life you ever wanted. Don't give me stories or excuses. I am not your mother or your father. You don't own me anything. Get up, stand up straight and say your name with pride. Look yourself in the mirror. Are you proud? Are you bold? Are you fearless? Welcome to your life. It has already begun... and you are running behind. 

- Girlondayloose

This blogsite was created to awaken your true potential and live your greatest dreams. I gave myself permission to live my own life. I hope I inspire you to do the same and live your life abundantly. 
"Woman thou art loosed" Luke 13:12

In this life

Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is 

fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply, 

Love generously, 

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.......

Leave the rest to God.  Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. 

It's about learning to dance in the rain.   

Choose this day to not simply be alive but to LIVE."

Be the light in someone's darkness.