Intention, Attention & No Tension

Let’s look at these 3 keys to happiness one at a time.

Intention means that you are clear on what you are trying to achieve.  It means that you have a purpose, an aim.  When it comes to happiness, it means that you intend to be happy.  It’s your goal.  And when you are clear about your goal, then you bring awareness to your mind that allows it to start helping you achieve that.  You must be specific though.  If your goal is to be “happy when…”, you already know that isn’t going to work.  And if you goal is to be happy when you get more of X, you know that isn’t going to work either.  The myth of more or the myth of “I’ll be happy When” can’t be a part of your happiness goal.  You need to have a goal about being happy for no reason at all -just because you are.  Have the intention every day to be happy for no reason.

Attention means that we are focusing on the things that expand us and make us feel happy rather than focusing on the things that make us feel contracted.  As I write this, my whole body is covered in a large, red, hot rash.  It’s apparently an allergic reaction to an antibiotic I was given after surgery.  It looks and feels miserable!  So, I can choose to sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself, starring at my badly swollen and red legs or I can choose to put my attention somewhere else.  What’s a better place to put it then writing stuff about happiness?  It keeps my mind off my body’s nasty reminder how much I hate medications and on something more fun, more productive and that fills me with a sense of expansion.  Find the things in your day that expand you and focus on those!

No Tension means that you let go of everything else.  You let go of other people’s problems and other people’s stuff.  You let go of past mistakes and regrets.  You relax and take a deep breath as often as you need to so that you feel no tension.  It means that you are easy on yourself.  I could have gotten up this morning and told myself that I just have a rash and to hit the hills for my morning walk even though I knew it would make the rash worse being in the hot sun.  Instead, what I did was be nice to myself.  I didn’t go out.  I put on a nice soft cotton dress and decided to catch up on some work.  I wasn’t going to gain 100 pounds today and I wasn’t going to lose my fitness level by taking just one more day off.  What I really need is for my body to heal and I know that once the swelling an redness subside, I will be back on the trails enjoying my morning exercise.  And in the meantime, I’m not going to verbally chastise myself inside my head for not being more dedicated to my fitness.  It also means that you trust in Universal Support.  My sister wrote me an email this morning saying that her company has laid her off.  It sucks big time but I trust there is a reason for why this is happening (one of them might be because she was miserable at that job).  I trust that the Universe has something in store for her that is much better than where she is today.  I know that she believes that too.  Practice feeling no tension this week.

To your improving happiness,

Lindley