FIND YOUR HAPPY: An Inspirational Guide to Loving Life to Its Fullest (25 page)

Western medicine doesn’t have anything on playtime, so if you are feeling blue just take your mind to a fun place. Start to imagine new possibilities. Play is as much an emotional act as it is physical. It starts in the mind. The more imaginative you can be, the longer playtime can last, and the younger you will feel. I don’t worry about getting older. The majority of my friends will stay 29 for the rest of their lives, scared of the big 30 even though that day has long passed for them, but I graciously accept every new day and every new year. Age is a beautiful thing when you love every second of your life.

The value of play dates back to the first humans ever to walk the earth. Cavemen who were primarily focused on surviving still made time to play, carving little cave people figures, playing games and interacting with their loved ones. Play becomes a useful survival tool; flipping through the National Geographic Channel we can see proof in baby animals learning their way through the world with play. Just look at the polar bear cubs wrestling around with their brothers and sisters. They push forward in life with a necessary dose of play. When I spend time around children, I am gently reminded that life is a big playground for them. Everything from rolling down the car window to walking between the cracks is a giant game. Therefore playtime becomes a basic need, a need that can only be met when we actively pursue it.

Playtime is something we need to think about. As adults we have conditioned ourselves to “schedule” time to play, we make an effort to carve out space in our lives for a vacation down the road, or a for a cushioned retirement package far off into the future. We work hard all week, and play on the weekends for a couple hours. Children don’t schedule time to play, play is their lives. Everything is a giant wonderland waiting to be touched, smelled, and jumped on. So go out and play. Look at everything you do as an opportunity to appreciate its wonder and awe.

Adding more play into your life is as simple as looking at your current home environment. How can you make your home a fun home? Perhaps you need a refresher paint job or to add games into your environment. I am a big game person. I get very excited to play games so I have games sitting out.
The
Big
Book
of
Questions
is fun. When guests come over I plop open a page and ask funny questions, like, “Would you rather live on a tropical island or in the mountains?” Things like this get conversations going and involve the imagination. Enjoy making moments more fun by adding daily doses of play.

See the Light Side of Everything

There have been countless reports of people having near death experiences, and as they almost die they see “the light.” Then they are jolted back to reality, wake up from their near death episode and the number one take away from that almost dead experience is not, “Holy crap I almost died.” It’s, “OMG, I need to lighten up and not take life so seriously. I better start living.”

We don’t all get second chances, but we can switch our path starting right now. If you feel unhappy, you have the power to choose happiness with your actions. It starts with your perception and how you treat the world. The way we see the world is a reflection of how we see ourselves. Remembering to treat ourselves kindly and laugh often is one way to appreciate life. In order to love our lives to the fullest, we can start by lightening up. When we learn to not take life so seriously, this is when we can truly be free.

I’ve been exercising this lately and I have seen a transformation in my world. New opportunities have come to me that otherwise wouldn’t have because of my outlook on life. When I choose happy, kind, and loving thoughts, more happy, kind, and loving people and opportunities can come to me.

This can help in relationships, too. I remember a conversation I had with my ex—boyfriend. As I watched him get angry, I started to smile, and he quickly attacked, “Oh you think this is funny. This isn’t funny to me.” I laughed and said, “Well, yes, in the grand scheme of things, in the big picture this is funny. We are arguing about something so small when people are dying, and other people have disease and are suffering and losing family members. We have each other, we have our health, and we have the ability to laugh and smile, and I want to do it more. We have the ability to choose whether or not to argue, and I don’t want to.” At first he was shocked but then he started to laugh, too, and immediately we hugged and the argument was extinguished. “You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to” is a great quote from an anonymous writer.

Where are you grasping in your life? Are there any areas that you are taking too seriously, such as your job, your family, or yourself? Look at that and see how you can release resentment and control over the seriousness. On our mission to finding happy, we can let go of seriousness and let life flow more. Think about children and their outlook on the world. How often do you see a child super serious? They only learn to be poker faced through us inspiring adults. So let’s learn a thing or two from the mini mes running around and adapt a happy-tude rather than an attitude.

Here are some simple ways to lighten up and let life flow:

1. Add more play to your life.

2. Play more games.

3. Look at the situation that is bothering you from a new perspective.

4. Laugh more.

5. Go outside and enjoy nature.

6. Turn your head up to the sun and let the light fall on to your face (this gives people an instant mental makeover).

7. Call a family member and tell them how you feel.

8. Pet a furry friend (refrain from wild furry friends unless you are comfortable with unpredictability).

9. Update your magic list.

10. Check off a magic list item.

Take things in stride and lighten up a little. After working through this guidebook we have released excuses, busted through fears and stepped into our happy self. Happy is always near and it’s waiting for us to play with it.

In
a
Nutshell:

1. Trust your mini you because it will always guide you to happiness.

2. You can always reinvent yourself.

3. For a happy life, look at life as a giant recess.

4. Natural is beautiful.

5. The secret weapon for enjoying every moment of life is laughter and play.

6. Happy is always near and it’s waiting for us to play with it.

7. When you embrace the
Play
with
the
World
life, scheduling a vacation and planning things to look forward to are no longer necessary because your life is one big vacation.

Additional Resources:

Audio Meditation:
Find
Your
Happy:
Motivational
Mantras,
Track 14, “Lighten Up” (available on iTunes,
amazon.com
, and
playwiththeworld.com
shop).

Chapte
r
EIGHTEEN

Pla
y
wit
h
th
e
World

“What
lies
behind
us
and
what
lies
before
us
are
tiny
matters
compared
to
what
lies
within
us.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

We Are the Captains of Our Own
Ships. Navigate Fiercely.

“A
SHIP is supposed to carry you somewhere. If the FellowSHIP, FriendSHIP, OR RelationSHIP is not taking you to HIGHER LEVELS, then abandon that SHIP.” This is an anonymous quote that many seminars and companies use for motivation. The notion expressed in this quote is one of the most basic principles of living a fulfilled life. Ask yourself how and where in life you are you growing as a person? Confidently go in that direction. If there are places you feel stuck, trapped or as if you are on a sinking ship it is time to release this and go on your merry way. We cannot be all that we are supposed to be when we have an anchor pulling us down.

The same way a ship is a reflection of our friendships it is also a mirror to our lives, and you, my dear friend, are the captain of your own ship. You now know that happiness is a choice and you can navigate to it any time you feel astray. Choosing loving thoughts and kind notions will always bring you back to happiness. You are accountable for your life and everything in your life is your creation. The people you meet, the places you go and the opportunities that come to you are in your life because of allow them or resist them. In the same way a ship calculates its position by the North Star at sea, you can navigate to your perfect life.

Life Is Your Creation

Navigate confidently in the direction you want to go and recognize that life is whatever you want to create. Pull out your giant crayons and paint and throw color, adventure and new opportunities onto that canvas. You create whatever you want. Believing and understanding this gives weight to the fact that if there is something in your life that you do not want, it is there with your permission. Everything in our lives is our creation, we have allowed this thing that we do not want to be in our reality because of our resistance to it.

Take, for example, a person who wants to lose weight. They are doing everything they can, including exercising and eating well. The weight can never come off if they think about what they don’t want every time they don’t exercise for their desired set time or stray from the diet, or resist what they see in the mirror. Always turn your thoughts to love, happiness and kindness for a fulfilling life. Once our friend releases the negative outlook about the weight, the weight WILL fall off. Create what you want. Pull out your magic list and tackle that bad boy because the reality is life is short and incredibly hard if we are doing, being, or experiencing anything we don’t like. In any situation you always have three choices, to resist it (which causes more anxiety, stress, and frustration), accept it (which brings peace, love, and harmony), or move away from it. You choose, but don’t continue to complain, moan, and gripe about anything that is no longer serving you, remove it completely. In doing this, you will open yourself up to new possibilities. New experiences can come to you and your creation is manifested. Remember to let it happen on its own time. Keep working towards your dream. Do not let go of your vision. Keep creating and sharing your dream. It will come true.

Relax, Release, and Surrender

When you feel yourself getting upset, whether things are not working the way you want them to, people are not acting the way you want or giving you what you need, or your dream is not coming true fast enough, the first thing to do is stop and relax. Literally chill yourself out by taking a few breaths. Breathe in light, breathe “garbage, negative thoughts, fears bad stuff,” out. Breathe in light, breathe out. Do this mantra and repeat this a few times until you feel better. Then release this energy. Let go of expectations, outcomes, and worry. Just let go and surrender to the experience. Surrender to the outcome that is your current reality. Let it go without worrying about the outcome. Whatever is will be, whatever it is. It is what it is. Surrendering to the current reality is a gentle reminder to yourself that everything is in its right order.

Me-Mandatories

We have done a lot of work. This guide has helped you clear out a lot of space so you can create the life you really want, love and cherish. It is important to continue to practice. I found one of the best ways to do this is by creating a Me-Mandatory list. This is basically your must haves for living each day true to yourself. You know what makes you feel good, what makes your spirit sing, and your body-rocking glow, so put these things into a list and hold them close to you. I type mine on the notes of my phone and pull it up for a refreshing reminder. This list is kind of like New Year’s resolutions only rather than resolving to follow them, you abide by them. Why set such stringent rules for yourself? It’s because you will feel, look and be better. This list is not a strict list; it is an inspirational list for your true self to have a guidance system. Let’s create a list.

Awesome
Opportunity:

1. Ask yourself when you feel best in your life, what are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you?

2. Ask yourself what you value most in life. (See Chapter 7 for guidance.)

3. Create a list around this attribute.

For example, my list goes something like this:

1. I move my body and sweat once a day for at least 40 minutes.

2. I balance myself with a daily practice of yoga and meditation.

3. I spend time in nature every day for at least ten minutes.

4. I write and/or read every day.

5. I only eat foods and drink beverages that support my higher well being and allow me to stay connected to my source.

6. I appreciate the moment and live in the present.

7. I dream big, and then dream even bigger.

8. I am fully available and present to my life. I love every moment to its fullest.

9. The world is my office and I play with it daily.

10. My mission: I share my experiences and message with the masses and inspire people to make the most out of their lives.

I call this mandatory-me list the, “Super Me Mantras.” Making a Super Me Mantra list will help you feel more connected to your life and true self. I stray from mine from time to time, and that is okay. I recognize that no one is perfect and it is not about perfection. It is about doing the best that you can at any given moment. When you get off track, rather than beating yourself up mentally, tell yourself it’s okay. Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can, then focus on the good things you did do. Falling off or getting off track, does not mean it is over. It takes time to master the Mandatory-Me list, but when you live it, you are more free and fulfilled.