How to Be Happy: 5 Powerful Ways to Transform Your Life ⋆ lizinlotus.com

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So you want to know how to be happy when life isn’t going the way you planned? Need to know how to turn things around and manifest more happiness?

A life you love. A life that inspires you and causes you to jump out of bed in the morning, whip back the curtains, and yes maybe even find yourself singing an angel-like operatic “Ahhh!”

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Are You Stuck in a Rut?

So, you’ve lost that spark, and you’re wondering how do all the shiny, happy people do it.

You drag yourself out of bed every morning. You trudge through the monotonous routine of your day. The only foreseeable bright spot is when you can crash into your bed at night and crawl back under the covers.

Just to do it all over again tomorrow.

Maybe you snap at your family, the jerk who cut you off in traffic, the barista who screwed up your order, and maybe even your dog.

You muster up a smile when you need to, but that’s the furthest thing from how you truly feel.

A bad day can quickly turn into a bad year. Or possibly for some, a bad decade. This is not the life you imagined for yourself, and it’s time to change it.

It doesn’t matter what sent you tumbling down this road—a failed relationship, a job that sucks the life out of you, unruly kids, or feeling as though life is unfair. The list is endless.

Get Back on the Path to Happiness

You just need to get out from under the miserable cloud that’s been hovering over your head, following you around for so long.

I’ve been there and have dragged myself out of it. Occasionally I fall back into it. But it’s an ongoing process, and that’s a whole other article.

First things first, let’s get you out of the slump you’re in so you can start manifesting a happier life and being your best self.

It’s all possible. But all in good time, my friend. Wax on, wax off and follow along.

RELATED: Happiness Can’t Be Found Somewhere Over The Rainbow

5 Powerful Ways to Manifest Success & Happiness

Modify Your Perception
Cultivate a Meditation Practice
Master Your Thoughts
Transform Limiting Beliefs
Grow Your Gratitude

1. Modify Your Perception

Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses.
– Proverb

In every moment you have a choice in how you see the world around you, even yourself.

You can’t change other people or the events that have happened in your life. But you can change how you view them.

It’s just a matter of perception. And your perception is yours to change however you wish. That’s where the power is. It’s in your choice.

How you choose to see these things and how you react to them makes all the difference.

You make choices every day, and those choices have led you to where you are right now. We have to take responsibility for our choices.

Step away from the victim mentality! We are not victims of outside forces.

Life is not out to get us. We do a bang-up job on our own of destroying our lives or just making ourselves miserable.

When you choose to hit the snooze button on the morning of your job interview (causing you to leave the house 10 minutes later than scheduled, becoming stuck in traffic and arriving flustered and late to your interview), you choose not to get the job.

Don’t blame the world. Forgive yourself for making a bad choice and look at the situation from a new perspective.

Maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t get that job because a better one is going to come along tomorrow.

Change the Way You Look at Life

Happy people aren’t happy because nothing bad ever happens to them. They’re happy because they make a conscious choice to see the silver lining.

For example, if two people are standing in a forest looking at the same tree and you ask them to describe what they see, you’ll always get two different answers. Always.

Person “A” may focus on the mud he’s standing in, and worry about getting bit by ants before noticing the grotesque, rotting eye-soar of a tree in front of him. Bah-humbug.

While Person “B” looks past the mud and is in awe of the magnificent aging tree that stands before him with the sunlight glistening through its leaves.

Who is right? They both are. It’s merely a matter of perception.

They have just chosen different interpretations of the same tree. The tree itself is neutral. Not good, not bad.

We project our own perceptions onto the object, seeing whatever we wish to see.

What do you want to see? Make the choice to see the best life has to offer.

Here’s your pair of rose-colored glasses. You’re welcome.

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2. Cultivate a Meditation Practice

If you are serious about wanting to be happier and improve your life, you must first master your mind.

Life can be overwhelming. Everything is go go go!

You’re taught to hustle and never stop. You can’t even stop the noisy thoughts running through your head. It’s enough to drive you crazy.

You can sleep when you’re dead. Am I right?

I’m going to answer with a big fat “NO!”

Unless an early grave is what you want. Striving and killing yourself to achieve wealth or recognition may produce results. But at what cost?

In the race to hustle and bustle, you end up losing sight of why you wanted those things in the first place — to be happy.

Meditate Your Way to Happy

Let me introduce you to meditation. It’s your new best friend.

Happiness begins with a healthy state of mind. Meditation, if practiced regularly, does just that. It produces a mentally clear and emotionally calm, stable state.

It creates space in between all the noise and chaos of everyday life and allows you to slow things down.

So many things are fighting for your attention. You’re always plugged in, turned on, and tapped into a world swirling around you at a lightning-fast pace that no one can keep up with.

Ever been at a bar with a band playing and everyone is screaming to the person next to them? With all the noise, you too are forced to scream at the person standing next to you.

You can’t hear anything. In a room full of noise, you can’t hear a thing.

The moment you step out into the fresh air outside the bar, you feel the relief of silence. That’s what meditation feels like.

When you turn off the noise and sit in silence for a few minutes a day, you feel that relief. It takes practice.

At first, your body is going to resist. And if you get your body to settle down, then your mind is going to resist.

But with practice, you will begin to see the many benefits of meditation.

What to Do…

If you’re a meditation newbie, don’t get overwhelmed. Start small and ease yourself into it.

Sit in a chair or in a cross-legged position on a cushion on the floor. Whatever is most comfortable for you.

Turn off all distractions. Find a quiet space and listen to some soothing music (with no vocals) or use a short, guided meditation. Just sit and breathe.

If you can only do a few minutes before jumping up, that’s ok. Try again tomorrow.

Keep practicing until you can sit still with your eyes closed for at least 20 minutes.

Over time you will look forward to your meditations. You will want to close out the world for a few moments and reconnect with the most amazing person in the world — you!

You may not see it now, but you will.

And when you’re ready to grow your meditation practice to the next level, you can learn more advanced techniques and dive deeper into the art of meditation.

Baby steps, my friend. Baby steps.

Once you have mastered your mind, you’re ready to observe the thoughts that are running rampant through it.

For more information on how to develop a meditation practice and guided meditations to get you started, check out the post below on Meditation for Beginners.

RELATED: Meditation Newbies: A Beginners Course of Benefits and How-To Guide

3. Master Your Thoughts

Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.
– Gandhi

You are what you think. That’s how the popular saying goes, right? Well, in actuality, you are not your thoughts. But the things you think about do materialize into your world.

Thoughts Become Things

Every man-made thing in this world began as a thought. The chair you’re sitting on, the computer or phone you’re reading this article on, the shirt you’re wearing — all began as a thought.

Let me drive this point home, thoughts absolutely become things.

Your thoughts and words are powerful. Make the most of them.

You have thousands of thoughts during any given day. How many of those thoughts are positive, loving, or productive?

I’m guessing not many if you’re reading an article on how to be happier and improve your life.

How many times a day do you call yourself an idiot or someone else a weirdo?

How about worthless?

That you hate your job?

Are you constantly complaining or putting yourself and others down?

Observe your thoughts for a few days. Write them down if you have to, but you need to be aware of what thoughts are running wild through that noggin of yours.

Control your thoughts, and you control your reality.

Your negativity is creating the world around you. You are attracting the exact opposite of what you want with every adverse thought and word.

The Law of Attraction

There are laws that govern the universe, and the Law of Attraction is one of them. It is a law supported by quantum physics that states like attracts like.

According to the Law of Attraction, you attract into your reality whatever you focus on. When you’re waiving negative thoughts around like a magic wand, the universe has no choice but to abide.

When you say “I am [fill in the blank],” you just made a wish to the universe. Guess what? Wish granted!

To manifest a happier life, you’ll need to start using this law to your advantage. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right.” Even he knew to carefully mind his thoughts.

Ok, so I’ve said it. Gandhi has said it. And Henry Ford has said it. Has it sunk in yet? Choose your words and thoughts wisely.

What to Do…

After monitoring your thoughts for a few days, write a more positive, nurturing version of those thoughts.

Stand in front of a mirror and say your revised words out loud over and over again. Say it like you mean it!

We’re trying to form a habit so repeat, repeat, repeat.

Are you sick of looking at yourself? Then you haven’t done it enough.

Repeat those positive words until you find yourself smiling at the person staring back at you. That person is pretty amazing, and things are always working out for them.

See how easy that was? If you love you, the world will too!

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transform limiting beliefs that are sabotaging your happiness by reprogramming your subconscious mind

4. Transform Your Limiting Beliefs

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
– Carl Jung

The subconscious mind is where your limiting beliefs are housed. It plays an immense role in creating the external world you experience and how you behave in it.

What is the Subconscious Mind

It controls everything from the way you interact with others to the foods you choose to eat, your self-image, your romantic relationship patterns, and even how much money you make.

Your subconscious is a huge memory bank that contains every experience you’ve ever had — the good, the bad, and the ugly of everything you’ve ever seen, done or thought. It holds all your memories, emotions, and skills.

The function of the subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data.

It constantly soaks up information like a sponge, either accepting or rejecting data based on your pre-programmed perception of the world around you.

Any damaging memories or negative experiences you’ve picked up along the way, from birth to now, are recorded in your subconscious.

They then become limiting beliefs and lead to self-sabotaging behaviors.

However, most of us are unaware of these limiting beliefs because the subconscious is like a computer program running in the background. It operates below the surface of your conscious mind.

The subconscious mind is a complicated beast, but it is absolutely possible to overwrite the old programming.

It’s not difficult. It just takes some patience and perseverance.

Depending on how deep the belief is rooted, it could take as little as a month to make a change — or much longer for older more stubborn patterns.

Once you’ve identified the beliefs you’d like to eradicate, start reprogramming your subconscious mind to attract wealth, weight loss, love, or whatever your heart desires.

What to Do…

Affirmations, hypnosis, and subliminals are the most powerful tools to transform your limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors.

Affirmations

Affirmation statements should always be worded positively and in the present tense.

For example, say “I am successful,” “I am beautiful,” or “I always have a positive outlook on life.”

Remember, there is real power in the words “I am.” Use them wisely because anything that follows those two words will manifest. And repetition fueled by strong, positive emotions is the key to making these affirmations work.

So, repeat them over and over and over and over again. Did I make my point? Say them a lot!

You’re also going to need to use as much emotion as you can muster.

Robotically repeating them in a lackluster, meh sort of way isn’t going to cut it. The point here is to get excited!

Truly believe it has already happened and feel the gratitude for having received it.

You don’t want to act as if you wish you had it. You want to act as if you have it right now.

You’ll probably feel ridiculous at first because you aren’t yet comfortable with these new beliefs. But there’s truth in the old adage “fake it till you make it.”

Push yourself past your comfort zone, and I promise you things will begin to change!

BONUS: Check out my article below to learn more about the amazing power of affirmations. In that article, I included a printable list of 100 affirmations for all areas of your life. Plus an affirmation video and guided meditations to help you retrain your brain!

RELATED: 100 Amazingly Powerful Affirmations to Change Your Life

Hypnosis

Hypnosis allows you to bypass the conscious mind and make changes directly within your subconscious mind. When you’re in a relaxed meditative state, the subconscious is more receptive to new information and positive messages.

A hypnotist will ease you into a state of mental and physical relaxation. You are fully awake and aware of what’s going on the entire time.

You can find a professional hypnotist in your area or use online hypnosis videos in the comfort of your own home.

If you opt to use online videos, please do your research and be sure the hypnotist is a reputable one.

Subliminals

Subliminals are messages or images that our conscious mind is not aware of but are perceived by the subconscious mind. If used improperly or without the person’s consent, subliminal messages can be very dangerous.

If used correctly, however, subliminal messages can heal and improve your life. I highly recommend making your own recordings so you can customize the messages to your needs, and you know exactly what you’re programming into your mind.

Use a soft, soothing voice and short, positive statements in the present tense. Add some relaxing music or binaural beats over your voice and voila!

Just pop some headphones on and listen to the recording when you go to bed. As you fall asleep and right after you wake up, your mind is in that sweet spot to most effectively absorb the messages in your recording.

And hey, if your recorded messages happen to seep into your dreams, then you know you’re doing it right! Hooray for you! You’ve just altered your mindset.

Your desires are likely to manifest into your waking life very soon!

🌟 Visit my YouTube channel for tons of meditation music, affirmations, and subliminal videos designed to empower you, heal you, and help you create the reality of your dreams!

🔔 And be sure to like, share, and subscribe! Your kindness and support are deeply appreciated. And it truly helps support my work and allows more people to see my videos. So, thank you!!

RELATED: How to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind to Unlock Your Superpowers

5. Grow Your Gratitude

Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.
– Rumi

Now it’s time to talk about the power of gratitude. It’s the secret to unlocking all of your dreams and the fastest way to manifest a happier life.

Remember that universal law I mentioned earlier, the Law of Attraction? The law that states you’re a human magnet to the things you put out into the world — every thought, word, and action.

If you complain about something, you are attracting it to you.

The same goes for the flip side. If you’re grateful for the things you already have (even the things you want to improve), you are attracting the things you want to you.

The more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for.

What to Do…

Show your gratitude for everything big and small. Say “thank you” when you see your favorite color, the beautiful flowers outside your window, your favorite pair of jeans that make your butt look amazing, the roof over your head, and the delicious food on your plate!

Say “thank you” a thousand times a day. Say it before you get out of bed in the morning. Say it in the shower. Say it at breakfast. Shout it from the rooftop!

There are so many ways to show your gratitude to the universe. Helping someone, being a good friend, or giving someone a compliment are also expressions of gratitude.

Making someone else smile, is the quickest way to find your own smile. Like attracts like, remember?

So, make daily gratitude a habit in your life. It’ll be the most rewarding part of the journey to becoming the better, happier version of you. The life of your dreams is just around the corner!

Creating a gratitude journal is an amazing way to grow your gratitude on a daily basis. Click on the article below to learn more.

In the post, I walk you through how to set up your journal and how to find things to be grateful for if you’re having trouble. There’s even a printout with tons of journal prompts to get you started and some guided gratitude meditations to get you in that sweet spot of appreciation.

RELATED: Improve Your Life and Well-Being With A Gratitude Journal That Actually Works

BONUS TIP: If you need a little extra help to lift your spirits and turn that frown upside down, motivational quotes are actually an amazing way to get back to happy town. Great quotes are like life-long friends that are always there to cheer you on and lift you up. And they always say the most profound and encouraging things that make you feel invincible like you could take on the world.

We’ve already learned that words have the power to change our lives. So, peruse through these inspiring quotes to get yours back on track.