People are getting sick because of stress. Hence, you and I need to have a lifestyle that is free from unnecessary stress. While there are necessary stresses that we need to face and manage, there are a lot of unnecessary stresses that we need to get rid of.
Here are three big ideas on how to get rid of those unnecessary stresses: (1) Simplify your joy; (2) Share your stock; and (3) Stop stuffing. (We will focus on the first one today and the other two in the coming Sundays.)
You have to simplify your happiness. My book Living Large in the Little Things talks about appreciating the magnificence in the mundane, the sweet joy in the seemingly small things. It furthers the call to appreciate the gift of the ordinary. If you are going to review the events in your life, it’s like 99% are small things, are ordinary things, are little things. And if you want to be happy, you need to simplify your joy and appreciate the goodness, the beauty, the treasure in the tiny things of life.
Be happy when you wake up. Be happy when you eat your breakfast. Be happy when you have snacks, drink water, walk to the ground, run outside. Embrace the sunlight. Experience nature. Have that joy. Simplify your joy.
As you are able to do this, you will be happier in life. You don’t have to spend tons of money just to be happy. You don’t have to wait to become a millionaire to be happy. You don’t have to wait for that coveted vacation in Coron or Boracay. You don’t have to wait for that big dream you have been aiming for. Yes, be happy when you will reach those points. But be warned that if you allow achievements to define your happiness, it will be very difficult for you to be happy.
Yes, dream big dreams. Aspire for greater things in life, but be happy today as you go along.
So simplify your joy. Be happy in the large things but also be happy in the small things.
When you do, you will have less stress. You don’t have to worry about a lot of things to be happy. You are happy just because you are happy. You made the decision to be happy, to be joyful. And even in the midst of struggle, you can still be happy like a peaceful warrior because joy is something that is within you and it is something that you experience even in the small and simple things. Including struggle. Because you know that struggle will serve you to reach your dream, your goal, your aspiration to serve others, yourself, your loved ones, your customers, your clients, your employers, your employees, the people around.
Find the joy in the small things. When you simplify your joy, you will live a happy and stress-free life. Go, live a vibrant life!
To add to this, you also need to ‘share your stock’ and ‘stop stuffing.’ We will talk about these two ideas in the coming Sundays. Today, be joyful. Live!
(Chris Dao-anis, CPA, ACG, ALB is a trainer and speaker on communication and personal leadership. His latest book ‘Living Large in the Little Things’ is available at Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City. For talks and trainings, email him at chrisdaoanis@gmail.com or visit his website www.chrispoweracademy.com. Watch his daily videos: #ConfidenceCode on www.fb.com/chrisdaoaniswriter and his weekly video: #MindShift on www.youtube.com/chrisdaoanis. Get a free PDF report titled ‘7 Money Manners’ on www.chrispoweracademy.com/7free.)
