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How to Make Yourself Happier In Five Minutes or Less
In 1982, L. Ron Hubbard wrote a poem called, "The Joy of Creating"
"Force yourself to smile and you'll soon stop frowning.
"Force yourself to laugh and you'll soon find something to laugh about.
"Wax* enthusiastic** and you'll very soon feel so.
"A being causes his own feelings.
"The greatest joy there is in life is creating.
"Splurge on it!" -- L. Ron Hubbard (*Wax: to gradually increase in size, strength or intensity.) (**Enthusiastic: having or showing enthusiasm.)
You can find dozens of ways to use this poem to become happier, smarter and more successful. The suggestions below take five minutes or less to try.
Four Fast Ways to Make Yourself Happier
1. "Force yourself to smile and you'll soon stop frowning."
A. Force yourself to smile.
B. Relax your face.
C. Repeat steps A and B above until you are cheerful. Some people feel happier immediately while others take longer.
Try the exercise in front of a mirror for an extra boost!
2. "Force yourself to laugh and you'll soon find something to laugh about."
A. Force yourself to laugh.
B. If you cannot force a laugh, say, "ha ha ha ha ha." Then say, "ho ho ho ho ho." Then say, "he he he he he." Repeat until you can force yourself to laugh.
C. Sooner or later, something funny will come to mind. Just keep forcing your laughter. A reason to laugh will show up!
3. "Wax enthusiastic and you'll very soon feel so."
You have the power to motivate yourself. You do not need a bonus, an energetic boss or a seminar to get you excited.
When you make yourself enthusiastic, you make better decisions, get more done in less time and produce better results.
To motivate yourself, simply "wax enthusiastic" or increase your show of enthusiasm and you will feel interested and excited. For instance, you can motivate yourself to do a difficult task or project.
A. Select a task you are avoiding or hate to do. Put the task in front of you.
B. Pretend to be slightly enthusiastic about a small part the task.
C. Act a little more enthusiastic about another small part of the task.
D. Show even more excitement about another part of the task.
E. As soon as you feel enthusiastic and motivated about the task, do it!
Example: You walk into the dirty bathroom that you need to clean, but hate to clean. You pretend to be a bit enthusiastic about cleaning the mirror by doing a little jump. You act a little more enthusiastic about emptying the bathroom garbage can by clapping your hands and smiling. You gradually show more enthusiasm until you are jumping up and down with a big smile on your face. Suddenly, you grab the toilet brush and start scrubbing!
4. "The greatest joy there is in life is creating."
What are your greatest joys in life?
Being a parent? Starting a company? Finding new customers? Forming new relationships?
Notice how each activity creates something new?
You can add creation to each part of your day.
A. Write down something you can create right now.
Examples: A fabulous meal. A redecorated room. A new section of your garden. A new friendship. A new way to boost your income.
B. Write down something you must keep as a routine. Reword it to emphasize the creative aspect of it.
Examples: Continue to show up at work each day so I can finance my new home business. Keep exercising so I add a few extra years to my lifetime. Protect my time with my kids so they grow up to be happy, useful members of society.
C. Write down something you must stop or destroy. Reword it to be a creation.
Examples: Stop smoking so I can live a healthy lifestyle. Throw away the junk in my garage so I can create a place to store my car at night. Stop worrying about my problems so I can learn how to do a better job at work.
Add these activities to your plans for today or this week. When you do them, stay focused on the creative aspect of the task.
The happiest people in the world are those who create things. You and you alone will create your success.
"Splurge on it!"
To read other poems by L. Ron Hubbard, go to www.ronthepoet.org.
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here. To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here. |
