Make Your Own Happiness

It took me way to long to realize that happiness is not something that happens to you but something you create. For years I remember thinking, "I'll be happy when...." Through my yoga I learned waiting to be happy was a sure fire way to never obtain it. The other way to jeopardize your happiness is to constantly look at other people and ask why you aren't that happy. Seeing life and others that way prevents you from looking at your life and realizing that it is pretty awesome.

Learning to be happy stems from being around your parents and their ability to take pleasure in the simple things. I will say my mom is one of the happiest and most "sunny side" people I know so I am not sure how it escaped me for so long. No different that in my post about Karma, we need to model for our children that we should always have goals or desires but that if they don't come through they don't limit or prevent us from achieving happiness. We practice the yogic concept of non-attachment. Set the goal. Achieve or don't achieve. Accept it. Start again.

Lessons for My Daughter

This week is all about the lessons I want to teach my daughter. Feel free to email me the lessons you want to teach your children.

 

Lesson #1: Kindness matters

 

I came to really understand yoga and all its beautiful components when I was 27. The idea of karma truly changed the way I live. Similar to the Golden Rule, karma encourages us to treat others with compassion because then we have a better chance of seeing that same compassion return to us over time. Unfortunately, most people look at Karma on the flip side. If you type in karma quotes in pinterest, this is a small sampling of what you will find:

 



And those are the ones that don't use profanity; but how about those graphic details? I use to work as a behavioral specialist for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One of the core concepts was to demonstrate and discuss what you want to see from your clients. Same thing goes for your children. Rather than telling them that if someone does wrong by them, it will eventually come back to that other individual, teach your children that by doing something kind, they will receive kindness back. What we teach out children should always be focused on the actions they can take, rather than on what others are doing. It helps them visualize and follow through with the kinder action. Here are a few positive representations of Karma:

 

For more pinterest offerings on Karma... check out my board:

 

http://www.pinterest.com/grayhoundgal/karma/