As The Happiness Warrior, I like to view life as a game that we play throughout the scope of our existence. It’s a complicated game and there are many twists and turns. Sometimes we will get what we want and other times we will be greatly disappointed. It can seem like it’s random or there’s some sort of great cosmic plan in store for us that causes us to live with fear and indecision. The reality is that the quality of the life we live is ours to choose and determine by the quality of our thoughts and actions. To choose an attitude to be our best and live in the mindset of our choosing.

The truth is that the happy life that most of us seek lies just within our reach when we can break down our defenses and break free from the cycle of unresolved suffering. The mindfulness and wisdom that grow when we learn to live life with more empathy and understanding for ourselves. A time in our life when we find clarity and finally realize how much time we’ve wasted on things that never mattered.

Each life is as valuable as another, when we learn to trust in ourselves and create lives that have impact and truth. The final jettisoning of the flotsam in life. When are we going to learn that so much that we think is important doesn’t really matter?

A good life is one in which there are always self-created choices and opportunities. A self-held belief that there are no closed doors and there’s always a way to move forward through sheer persistence and intentional thinking. This is the mindset that we use when we want more for our lives. There’s always a solution for every problem. Time is always in motion.

When we understand what matters we are free to seek greater happiness, internal validation, and authenticity of self-expression. The understanding that comes when we begin to believe in ourselves and are able to let go and forgive and let go. To learn to breathe with a sense of knowing, gratitude and fulfillment. The ability to be still for a moment and live in the grace that comes from a quiet mind. An overwhelming certainty that we’re connected with the universal energy of the universe. A time to let go of things and people who no longer mesh with our mindset and core values. Some things are best remembered with an end.

All life ebbs and flows naturally and we will always be happiest when we are able to bend and flow with the present and now. What matters most is where we are at this time in the present. Are we happy? Do we have all that we need to smile and appreciate the gifts that we have been given? The individual and innate powers and values that drive our will and motivation. The expression of gratitude that comes when we realize that only essential elements of life are important. How we eat and nourish ourselves and take care of our bodies and minds.

If life is indeed a big game we can start taking it more seriously and play it to win. Each of us has an equal opportunity whether or not we are born in different circumstances. Everyone has value and deserves to be heard. The power of intention is stronger than we have been taught to believe. The world that we know is set up to make us unhappy in order to divide, conquer, and control.

When we begin to trust in ourselves and make our own decisions we are already on the path to deliverance from bending to the will of others. We grow strong when we learn to show up for lives and realize that it’s in our actions and words that we create lives that matter. Possessions and things are not the real story. All that matters is how we feel about ourselves and our ability to let happiness into our lives.

The game of life is best played with the self-directed ability to find clarity and begin to see ourselves for who we really are. Too often we are living under a paradigm of what we believe will make us more loved and accepted. This causes us to make decisions that don’t make us happy. Providing an opening for others that seek to control us to manipulate our thoughts and actions. This causes us to add more things that don’t matter to our lives and destroy our happiness. This exacerbates itself in many ways and leads to further division and alienation. A destructive force of misinformation, propaganda, and hysterical reaction to fake news and conspiracy theories will never lead to happiness.

Here are the only five things we need to focus on and develop to live happier and more fulfilled lives. A clearing out of debris that clogs our brains and confusion that we will no longer tolerate. An overwhelming sense of freedom that comes when we revere logical and independent thinking and are able to think for ourselves:

1.      EXPRESS GRATITUDE BEFORE REST AT NIGHT
I’ve always believed that our true higher power comes from within, and that gratitude and empathy are the self-guided emotions that help us live our best lives. We are the players in the game of life, and we are best when independent in thought without need for external validation.

2.      ALWAYS EXPRESS DESIRES AND INTENTIONS VERBALLY WITH SOMEONE WE TRUST
Most of what we dream of and long for will never happen unless we are able to state our intention and destination clearly without feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment. Learn who to trust and find someone who will listen and provide a place where we can launch our desires from.

3.      BE ALWAYS AT WORK ON SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES VALUE
One of the greatest nuggets of wisdom that’s been passed down to me is the belief and desire to create actions that have value. To waste life and effort on something that isn’t worthwhile or going nowhere is the opposite of happiness. We can all be warriors for our lives and happiness when we develop this mindset for ourselves. Learn to seek answers that benefit the common good.

4.      NURTURE KEY RELATIONSHIPS AND LET OTHERS GO
Remember that what really matters is our happiness, health, and well-being. We are grateful for relationships that are the most lasting and nurturing. Let go of people who are unhappy, complain, and seek to share their misery. Nothing is ever accomplished through a negative vocabulary and mindset. They will always seek to pull us down. Toxins are poisons.

5.      TAKE CARE OF OUR BODIES AND MINDS AS IF OUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT
The greatest thing that we can do every day for our peace of mind and happiness is to learn to take care of our physical and emotional needs. We are all amazing machines full of energy and life. How we treat and learn to love ourselves is how we learn to realize what matters the most. Make the mind/body connection and learn to love ourselves fully. Remove the concept of guilt and shame and feel a rise in vibration. This is how we really live in our truth.

I’ve always thought that life can be magical when we’re willing to surrender to peace and listen to our hearts. A thoughtful place where we can quiet our minds and let go of anything that’s not essential. A setting of our own creation where truth and authenticity resonate. Where we’re able to let go and fully experience what it means to be human. A realization that a happier life is less complicated than we’ve come to believe.

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