Here are the remaining five weekend happiness tips

I promised to share:

#6  Realize your life is a lot like a 4-way Stop Sign. You can’t always go first. Sometimes you have to wait for others. And it can be frustrating if they move slowly, or if they make a false start then wave you on, but when you start to go they do, too.  Relax. Smile. Be polite this weekend. Remember the simple rules of traffic give a lot of wise guidance for handling a lot of stressful situations in life — let the other person talk, let them go first, wave them on with a smile!  Don’t feel you have to be confused all the time (like the sign in the photo below).

#7  Find the back door to what you want in life. Many times, we have a specific goal or dream that we’ve been working towards or thinking about for many years, and the frustration of not achieving it yields a lot of unhappiness, regret and stress.  Solution:  look for shortcuts, look for the back door, look for other ways to be part of the “world” you want. I explain this further in my book “Forget Your Troubles: Enjoy Your Life Today” (click on the Bookstore tab above to find the book and other helpful products).

#8  Say goodbye to old ideas. Welcome happiness and optimism into your life. When you are doing spring cleaning, don’t forget to spend some time with your journal and jot down an assessment of your state of mind. You may find that you are holding onto old goals and old ideas that really aren’t meaningful to you anymore. It’s just a habit to keep them on your agenda. Maybe it’s time to let them go, and move on to new things that will bring you happiness and fulfillment.

#9  Tend your rose garden — the one in your soul.  When you are tempted to condemn and ridicule yourself for not being perfect (perfectionism is a deadly dis-ease that causes a tremendous amount of mental strife and unhappiness) remind yourself that as beautiful as a rose is… the rose bush has thorns, bugs, disease and other “imperfections” and yet we still can appreciate the loveliness of the flower and its fragrance. Learn to treat yourself with the same acceptance of good/bad that you do a rose.  

#10  Tell someone “I love you” — if you have a romantic relationship, it’s a no-brainer that you “should” (not that I’m shoulding on you) tell this important person how much you love and care for them, on a regular basis.  But look at all the other people in your life who would simply be thrilled to know that you have loving feelings for them.  Maybe it’s an older relative you don’t contact very often (if at all).  Or a neighbor you’ve been friendly with. Someone at work that you’ve known for years and have affection for. Don’t pick someone you’re mentally stalking — now is not the time to blurt out passion for that cute guy or gal at work who ignores you.  We would do better in English if we had as many words for “love” as the Greeks do.  We tend to get all tongue-tied if we want to tell a friend “I love you” because we feel awkward like it’s too heavy or will be taken in a sexual way.  So pick your time, pick your person, but find a way to tell important people in your circle of friends and family that you care about them!  Verbalize it.

Any questions? Go to askevelynbrooks.com

your happiness guru,

Evelyn Brooks