Choosing Happiness, part 4

I have just finished reading Stephanie Dowrick's Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials, and I shall continue my humble project to blog about some of my learning points from the book.

This is a joy-inducing book to read, and I am grateful that I have found the time needed to read it from cover to cover. After reading the book, I have a better idea how happiness can indeed be a choice.

What does it take to be happy then?

The author, Stephanie Dowrick, gave a list of suggestions that can help make happiness easily available to anyone. I will attempt to list some of her suggestions that I have found worthwhile to share:

- Think well of ourselves. Give ourselves plenty of reasons to do so. When we let ourself down, learn something, make the change that's needed - and move on.

- Pay attention to what's uplifting - and be uplifted!

- Think and speak positively about ourselves and others.

- Choose work that supports one's integrity.

- Give time and attention to our close relationships.

- Be the friend we would most like to have.

- Practise kindness. Live kindly.

- On a daily basis, relish the wonders of nature.

Spread the happiness spirit. If you have anything you have found useful to make you experience happiness, share with us through your comments. Or, you could pick the book, read and learn.

And after reading this book, I could better realised what had made my dear friend, XS, experience joy from within such that she sang one of the most lovely and joyful tunes when she drove me about Sydney in her car. With this post, I pray for happiness to be with her each and every moment.

Best wishes XS. I thank you for being the friend who pointed out to me that happiness can be a choice.

***
Entries in the series:


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Choosing Happiness, part 3

This post is part of a humble project that I had started a while ago. In appreciation to my friend, XS, who have introduced me to the concept that happiness is a choice, this series of posts is specially dedicated to her. May happiness and joy be with her.

I have been focused on reading Stephanie Dowrick's Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials such that I have managed to read about 90% of the book by the time that this post was written.

There is a chapter entitled Build Self-Respect, and I would like to share this section titled Turn a Difficult Situation Around. The author suggests that self-respect is gained when a person turns a difficult situation around.

I have found some of the questions that the author has suggested that we ask ourselves when we are in a difficult situation to be useful. Here's to share:

- What can I learn from this situation?
- What past experiences can I draw on?
- What values and qualities do I need to help me?
- How am I going to put those qualities into practice?
- What question am I not asking?
- What issue am I not seeing?

And if you have found some of these questions to be useful, do pick up this book and have a good read. I think it is better to read the various strategies in their proper context.

***
Entries in the series:


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Choosing Happiness, part 2

This post is a part of a humble blogging project that I have started off recently to pen down some of my learning points and reflections from reading Stephanie Dowrick's Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials. As mentioned, this series of post shall be dedicated to one of my friends, XS, to honour her for being the first to introduce to me the concept of choosing happiness.

Yesterday evening, I spent about an hour reading the book at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. I decided to find a spot away from the crowd to read the book. At the same time, the spot that I had chosen was close enough to the speakers from a nearby stage such that I could hear beautiful live music performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra while I read the book. My favourite piece of music that was performed was Mendelssohn's The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave).

I realised it was nurturing to be kind to myself and to treat myself to fresh air from Nature. Somehow, the act of taking care of myself by going for an activity that would recharge me seems to coincide well with the topics that I was reading today: self-love, and soothing oneself.

Here are two strategies that I have found very useful from what I have read from the book thus far:
1) The strategy of emphasising and thinking of what had went well, what we appreciate and enjoy.

2) The strategy of telling ourselves "I can deal with this" when we recognise symptoms of panic, anxiety or fear in our body. I figured that this strategy can help us to shift the focus of the mind to something more positive, and hopefully we can look at the issue at hand more effectively.

So far, I have enjoyed reading the book. I am delighted to realise how enjoyable it can be to read a book out in the Nature. I've got to listen to the lovely sounds of Nature, breathe in fresher air and feed my mind with insights.

***
Entries in the series:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Choosing Happiness, part 1

I have just embarked on reading a new book titled Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials by Stephanie Dowrick. While writing this post, I have found out Stephanie Dowrick is the author of a number of life-changing best-selling books, and she has lived in Sydney since 1983 and is the mother of two children.

I wonder if it is by good grace and fate that I ended up choosing this book to read in the month of September 2009? To read a book on the subject of choosing happiness, by an author based in Sydney?

It is now spring in Sydney. It has been close to a year after my last trip to Australia. About a year ago, in Sydney, one of my friends, XS, shared with me a powerful insight that happiness is often a choice. That insight helped me be more mindful in my everyday choices and has helped me find the strength to face challenging situations with greater ease than I had in the distant past.

I am still practising how to choose happiness mindfully in my everyday life. Earlier this evening, I decided that I shall make an attempt to have a humble blogging project to blog about some of my reflections and learning points that I have had while reading Stephanie Dowrick's Choosing Happiness. To honour my friend who was the first to share this powerful insight with me a year ago, I shall dedicate this blogging project and all the related posts to dear XS. May she be blessed with joy and happiness every moment.

***
Entry No. 1:

For the past few days, I managed to read up to page 50 of the book. One strategy that I find helpful from what I have read so far from the book is that when faced with challenges, it can help by paying attention to the strengths needed for the situation. Stephanie Dowrick suggests that we could ask the question, "What does this situation need?".

Reflecting upon some of the past challenges that I had faced recently, I realised that when I had asked similar  questions, I was more able to face the challenges squarely and positively than to be paralysed by the challenges. I shall practise this strategy for now as I am facing the inner challenges preparing myself mentally and psychologically for the upcoming music performance exams.

I find it a useful move for the book to start its first chapter with the topic: Trust who you are. I suppose this reminds us that happiness starts from within ourselves, and the first place to start is with understanding ourselves.

So far, I think Stephanie Dowrick's writing is fairly accessible. I look forward to reading the rest of the book.

***
Other entries:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4