The Secret of Happiness

Happiness arises when the way you see the world is at least as good as the expectations you have of it. If the way you see the world exceeds your expectations you are very happy and if it falls short you are usually anxious and sad. This is simply stated but is so often illusive for so many people. There are two secrets you need to know about to be happier. The first relates to the way you see the world and the second relates to the expectations you have. If you are generally happy then enjoy it and there is no need to read on. If you are often unhappy the first thing to check in to is the way you see the world now. The important secret here is that the way you see the world now is not the only way to see it.

There are an infinite number of ways for you to look at the way the world is now. The current version you hold in your head is not 'the truth' but is a construct put together by you from experiences you have had and theories you hold about the world. It will help to write down the key features of the way you see the world now. You can then colour code each sentence with a green highlight for those that make you feel good and red highlight for those you do not like. Now you can replace the red sentences with alternative but equally true new sentences that make you feel good. Discard the red and make the whole description green. The reds will fight hard to stay but clear them away and you will already start to brighten up. Now move to expectations you have and go through the same exercise of describing and highlighting in green and red. Replace the reds with new greens. With these two steps you can transform yourself to be a much happier person.

There is no trickery here. Much of the way you see the world now and the expectations you have of yourself are given to you by other people and experiences through your life. Parents, partners, teachers and friends often, overtly or covertly, imprint perspectives and expectations on to your worldview. You can challenge these imprints if they do not work for you and establish ones of your own that make life better for you. Have a go and use these secrets and live a happier life.

Len Williamson invites you to visit his web site at http://www.theowlpartnership.com for more information on how he coaches individuals and teams. If you have a major challenge and see obstacles to progress then Len can help.