Skip to main content

How to Be Happy and Reduce Stress by Freeing Your Mind

"The secret of happiness is freedom, freedom is freedom from stress"  A. Ferrari Norman

Your mind can be your prison or your mind can be your sky.  Many people are unhappy and stressed because their mind is not free.  They are like prisoners of their own mind because they are always attached to something: their ego, thoughts, emotions and material wants.  

As a coach and manager of training, I come across many people saying things like:
  • "I can only be happy when I earn more money"
  • "If I let myself to be happy, I'll be disappointed most of the time"
  • "Happiness cannot be eaten, so we need to be practical and do the right things and then we can be happy"
Such thinking reflects the mistaken belief that happiness is an end by itself and not a means to an end. We know that happiness is a state of mind that can be experienced right now, regardless of what state you are in.  There is nothing wrong to wanting to have nice things, to look smart or attractive, but when we attach emotions of happiness to things we are imprisoning ourselves.  

Happiness is always there, even if we may not be aware of it.  All we need to do is to free our mind and just be happy now.  There are 5 ways to be happy when you free your mind:
  1. No Ego.  Don't let your ego be your stumbling block to happiness. If you want to be happy, just be happy, don't worry about how others think about you. For you are responsible for your own happiness
  2. No Conditions.  Like true love, true happiness is unconditional and no pre-requisites are needed
  3. No Limiting Beliefs, be open to new ideas and practise seeing things as fluid and not static
  4. No Upset.  When you're upset by a situation or person, ask yourself this question: "Am I going to attach myself to this and create another unhappiness?"  Don't let a fleeting emotion ruin your day. 
  5. Let it Go.  Let go of all attachments and be aware of your attention.  Focus on the solutions and let go of any past unhappy experiences.  Remember: the more you let go, the more happiness you let in.
From Andy Ng, whose newest course "Work Happiness and Stress Management" is on 15 January 2015 Thursday 2 to 5.30 pm.  For details, click here.  Related articles:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kindness as a Way of Life: How Kindness can Reward You 6 Times Over

Kindness as a Way of Life by Andy Ng Kindness is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries, enriches human connections, and has the power to transform lives. It goes beyond mere acts of charity or random good deeds. To me, kindness, when practiced as a way of life, becomes a profound philosophy that can shape our interactions with others, the world around us, and even our own well-being. In this article, we will explore the multifaceted aspects of kindness as a way of life, touching on non-violent communication, the limitations of traditional charity, the potential harms of helping, the deliberate cultivation of kindness, and the incredible rewards it brings. 1.       Non-Violent Communication Non-violent communication (NVC) is a key component of practicing kindness as a way of life. Developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, NVC emphasizes empathetic communication that seeks to understand and connect with others on a deeper level. It encourages active listening, empath

New Age Mobile Numerology

Many people look at 'mobile number change luck' with skepticism, they say, how can just one simple mobile number change create so many changes in a person's life?   Also, the mobile numbers are given to us by random by the telcos, how can our fate be assigned by the telcos at random? Besides, isn't it true that our lives and fates are determined by birth and what we do, how can a small mobile number, which is a modern invention, have any effect?  How about people in the past without mobile numbers?  You mean they don't have a life without mobile numbers, right? One more thing: you cannot just change your mobile number and expect your life to change. If this is so, wouldn't everybody be rich just by changing their mobile numbers? Finally, isn't this kind of fortune-telling thing more of psychology and blind faith than science?   If so, how can we trust anything that is not proven and not science? Today let's resolve all these doubts and I welcome your co

If Not You, Who Else?

I learnt this very powerful 5-word phrase from Singapore's highest ever box-office movie ever: "Ah Boys to Men II". In one scene, the recruits were about to start their 3-day field camp.  Their Officer-in-Command asked them, "Before we moved out, anybody not feeling well?"  All the soldiers replied loudly, "No Sir!!!" "Gentlemen", continued the Officer, "Every time the training gets tougher, one thought comes to your mind, 'Why Must I Serve National Service?' "My answer to you is, 'If Not You, Then Who Else?'" Wow!  What a powerful phrase!  If Not You, Who Else may mean: You are the most suitable person, and we can't find anyone better than you.  This is appreciation at the highest level How can you push this responsibility to someone else? I am making a request to you specifically, please don't reject my request Can you find me another person more suitable than you? Please refer me anot