Instead of Capturing the moment, just live in THIS moment

Lately, this has been my current thought.... instead of capturing the moment, live in THIS moment.  I'm hoping I'll be doing more of this in 2018. I'm sure if my husband is reading this, he'll hold me accountable - he's good like that.

Do we remember when our kids took their first step? Maybe not, but that video we took, did. And aren't we glad we took that video anyway? - to share with our friends and family, and maybe to show our kids when they're older, and probably because in that moment, we didn't consciously think to ourselves, I want to live this moment.  Do you remember the feelings that went with that moment in the video or photo?  Maybe. Maybe not.

With smart phones these days (I currently have 8624 photos an 1452 videos on my iPhone! yes totally guilty of capturing a LOT of moments!!), it's impossible not to try and capture every moment - I mean, that's the base selling point of any camera device, right? But what about living the moment or this one right now? What feelings are coming up for your right now?  Photos don't capture feelings, they capture a memory and the feelings come from that memory.

Wanna know something else?  Memories apparently change!  I have been reading a book "the subtle art of not giving a f*#$" by Mark Manson, and the chapter I've just been reading tells me that our memory changes all the time - what?!  So, what we remembered in that moment, we remember it differently later on, and we'll remember it differently again later on - kinda like Chinese wispers.... Intersting, huh? 

Sure we enjoy watching videos of our kids and capturing images of them in that moment when they were being cute, funny, or just rascals, but I think it's also important to be mindful in choosing those moments and to just watch them and really FEEL the experience in that moment and if you want to remember it (for the days you know you'll get old and get dementia and perhaps the times we want to remember that our kids can be cute and adorable), write it down in a journal, so you can actually remember the memory and feelings of that moment.

Now I'm not saying don't capture any moments, because one of the things I loved most (in that moment) was looking through photo albums of my grandmother when she was younger (She's 90 now) but I didn't realise how much travel she had done previously and was so grateful for learning more about her life.

But when was the last time you went through and looked at every one of those 8000+ photos? Are you living in this moment, right now?

Being Content With What You Have

My husband was telling me a story this morning which was the inspiration for this post!

There is nothing wrong in focusing on the things you want in life. A new job, a new house, a boyfriend/girlfriend/life partner perhaps. But sometimes when we focus so much on wanting and getting those things it can have the opposite effect of attracting those things when they turn into a 'lack' mentality - when your attention somehow goes from wanting to 'attract' a new partner into you life into 'not having' a life partner.

Before I met my husband and wanting to meet a decent man in my life, I met guys who didn't treat or respect me for who I was, I ended up with a long list of "don't wants". What do you think ended up happening? I kept attracting all the things I didn't want! So I decided I would focus on what I wanted and made a list of the things I did want in a life partner. One day I was eventually convinced to go speed dating with a friend. Still didn't attract what I wanted...

So I decided I was over men. I had put out to the universe what I wanted but I was no longer going to go looking to 'find the One' and I went back to the life I knew, Being contented with what I already had. My friends, my family and my career and I was much happier!

Then not long after, my husband came along! He wasn't what I imagined but he ticked every box (except for blue eyes and blonde hair 😉) so I knew I got what I asked for and I never knew I could love someone so much - until my baby came along. Now I've realised how much my Love can be expanded!!

I believe that we can put out to the universe what we want. But, go back to being happy with what we already have and appreciate those things - loving life and living in the moment. Sooner or later, what you want will come along :) And guess what? You are actually THAT much Happier! 

It's just Lao Tzu says "The Whole World Belongs To You"

Happy Dayz! 😊

What are you Passionate about?

Have you ever found that when you're TRUELY PASSIONATE about something (or someone?) you're also HAPPY? 

Some people look for 'purpose' in their lives. What's my purpose in life? You might ask yourself. If you're not really sure yet, start with listing all the things you're passionate about, like really passionate about. What makes you smile? What makes you happy? Giving or contributing gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling which can lead to more happiness. What are you grateful for?

I'm currently passionate about being a parent and about my baby, so naturally I live, love and breathe everything "baby/parenting" - at the moment ;) 

Another one of my passions is Being Happy and this Happiness blog. Although my contribution to my blog writing has gone from weekly to monthly(!!) since I had my beautiful baby, I'm still passionate about it - and it makes me Happy knowing that I may be contributing to someone else's life by reminding them about focusing on the things hat make them Happy. I'm also continuously topping up my happiness inspiration since  I am passionate about inspiring others to Be Happy, Happier, Happy Always!

Here is something I found in an email that I thought I would share "31 days to Waking Up Happy for Life": 

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Wake-Up-Happy-Happiness-Research

I do contribute pretty much daily to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/happybeingfelicia

So I suggest you like it :) for regular inspiration!

Happy Dayz.... :)

Your Happiness Requires No Excuses

If you don't already know this, I'm going to let you in on a little secret....Happiness is a CHOICE!

Yesterday, I went to mums n bubs yoga at Dharma Shala. It was amazing. Not only did my baby sleep through most of the class an hour and the class is only and hour 15mins!), which allowed me to have focus, intention and space for myself, I had the whole class just to myself! 

Towards the end of the class, the yoga teacher read a paragraph from a book called, Buddhism for Mothers (I'm so going to read this!!). It totally spoke to me - show compassion towards self so that you can show compassion back into the world 

I know, that when I'm my Best Self, I'm a

better person for everyone else. How about You? Is this true for you too? For the past three months I've been giving myself excuses not to continue with my regular meditation or yoga practice. These excuses didn't exactly lead me be my Ultimate HAPPY self (though the house looks much tidier!). I re-realised something. If it's important enough to me, I was going to make it work, somehow, no matter what. And so after that yoga session I finally saw that I have plenty of opportunities to meditate or do a 30min yoga-at-home session (now that my baby is 'growing up' and doing decent length day naps!). No more excuses. 

What excuses are you giving yourself not to be TRUELY Happy? What's stopping you from doing the things that make you happy? Perhaps you're not making your Happiness as important to you as you thought?

When There's A Will, There's  a Way!

How surreal that when we TRUELY desire answers, the Universe will provide it for you. You just need to ask :)

Accepting Who YOU Truly Are

I have often found it to be true my True Happiness comes from and is a reflection of my Inner Happiness. 

When we try to look outside ourselves for Happiness, have you ever found it to be short-lived? Perhaps it's a material thing, like a shiny new object, a something-or-other, retail therapy sound familiar? How about 'When I find the perfect life partner, then I'll be happy?' 

What you might find, is the moment you do a little self-work on yourself, your confidence increases, your well-being and generally just expressing some self-love will instantly attract more of that. You are telling the universe, I'm HAPPY! And the universe will provide more happiness no matter what form it comes in :)

Are you TRUELY accepting who you really are? 

What's your Life's Mission?

As a fan of Oprah, I began to see and hear the words of Maya Angelou. A true legend of her own, I found her words very wise and inspiring!

Here is one of my favourite quotes. Are you a person who lives to just survive? Or do you thrive in what you do, see, learn and live your life? What do you think would make you happier?

Why not THRIVE in your life? After all, you are your own unique Being! So nothing should be stopping you from living the life you so desire...

When you thrive, you probably do so with passion - what are you passionate about in your life? Do you find wherever you show passion, you're probably your most happiest too? And life couldn't be better with being compassionate - I feel it is what makes us human, what makes us relate and understand to each other even more. 

Every now and again I like to reflect on my life, sometimes I may reassess and let go of what's not working for me (you'll know what that is for you - just ask how happy are you?!). It's good then to fill that void of what you've let go of that's not working for you with something you want to make happen, or what you would prefer to have your life look like. 

Try It! Let me know if you just became happier :) Like a little weight lifted off your shoulders the moment you bring your unconsciousness into your conscious mind, your reality. 

Happy Dayz!

Just Let Go - peeling off another layer

In one's life, just as we think we had it sorted, we discover there's another 'layer on the onion' that we need to peel off which allows us to relearn a lesson we once learnt. 

Have you ever found that to be true for any part of your life?

I feel like I'm constantly learning to 'let go' or perhaps it's just a gentle reminder that life is much better once I let go of whatever might be holding me back so that I can be happy again - or just happier!

My baby 9 weeks old (yep 4weeks since my last post) and I know I haven't kept up with my blogging! I have had every intention to continue to write weekly and when I haven't since I had my son, I was getting a little stressed out, like I was letting someone (myself?) down, putting extra pressure on myself and then feeling overwhelmed! Just imagine how happy I was feeling while I was going through the motions of these thoughts. Not very.

After talking to a friend, she made me realise I was being too hard in myself - taking care of a newborn AND learning a new skill/job being a parent is more than a full-time job, it's a 24/7 thing! Couldn't I be kinder to myself, show me a little more

Self-Love?

I just had to LET GO of all the ideas of what I thought life would be like once I had a baby, let go of what I thought I might be able to do/achieve in one day! Once that happened, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders! What a relief, hello HAPPINESS! 

How about you? What can you let go of in your life? What thoughts can you let go of? Not sure? Perhaps think of something that has been really bothering you. Then ask yourself, does it matter? Or how much does it matter? Next, give yourself permission to choose to LET GO - or you can choose to still hold on to the baggage! If you choose to hold on to any baggage and thoughts that come with, just check in to see what it's doing to your Heath, your Relationship with others - is that how you want to live? A life full of grudges and downhill spiral of thoughts? Are you FEELING ALIVE or sad/angry/upset/disappointed?

JUST LET GO! And a new layer of HAPPINESS begins!

Making Room for Your Present & Future

Five weeks ago, I became a mother of a beautiful baby boy! This little human being - this amazing creation - has taught me so much about this quote I found.

Before my son, I had set up some daily rituals that would set me up for my day when I awoke - meditation for my mind, a cup of lemon juice + warm water to alkalise my body and I would write in my gratitude journal for my soul. When he came imto our lives, my once morning 'healthy habits' were thrown out the window! :) As a new mum to a newborn baby, your body goes into a bit of a shock - having to wake up several times a night to feed this precious being and becoming so sleep deprived that you never know what day it is! Particularly in the early weeks...they say your life will never be the same - and that advice is not wrong! ;)

At first, I certainly wasn't used to it all and I was craving for (besides sleep!) some meditation time or to have my warm lemon water first in the morning. I was basically trying to hang on to what I know, rather than discover what could be and embrace what is.

I soon had one of those lightbulb moments! My new son was dependant on me and all he wanted was LOVE! I am his life force (for the moment!) for food, care and cuddles. All I needed to concentrate on was to feed, change nappies and most importantly BOND with my baby - learning to be a mother! It sounds so obvious and simple, but when you're used to being independent and doing everything and achieving everything yourself, it takes a little time to adjust and acknowledge that life had to change - my UNCONSCIOUSNESS had to get it. I had to become more present, more conscious of what new things were happening for me. I've now got a greater awareness of his presence and love every moment even more :)

Ever happened to you? Don't you just love it when things just "click"! You know, when you have that lightbulb moment or Ah-Ha moment?

Once you get that you need to sometimes LET GO of your past or just letting go of what you've always known (ie, re-reading the last chapter/s of your life), you can go on to living the next chapter, full of discovery and adventure! EMBRACE the new chapters ahead and continue living presently - it may be scary but usually exciting as well! :)

The Gift of Sleep and Rest

How this is so true at times! Do you agree?

I had one of these days yesterday - I didn't have the best sleep the night before and I can honestly tell you, I felt very unproductive... I was feeling a bit sluggish all day, I wasn't really comprehending what was going on, everything just felt a bit slower....and before I knew it the end of the day was nearing, not much got done and all I could think of was sleep! 

Of course, I know I'm also in my last few weeks of pregnancy, so its the hormones and its easy enough to point it at "baby brain"! Albeit there be some truth in that but it made me realise how we just sometimes need to listen to our bodies and do what it needs.

When I decided to have an afternoon nap - I know we don't all have the luxury of that (ok, so I'm a lady of leisure at the moment but I am also growing a little human being!) - I suddenly became much more alert when I awoke. There was a shift that went on inside and I also felt my moods change.. Has that ever happen to you? How about on the weekend, after you've had a massive work-week and then a million things to do and catch up with on the weekend, you can feel exhausted, right? Then you choose to have nanna-nap just before getting ready to go out that night and you suddenly have this new burst of energy!!

Have you ever thought that perhaps getting enough sleep or rest might just be what you need to change your mood, perspective and life in general? That your present moment could change and you could feel a whole lot HAPPIER!? Do you sometimes catch yourself and feel proud that you've ticked everything on your to-do list and you were able to so because you had all this energy?! Amazing isn't it? Amazing what a little sleep, rest or relaxation can do, to help you move forward and UPwards! :)

Why not give yourself the gift of sleep this weekend?

International Day of Happiness

There really are so many beautiful reasons to be HAPPY! What is it for you that makes you Happy? 

Today is International Day of Happiness - why not take a moment to reflect and decide what makes you HAPPY? What makes you happy in this moment might be different in another moment - and that's ok!

What about the influence of music? The music you listen to, choose to listen to, have playing in the background - feeding your unconsiousness?  I never really thought about it until a friend of mine, Deb King, who has a passion for music, made me mindful of this one day. And now, I've never been more mindful about this, particularly, as I'm learning how (at this stage in the womb) my baby can be influenced by my state of being and the association of the sounds/music I'm listening to at the time - fascinating stuff!

Have you ever noticed the unconscious influence of the music you might listen to? Either the beat or the lyrics? How it can change your mood and/or put you in a different state of Being?

A chart topper song at the moment "HAPPY" by Pharrell Williams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGJX9tutZEA) is just one of those songs that's influential and makes me just bop along and all of a sudden, I'm in a much happier state!

Or how about the lyrics of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror"?

"I'm gonna make a change

For once in my life

It's gonna feel real good

Gonna make a difference...."

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you want to make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change"

Making a difference in the world might be what makes you Happy! Change all starts with you - so why not choose to change your state of being to a happier one and see what happens for you? Your much Happier you might just be INFECTIOUS! The conscious influence of music.....

Happy Dayz :)

Change starts with YOU!

I love Gandi's quote - and love being reminded of it!

Whenever I catch myself of my thoughts in a situation or my reaction to a situation or person (you know, when you're being mindful...) - it's good to be reminded of this little quote. Usually if we're feeling a bit frustrated at something or feel that 'wish' that person would change - well guess what?  The only person who can change is YOU!

You've heard of the saying "you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" - well that applies pretty much all the time if you're wanting someone else to change to suit you - you're probably the one who needs to drink the water! haha...  

All that needs to happen is that you have to acknowledge that YOU have a CHOICE and that choice might be change! Whether that be changing your perspective, being more compassionate, seeing a different angle, showing kindness, being even more grateful than you already are!  

Ever heard of a Chain Reaction? These little shifts is what will start your own chain reaction IN you. One little small step, change or shift is all that you probably need and pretty soon, you're onwards to a happier, healthier You. Pretty soon, others will soon notice the change IN you without you having the need to be noticed.  

All you need to do is just BE who you want to be - wholesome, loving, kind, compassionate, broadminded, appreciate etc. and the rest will follow.  You'll soon see a change in yourself and wondered why you didn't see the goodness in the first place! :)

Be the Change You wish to see in the world.... 

Day 30: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 30: Today I am grateful for everyone who got involved with the gratitude challenge - in their own way

No matter how or what, if you managed to take a little time each day, just a few minutes a day or wrote in a gratitude journal or contributed to the page with your gratitude - I just wanted to say Thanks for being a part of it!

I hope that you've discovered new things about you, about your life, have created and cultivated more love, peace, positivity and gratitude in your life and hope that you'll continue to carry on a daily gratitude practice in your own way x

Day 29: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 29: Today I am grateful I have my pearly whites! Why not?!?

I was inspired by this quote as I never really thought about being grateful for having my original teeth :)

They chomp on my food so that I can feed my belly and because I was lucky enough to have braces when I was younger, they're lovely and straight for any photographic moment ;)

Have you been grateful for you teeth ever? Probably just took them for granted, right!?

Happy Dayz! :)

Day 28: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 28: Today I am grateful for finishing work earlier than expected!

So we're almost at the end of the 30 Gratitude Challenge - or as I've been thinking about it differently -30 Day of Gratitude.  If you said you wanted to join in on the Gratitude Challenge and at first it's easy to start, but the moment we skip a day, those days we miss end up being more frequent than you like - perhaps start asking yourself "How can I make time to contribute daily to my gratitude practice?".

If you have been enjoying the process of the Gratitude Challenge, but haven't been that committed to it, perhaps ask yourself if a daily gratitude practice matters to you?

For me, I have started and I have stopped my gratitude journal and then I have started and again have stopped... but what it came down to was that I soon realised, I was a better person for doing it, so for me - IT MATTERED! It was important to enough to me, contributing to my general overall BEING and made me a better person more than less, that it became important enough to no longer make excuses.  It wasn't about 'having' time, it became about 'making' time.

Perhaps you've heard the saying - How you do one thing in a part of your life, is a reflection of how you do everything... So if you're making excuses for one thing (that could  be more important to you), what else are you making excuses for?

Day 27: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 27: Today I am grateful for my mum, for everything she's done for me in ally years of my life

The baby hasn't arrived yet, but with all the antenatal classes I've been attending, I've been learning how to cope with labour, what to do when the little human gets here, how to change a nappy, when, how and how often you might feed the munchkin etc etc. 

All these things are great to know and a kickstart on how to be a good mother -  lessons I know I'm going to just have to work out along the way...but it's made me appreciate everything my mum had to go through when birthing me, bringing me up in this big world and the guidance and life lessons she's tried to teach me along the way. Of course she still likes to tell me how it's done or how I should do things...but then that's up to me whether or not I decide to take it on board or make my own decisions about it!

As we get older and we from our own lives with our own personalities and form our own beliefs, we may not agree to everything our mother or parents said but it's important to be grateful and appreciative for all that they've done and try to do. 

We don't need to follow everything they say, but we probably need to be a little more understanding and know they have just come from a place of their own life lessons, beliefs, upbringing and ideas on 'life'. 

Our mums (like soon-to-be-me!) aren't perfect, but they are good or great in so many ways! 

How are you grateful for your mum?