Lorraine E. Castro, LMFT

HAPPINESS IS SOMETHING WE CHASE ALL OUR LIVES. WE LOOK FOR OUR HAPPINESS IN A JOB, PARTNER, MORE MONEY, AND MORE TOYS. THE REAL ANSWER TO WHERE HAPPINESS COMES FROM HAS VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH ANY OF THESE THINGS. CERTAINLY LOVE, FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND ALL THE NEWEST ZOOM ZOOMS AND WHAM WHAMS ARE GREAT TO HAVE, YET IF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OURSELVES ISN’T GOOD, NONE OF THESE EXTERNAL THINGS CAN MAKE US HAPPY FOR LONG.

HOW HAPPY YOU ARE ON A LONG TERM BASIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CHOICES AND WHETHER YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE RULES, THE WAY THINGS ACTUALLY WORK. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE LIFE IS ABOUT HAVING FUN AND DOING WHATEVER GIVES THEM PLEASURE. STILL OTHERS FEEL LIFE IS MOSTLY ABOUT SUFFERING AND HAVING TO WORK HARD. WHAT DO YOU THINK? PARTICIPATING IN PLEASURABLE EVENTS IS VERY MUCH PART OF THE BENEFITS OF BEING ALIVE AND ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY FOR A LIFE OF HAPPINESS. HOW YOU CHOOSE YOUR PLEASURES IS CRITICAL. DO YOU HAVE FUN AT ANYONE ELSE’S EXPENSE? ARE YOU KIND AND COMPASSIONATE AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE DAY? DO YOU MAKE CHOICES THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOURSELF AND ARE OF NO HARM TO OTHERS?

EVERY SINGLE CHOICE YOU MAKE HAS A CONSEQUENCE. YOU MAY NOT SEE THAT RESULT FOR SOME TIME, BUT IT WILL ARRIVE. OUR LIVES BECOME THE TOTALITY OF EVERY CHOICE WE MAKE. EACH DAY’S CHOICES JOIN ALL THE CHOICES FROM THE DAYS BEFORE, HEADING US IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION. IF YOU START TO NOTICE PATTERNS IN YOUR BEHAVIOR, SAY YOU GET INTO RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOMEONE WHO ALWAYS MANAGES TO MAKE YOU FEEL UNVALUED, PAY ATTENTION. YOU ARE SENDING OUT A VIBE THAT TELLS OTHERS YOU HAVE SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES OR PERHAPS YOUR PARENT NEVER LISTENED TO YOU SO THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND HOW HOLDING ON TO THAT PATTERN OF INTERACTING NO LONGER SERVES YOUR HAPPINESS. YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU NEED. IT’S ABOUT RECOGNIZING IT AND MOVING ON.

SO, WAKE UP! WATCH YOUR CHOICES AND CONSCIOUSLY AVOID GETTING INVOLVED WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS THIS TRAIT OR WHATEVER PARTICULAR PERSON OR EXPERIENCE YOU KEEP REPEATING. YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE IT ONCE YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO SABATOGUE YOUR HAPPINESS. THEN YOU CAN CHANGE THE CHOICE.

IF LIFE FEELS ALL DIFFICULT ALL THE TIME, IT MIGHT BE DUE TO YOUR PAST ACTIONS AND EVEN PRESENT BELIEFS. DO YOU TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW? THIS ISN’T JUST A BIBLICAL SAYING, IT’S A FACT OF SCIENCE. FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN. NEWTON PROVED THIS SCIENTIFICALLY. YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU WERE NASTY TO SOMEONE, AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. AFTER ALL, THEY ALMOST CUT YOU OFF ON THE FREEWAY, YOUR’RE RIGHTEOUS, RIGHT? THEN SUDDENLY ONE DAY SOMEONE ACTS REALLY NASTY AND OBNOXIOUS TO YOU FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND YOU FEEL VICTIMIZED BY THEIR RUDENESS. IF YOU DON’T CONNECT THE DOTS AND REALIZE THAT YOU’VE PUT NEGATIVITY OUT THERE, HENCE IT JUST CAME AROUND AND BIT YOU BACK, YOU MISS THE WHOLE POINT.

YOUR PURPOSE IN BEING ON THE PLANET IS TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF, YOU MUST WANT FOR EVEYONE ELSE. WE ARE ALL CONNECTED IN THIS. YOU CAN GO HOME AND SHUT YOURSELF AWAY BUT THERE’S NO CLOSING THE DOOR ON YOUR PAST ACTIONS AND THE DAILY CHOICES YOU MAKE. EVERY DAY YOU GET THE OPTION TO CREATE A LIFE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS AND CONTENTMENT OR ONE FILLED WITH PAIN AND REGRETS. SO, SPEAK HONESTLY AND KINDLY OR YOU WILL BE LIED TO AND TREATED UNKINDLY. EXPECT NEGATIVE THINGS TO HAPPEN AND THEY WILL FOR YOU. SEE THE WORLD AS CURSED AND UGLY, AND YOUR EXPERIENCES WILL REFLECT BACK TO YOU THE BELIEFS YOU HOLD. IT MAY NOT BE A SAFE UNIVERSE BUT YOU CAN CREATE HEAVEN ON EARTH FOR YOURSELF.

THE SECRET OF LIFE IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE. WHEN YOUR ACTIONS INCLUDE PLAY, WORK AND SERVICE TO OTHERS, YOU START GETTING HAPPIER WITHOUT A DOUBT. YOU WALK THROUGH LIFE SHOWING YOUR RESPECT FOR ALL PEOPLE,YOU GET THAT RESPECT BACK. YOU THINK ABOUT OTHERS AND FIND WAYS TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE THAN YOU, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE EVERYTHING YOU WANT OR EVEN THINK YOU NEED. IT’S ABOUT HAVING THE PERSPECTIVE TO UNDERSTAND YOU ARE BLESSED TO BE ALIVE AND TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ANOTHER DAY OF LEARNING. YOU WAKE UP EACH MORNING WITH GRATITUDE FOR A ROOF, HOT RUNNING WATER AND FOOD TO EAT. YOU STAY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT WITHOUT NEEDING TO REVISIT THE HOLLOGRAPHIC PAST, WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS, OR WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE, WHICH WILL TURN OUT TO BE A PRESENT MOMENT LIKE THIS ONE AND THE NEXT. PRACTICE THIS WAY OF THINKING AND IT GETS EASIER.

LOVE YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE. HAVE MAD GRATITUDE FOR YOUR LIFE AND I PROMISE YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF LIVING A LIFE FILLED WITH LOVE AND ENRICHMENT, AND THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS….~ STAY JUICY!

~ by Lorraine E. Castro on February 18, 2014.

Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: attitude is everything, change is necessary, create a happy life, happiness, heal your fears, Life is an adventure!, live from your heart, love yourself, Stay Juicy!, You can stay young forever