Introduction
Life is beautiful!
Have you ever sat for a moment in a quiet place to think about the life you are living? It is a very vital experience that will help you maintain a connection with your inner self. Some people are alive today, they breathe, walk and connect with others but that’s just about as far as they can go, they do not seek or enjoy true connection which is a connection with themselves. When I say life is beautiful, I meant life is so much fun when you are attuned to yourself.
This book is the most comprehensive material you will read about how to indeed live life to the full while having fun. Have ideas that will help you value every minute you spend being alive. Having fun is a way to relax and maintain excitement in life. It doesn’t take much from you to take time off and have fun when we get to the end of this book; you will realize that your determination to have fun and live a great life will be of immense value to you.
From discussions on friendship, happiness, kicking out depression, etc. I have left nothing out in ensuring that you have everything you need to bring your dreams about a fantastic life to fruition. Don’t have to worry about getting the results you seek, if you follow through with all that is mentioned in this book, you will have positive results. With this said, I must implore you to be proactive with all that you read in this book; do not understand and forget, ensure that you are doing what needs to be done at all times.
Do not wait till you are overwhelmed with challenges or stress before you take action towards enjoying life. We are about to embark on a jolly ride together, and I hope that at the when we are done, you will be intentional about enjoying life. I believe we have had enough of initial talks, it is time to begin the process earnestly, and we will kick-start the process with one of the most important concepts/emotion everyone should imbibe. Can you guess what it is? Find out when you flip through to the first chapter.
Chapter One
What does happiness mean to you?
The world has its concept and definition of happiness; it is often tied to the amount or value of material things a person has. So here we are in this world not knowing precisely what will happen tomorrow yet trapped in an unending circle of lust for success and wealth because we believe that the wealthier a person, the happier that person should be. I can try to help you see the true nature of happiness as opposed to the fictitious concept sold to people every day, so what does happiness mean to you?
I have been at certain levels of success in my life, and I can boldly say that the acquisition of material things does not guarantee happiness! Yes, you may have the cars, houses, the most beautiful jewellery and still feel a broad sense of unhappiness from within. This is because the original idea behind happiness isn’t tied to what a person has or does not have. Happiness means freedom; it is the feeling of being at peace with oneself knowing that with or without certain material things, life is still full of joy. Happiness is waking up with expectations and optimism that every desire will be accomplished even if it takes donkey years.
I want you to think about happiness like that child who sits by the Christmas tree waiting for Santa Clause, now this child doesn’t know what Santa Clause will bring nor is he/she aware of the process it takes to sort wishes but the child knows that Santa will come through. Some point in life, we have to be like children; we must look within for happiness and not seek it in the things we possess. Have you ever wondered about death? With all the material possessions you think makes you happy, death can come at any time, and it will all be over.
So as we continue on this journey, I want you to reflect on your life now and realize that you can become a pleased person when the meaning of happiness changes for you. If you lost all you had today will you still be satisfied? Will you be at your best form and emotion? This is a starting point for the book because happiness is such as an important concept. We cannot talk about other things without dealing with the issue of happiness. You must be at a happy state for you to fully harness the potentials of the other steps I will share with you. Simply put; happiness is the foundation on which a successful life is built on.
It is imperative that you make a secure connection with your inner self and trust the fact that you can be at peace with all you have and you can be. Wake up every morning with joy; you may want to ask; what if there is no reason to be happy? Well, I think the fact that you are alive is enough reason to be satisfied. When you learn how to be confident with or without the things that you possess you can then say that you have achieved true happiness. So again I ask what does happiness mean to you? You can search for pleasure in all around you; it’s in the smile of your child, it’s in the sunny weather that heralds a happy day, happiness is seeing the world around you in peace.
If people who are wealthy and still unhappy understand the fact that happiness does not consist in what they have but in who they are, they will be better people who are fulfilled in every way. I can only help you find the reason to live happily and I know I just gave you one reason; you should live to be genuinely happy! A happy soul will be merry and full of dreams that can become possibilities. There was a tie in my life when I felt so far away from who I was, I had all the exhibits of success, but I couldn’t make that connection to my inner self. This set me on course to discover what it was that would make happy. My discoveries from the information you have received in this chapter.
A sincere appreciation for life and love for oneself is key to developing happiness every day. You must be intentional about being happy and do not allow anyone to come between you and your joy. If you can get this aspect right, every other thing will fall into place. The next chapter considers the role of acknowledgment and how you can use positive words to make life better for you and others. Remember that only a happy person gets to acknowledge others and just a happy person can see the best in others. Are you ready to discover the role of acknowledgment? Flip over to the next chapter now!
Chapter Two
The role of acknowledgment; showing admiration to everyone
One bizarre concept about life that can add a lot of colour and sparkle to the way you interact with others is acknowledgement. I will show you how important it is for you to take advantage of this real concept and build better relationships with others. We cannot talk about how to live the best life without referring to the people around us for no man is an Island. You shouldn't be isolated from the rest of the world. Thus, you must become a master in knowing how to interact with others.
To acknowledge means to affirm, declare or confess but beyond the definition, I want us to narrow our focus down to the idea of positive and negative acknowledgement or admiration of others. Now more than ever, most people find it difficult to give a positive response, they would instead say something negative than look out for the positive attributes in a person. If you are going to enjoy an outstanding life filled with brilliant memories, then you will need to surround yourself with positivity and extend such positive vibes to others.
Subconsciously we feel if someone doesn’t give us compliments or admire us when we feel like we are deserving of it, then we aren’t supposed to extend the courtesy to someone else. So the trend continues; one person doesn’t acknowledge the other, and the other person says something contrary to another person, and it gets worse. If you always acknowledge others using negative terms and hurtful words, I urge you to reprogram your thinking. Finding faults in others only reflects your insecurities and we are going to put a stop to that. Take a minute to admire someone, say something beautiful to them and make them feel special; it might be their shirt, their work or even the way they style their hair, no matter how little it may seem. There is no harm in giving a positive acknowledgment.
It will be easier for you when you become deliberate about giving real admiration. People will want to be around you; they will always want to be at their best when they are in your company because you make them feel good. More importantly, when you consistently give positive reviews and admiration, it will have a significant effect