Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things will always work out—Gordon B. Hinckley

I saw a brilliant ray of energy when my best friend and rescue dog Stash passed to spirit. It was eerily bright and gone in a flash. I felt a shiver as my sadness was momentarily replaced with a sense of peace and knowledge. Stash’s bright loving energy had joined the universe and I felt tears of happiness and relief. His bright spirit was alive, and I saw the universe welcome him with open arms.

It was a cold blustery November morning, the sky was bleak, and the wind was cold This was Stash’s last day on Earth, and I woke with a heavy heart. His body had given up him and he could no longer walk or do many of his favorite things. We decided to do use the porch that he loved so much as his final resting place. The front porch was his place to watch over his family and he spent many hours happily watching the world go by.

I woke up early and still had many hours before the veterinarian would arrive. Time was precious and what mattered most to me was that he was home where he was happy and loved. I set up his bed up in his favorite spot on the porch. Covered him with his blanket, and I stayed by his side for hours as we waited for the end.  I hugged him, gave him forbidden peanut M&M’s, and reminisced aloud about our many adventures. It was the longest morning of my life, but it was the last time to feel our bond and share our happy memories. 

All too soon, the veterinarian arrived. He was a kind man and we spoke quietly in affirming terms about the cycle of life and death while I held Stash and waited for the injection to take effect. His physical body had given up on him, but he and I would always be connected in spirt. Stash was at peace, and he was honored and loved.

As Stash took his final breath, the cold wind disappeared for a few seconds and the sun flared brightly. It was a cold day but for a moment the air felt warm and comfortable. It was startling moment, and I knew without a doubt that I had seen his spirit join the timeless energy of the universe. In my heart, his spirit was still alive!

In believe that everything in our world has spirit, whether it be our words, a beloved dog, mountain, or tree. Spirit is within everything and is both our life source of energy and our connection.

Spirit is defined as the non-physical “soul” or emotions and character of a person. It can be harder to see in some of us because we keep it hidden, but everyone has spirit that wants to shine and expand. How we treat and care for our spirit shows how much we care about who are and becomes the example we lead through life.

Everything is a source of energy and spirit to teach and guide us. As humans we absorb and share energy both consciously and subconsciously.  We always feel it, sometimes we try to hide it or ignore it, but our spirit is our life source and guide through life.

As the Happiness Warrior nothing is more important to me than helping someone lift their spirit and find the happiness that comes from believing in themselves. When we can learn to understand the importance of caring for our spirit, we can better understand the core and soul of our being. When our spirt is nourished we can begin to feel greater happiness and gratitude that comes with understanding our place in the universe. When our spirit rises when we can begin to see the truth and enlightenment that comes from the joy of helping others find happiness and feel love.

Enlightenment and happy souls seem to go together. People who are happier with who they are radiant and have a brighter spirit that lifts others.

How we care for and nourish our spirit is everything. Many see life as a bleak and confusing place the that’s pointless and depressing. Once we learn to trust our spirit and love who we are we can begin to feel the power of our intuition and creativity and begin to understand the powerful life-giving force of intention. With intention and motivation, we can begin to build lives that are happier and more meaningful.

How we care for our spirit and how we allow it to shine is the difference between living ordinary life versus an extraordinary existence!

When we block our spirit from rising and keep it separate it from our authentic source we will live in with constant fear and anger. Forgiveness is a way to brighten our spirit and move forward in our lives. Intuition and Intention fuel the spirit to shine through our soul and radiate.

These are easy and pleasurable ways to lift our spirit to shine and at a higher level. The energy we project is felt not just by ourselves but everyone in our orbit. We can create a better reality for ourselves and live our dreams when we can live our truth and be at peace in our body and spirit.

Only then we can we learn the peace and wisdom that comes with increasing our inner knowledge.

These are things we can do to lift our spirit every day:

1. Spend time in nature
2. Be kind, do kind things, and remain humble
3. Know that gratitude is our truth
4. Know when to disengage and nourish our own spirit
5. Laugh, even a fake laugh releases endorphins and makes us feel happier. Try it!
6. Remember that we’re the product of the company we keep. Don’t let someone else destroy your spirit. They have their own problems to deal with.
7. Look for the bright side, what have I learned from my life experience?
8. Understand the mind/body connection and learn how to breathe to remain in control of negative emotions and self-created doubt.
9. Never dwell on the negative.  When feeling beat up and out of touch try thinking of three things that make you happy. It works every time!
10. Incorporate positive affirmations into your routine, say them out loud!
11. Exercise, walk without headphones and engage with the world, posture is everything!
12. Get enough sleep
13. Be mindful and use intuition, intention, and energy to live in the present
14. Make the mind-body-spirit connection. Spirit rises when cherish our mental and physical health.
15. Have regular sex in a healthy relationship.

Spirit means many different things to all of us, but the core of my being and truth tells me that I must always work and tend to mine. We all have moments of sadness and weakness, but if we believe in ourselves our spirits will rise and we will do more with our lives than we ever imagined!