The Happiness Project

We started this show on the New Years Eve with the aim of experiencing the start of this year on an enormously positive note. Thank you for all the love, support and the generous feedback that I received on my first episode.

I am going to share three practices that you can immediately start off with that will definitely help you bring a positive shift in the way you think -

1.     Acknowledge your thoughts-

The first step here is to acknowledge that thoughts come and go. And separate yourself from your thoughts. Because you are not your thoughts. And you can also start meditating to feel this way. Simply sit for 5-10 minutes in silence everyday. Breathing in deeply and breathing out. Trying to get all your focus on your breath. Its totally okay for thoughts to pass by you. Remind yourself that you are above these thoughts. You are more than these thoughts.

When was the last time you observed your breath, the very existence of our being?

Once we acknowledge our own thoughts we create space for a mental gate which will stop negativity to penetrate into our subconscious from the old patterns.

The negative thoughts are those thoughts that flow into our subconscious unquestioned and undisguised, and eventually develop into irksome beliefs about ourselves and others around us.

And leading on to producing very strong emotional responses even before we can process that information.

So, as I mentioned earlier – keep saying it to yourself – I AM NOT MY THOUGHTS.

2.     Become conscious of your thought patterns-

One of the most important technique you can use to control your mind rather than your mind controlling you is to: Recognise the moment you find yourself preoccupied with countless negative thoughts. One thought leads to another and you get stuck in the loophole and it becomes extremely difficult to separate yourself from those thoughts.

The moment you are conscious about the feeling of being in a never-ending part of your mind, its time to STOP. Talk to yourself That’s the best therapy. It might sound crazy but it helps you rationalise your thoughts; or pinch yourself so hard that you become aware of your senses.

3.     Practice Positive affirmations-

This has tremendously changed my life. When we constantly think about how a certain thing won't work out, we are putting all our energies to make that happen. Many a times, people ask me - how do you practice positive affirmations - I say, by not just reading it aloud but by believing in it with every part of your mind, body and soul. In the things you do, in the words you say to the people you meet.

When we immerse ourselves with what we want, we have to align our thoughts in a way that everything that you do leads you to that goal.

So practice positive affirmations, such as, I CAN DO IT! I AM CAPABLE OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! I LOVE MYSELF! MY LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!

Our mind is constantly adapting to all our thoughts consciously or subconsciously. So put in all your energies by shaping your thoughts that will help shape your life.

Once you recognise the power of thought is the real power, you will gain the control to transform, develop and master your life.

Hope, that whichever corner of the world you are listening this episode from, it has helped you in some way.  I also wish that whoever needs to hear this, it reaches them.

With a few hours left to the New Year’s, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the year that has gone by. It would be great if you could spend 5 minutes reflecting on this year and jotting down at least 3 changes that you would like to make in the new year. We all make resolutions every year but we all either fail to implement them or they simply fade away with time. So while thinking about changes that you want to make, think about changes in various areas of your life, for instance, personal wellbeing in terms of health and relationships, career; or if you want to bring about some change in your mindset; or think about your social circle – whether do you want to enlarge it or invest more time in the people that there are, or simple things like cutting down on your screen time or making sure you achieve your target by completing 10,000 steps everyday.

Quickly make a note of it and try setting realistic goals so that when you look at it, you are not overwhelmed.

All you need to do is commit towards those changes and be persistent in your efforts.

Trust me, you’ll be surprised by your own self.

For some people this year was about finding comfort in the discomfort, and for some others it was finding light in the darkness. For some it was about stepping into the land of love and for some others it was about losing the one they loved. For some it was about opening themselves up to the thrill of life and saying ‘Hello’ to life once again and some others wrapped themselves up because of the fear of being hurt.

Many of us are looking at last year’s achievements and failures and many more of us are looking forward to a new surprise filled with fresh perspectives by giving this year another chance.

Isn’t this new year all about that? Giving yourself a chance – a chance to live another year filled with life and purpose?

What does a new year bring to your mind?

Let us welcome the new year with the things that have never ever been in history, with the belief in the power of the inevitable, remembering to be kind to each other, being grateful for where we are in our lives today and lastly to letting go of what could be and embracing ‘what is’.

Happy New Y(OU)EARS.

Thank you for joining me this week on The Happiness Project. Next week we are going to be discussing about how you can shape your life by shaping your thoughts; Make sure you never miss a single episode of this show by clicking the “subscribe” button now. This podcast is made possible by listeners like you – thank you for all your support. And If you like this episode, please leave a comment on the comment section below. It will go a long way.