How to Live a Happier Life in 3 steps - Part One

Posted on February 04, 2015 by Kimberley Newing , One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

I recently attended a talk by motivational speaker, Gabby Bernstein (go ahead and check her out, she’s a pretty cool chick). In her conversation with us, she spoke about the “When Have’s” conundrum of our era. The “When I have X, then I’ll be Y”. We all know this old chestnut probably a little too well. “When I get that new job, then I’ll be happy. When I lose 10 kilos then I’ll be happy. When I finally get my holiday, THEN I’ll be happy”, and so on and so on. I’ve had a bad case of the “When I have’s” my entire life and it only grew when I became a mother. “When my baby sleeps, then I’ll be happier, when my kids are older, then I’ll get more me time, when I have more support, then I’ll be able to focus on my business” and more recently “When we find our new home, then I’ll be more content”.

Well, with almost 10 years as a Life Coach here’s honestly what I am just starting to really get for myself …. It’s highly unlikely that all the conditions will ever be 100% right for you to feel happy. Happiness needs to come from being in the moment and NOT from the arrival at the destination. Happiness comes from a deep appreciation for what you do have in your world, not from focusing on what’s missing and striving constantly to change what’s not right. How many times have you achieved the target set for yourself only to notice that you didn’t feel as happy about the accomplishment as you thought you would? Or the opposite … how much have you denied yourself the feelings of happiness because you have not yet reached the target or planned life you set for yourself? It’s scary to think about the life that IS happening and unfolding in front of our eyes that we choose not to engage in because we are too focused on what feels so far off in the distance to us ….. I feel you nodding with me on this one.

So, the question is … How does a person actually come to ENJOY the process of moving towards what they want – through change and challenge and do it with a smile on their face and peace in their heart? How does a person achieve more without losing their shit and gaining an ulcer on a regular basis? And how does that said person pull it all off and still be able to surrender into the moment and feel truly happy? ? Well it ain’t always going to be easy … but it is possible ☺

Here’s my theory – like human beings, it’s not flawless but when followed it really does work. I still have days where I allow the weight of all that is to rest upon me and when that happens I know it’s time to practice just a little more of what I am about to teach you …. it’s as simple as remembering the 3 M’s – Movement, Meditation and Mindfulness …..

1) Movement: Anyone who knows me will expect me to mention this one. It’s my ‘cure all’ for just about everything. I talk about it, I practice daily, and I shamelessly encourage those around me to do it, and do it often. ☺ MOVE YOUR BODY frequently and in ways that light you up. If going to the gym feels like a trip to the dentist … then find another way to move that is inspiring for you. Consider creative dance or sword fighting or even just good old-fashioned walking. Get those endorphins flowing and allow your body to move toxic energy and unsupportive thoughts through and out. Moving your body is also a brilliant way to not only change your state from crunchy and tight to open and light, but also to bring about answers from within. If you are working at finding the answer to a big decision in your life at the moment … MOVE! Moving the body promotes clarity of thought and relief from challenging experiences.

So BEFORE shit hits the fan and you are feeling like there is just too much to do and not enough time to do it, just move your body. If everyday feels too overwhelming to you to start with, try every other day and begin with even just 5 mins of dancing to your favourite song or a few laps of the block … something, anything to get you moving and soon you will miss it when you don’t do it. If you want better sleep, better health, a stronger sense of connection and love with your body – then move it.

And how exactly does this relate to being happy and achieving your goals you may ask? When we FEEL good … our perspective changes, our attitude changes and we invite new creative ways of thinking. We have more self confidence to make better choices AND we feel more at peace within. Movement is something that is within your control to do that will immediately yield positive results in to your life.

Stop making excuses today and just get up and go ☺ ….

Happy people habit number two:

2) Meditation. This is one juicy topic at the moment and if you would like to learn more, keep your eyes peeled for part two in this series of three where I will share the secrets about meditation, how to start, how it helps people to feel happier and get more of what they want in life ☺