Live Happy

Don’t let time pass you by

We don’t realise how time flies, especially as we grow older and our days get busier with more responsibilities. The question is, are we able to stop the time?
The answer is no, but we can organise and be specific with what we want. We have to put an order to our daily schedule and make time for things that matter most. Your time is valuable. Understand your priorities and use your time wisely.
We put too many things in our daily list with only limited time to fit them all in. We need to focus on the most important tasks first. These tasks vary from person to person. For example my daily routine is to meditate, pray-feel grateful, exercise, spend time with my family and read. When I do those 5 tasks I am fully charged to do whatever I need to do for the day ahead.
Here are few things that have been helpful to me and I hope they can help you too.

Prioritize your day
Make a list of the things that need to be done each day and start from the most important ones. Planning out your day and the steps that need to be taken for it to be successful is the quickest way to stop wasting time.
Say no
Don’t let others determine your to-do list or set your agenda. It’s important to understand how you use your time in order to achieve whatever you want or invest that time in something that you love and makes you happy. Next time remember if it’s not a YEEESSS it’s a no. Value your time.
Stop beating yourself up
By telling yourself that you are not good enough or that you’re silly for going to this direction instead of the other, that they are telling you to go, you are just wasting time and energy. Don’t be your worst enemy, try to be kind to yourself.
Move
Even slow it doesn’t matter if at least you are moving forward. Don’t wait for that perfect moment because it’s not gonna happen, ever. If there is something you want to do or accomplish, start now by doing that first baby step. Do it now!
Don’t overthink
Take more action than thinking. It’s something that I am working on as well. Even if it leads to a mistake you will learn something, but with overthinking you are not going anywhere. It will only make you procrastinate, feel scared and overwhelmed.
Invite your feelings
Any feeling is more than welcome. Feelings are not our enemies but our saviours. Feelings are to protect and help us grow; now what we do with them is who we become in life. For example if we feel angry about x and we go out and punch someone, that’s something very bad that we did with that feeling; instead we can let anger pass by and find the cause of that feeling. Learn that WE are in charge and NOT our feelings, they are just indicators that something is going on. Take a step back, find the root cause and make the right decision. You will save a lot of time, believe me.

The last period I was feeling terrible for not writing a blog post. I really wanted but I couldn’t put my thoughts on a piece of paper and when my thoughts were ready to be shared I couldn’t write them as I was at work.
Procrastination and fear of judgement played a small role as well but finally I found the courage to share my thoughts again.
Everyone is facing different challenges and instead of facing them we tend to procrastinate, waste time complaining and regret. Focus on what you are going to do now to change it. Thinking of what you did wrong or what didn’t go your way it won’t make any difference to your current situation. Move forward…

How to stay away from negative people

It’s all about the energy that surrounds us. There is positive and negative energy. With negativity we create limits to our life and maybe to other people’s life. With positivity you let good things, people and solutions to come into your life which makes you see things differently. I am not trying to say that you will always have good moments and everything will go as you wish. But as a positive person you never let thoughts such as worry, discouragement and pessimism take over your life.

Although there is more negativity in the world right now, you don’t have to let it affect you. Turn your attention to a more uplifting reality.

Most of the negativity is caused from people that we choose to have around us rather than the environment that we live in. E.g. you can live in a rough area but if in your household you have positive people you don’t focus on the area but on the good time that you are having. Now imagine living in a peaceful area but in your household you have negative people that always complain and bring sorrow to your life.

So here are few tips that helped me to become more positive and I hope they can help you too.

Limit the time that you spend with them. You don’t have to stop speaking or stop seeing them, if you can’t avoid them, but at least limit the time you spend with them. People that constantly drain your energy and enthusiasm.
Don’t let their thoughts affect you. I let sometimes negative thoughts take over me but then I stop, take a deep breath, reflect, feel grateful for where I am and let it pass by. I know it’s hard especially when you feel down, those whispers in your head telling you “you better give up” but you have to stay strong and flow above that. There is a say that goes like that: “an entire sea can’t sink a boat unless it gets inside the boat. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t sink you unless you allow it to get inside you.”
Give yourself a break. You need space to clear your mind and put your emotions in order. Limit your exposure in people that suck out your energy and if you have to hang out with them, because they might be your colleagues where you see them every day in the office, try to do so in group so you won’t have to deal one to one.
Point them the good side. Show them your point of view. Remind them of a bad moment they had and turned out for good. They might see that there is a good side to every story, but if they don’t, let it be.
Move on for good. Negative people are not bad; they just have a constant alarm on worry, fear and uncertainty. But you have to move on and limit the influence they have over your wellbeing.

If you want to live your best life start being surrounded by positive people, it’s hard and painful but you have to avoid negativity. The people you let in your life should bring you joy and harmony; no sadness and anxiety.

Take action and full responsibility for your life. We don’t have to let anyone play with our feelings. We choose our emotional and behavioural response to people and circumstances of our life.

Remove negativity in order to make space for positivity. Try to see the good in the world and you will attract more good things.

Stay away from negative people; they have a problem for every solution.

The people we surround ourselves with can raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves. No woman or man become great on their own. The people around them help to make them great.

Do not ever forget that no matter what; we all need people in our lives that raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose and challenge us to become better and better.

We all need each other.

Be happy where you are now!

2020 has been a very tough and challenging year for 90% of the population, the other 10% have benefit from this situation as people had to stay home. For example online courses, learning sources, book sites, supermarkets, amazon etc. have thrived with this situation and that’s not bad at all.

Nature on the other hand I think has rebooted from our transportation pollution (no airplanes and no cars for nearly 5 months) for the first time in history.

Many people have lost their lives, got sick with the fear of death; many lost their jobs, lost their house, their comfort and their plans gone out of control. They missed their families and friends but life shows us that we are not in control of what’s happening or going to happen next. Life just throws us challenges and we just have to adapt and move forward.

That’s what we have to do; start from where we are and adapt to the new normal. Feel grateful for where you are and be excited for where you are going.

We are all in the same situation (kind of) where we postpone our happiness and we say “someday I will be happy”, “when I will have enough money”, “when I will have the new house”, “when I will buy the new car”, “when I will get the new job promotion”, “when I will go on holidays” and the list goes on and on and on.

Life and everything around us keep moving forward while we are losing time to feel happy and grateful right now. Ask yourself, “if not now, when?” We will always have to deal with challenges and hard times in our life. Some of you with less and some of us with more. the more challenges you deal with the better and wiser you can become.

Take a moment to think about a challenge you overcame, how good you felt afterwards and what have you learned. Challenges are to make us stronger, wiser and resilient.

Let’s stop trying to change things that are out of our control and start changing things that we have control of them. Our emotions and our mind for example, the way we feel and think is in our control. Nothing external has the right to change our internal state; only if we allow it.

My situation has changed due to covid-19 as everyone else. It hasn’t changed dramatically but it has a big effect on me. My job contract changed so I have to deal with uncertainty, my salary dropped a lot so I have to deal with challenges but will my situation change if I don’t feel happy and grateful right now? I still have a job at least to pay the bills and put food on the table. This situation will challenge me to make better decisions and come through stronger.

The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow.

My suggestion actions are:

Be grateful for where you are now. Enjoy the present moment and appreciate what you have now. Things are going to change from the moment you feel gratitude. Don’t forget to be grateful even in difficult time, that’s the next level game.
Think clear, take a moment to reflect and clear your mind. A long walk will definitely help to think what is standing in the way of your happiness. Most of our time is just our thinking.
Take action by changing your mood is the most important action. If you are feeling lost or frustrated remember that you can turn things around. Choose to focus on the good.

As everything in life requires action and struggle, the same is required for happiness, you don’t just feel happy for no reason (if yes, then something unusual happens within you)

Don’t feel trapped or angry with the situation you are in now or the way life has turned out.

Just remember you’re not alone.

The Magic of Thinking Big (book review)

The Magic of Thinking Big by author David Schwartz.

The first big idea that I take from the book is to believe in yourself. I know you are thinking that here we have another self-help book that has the same motto “believe in yourself”, but this one is focusing a lot on how we deal with our daily tasks, how we interact and mostly how we think. By focusing on what we are able to achieve despite the fact that some of us don’t know how. Only thinking that is able to happen, our mind sparks with ideas and tries to find solution to achieve it.

The author gives us many tips on how to stay humble, get the most out of our current job, our relationships and family life. He gives us many tips on how to stay positive, have a better attitude of how we see things and our confidence towards taking action.

“Action Cures Fear” quoted by David Schwartz

Success means something different for all of us because we all have different goals. But regardless of the goal, successful people have one thing in common, they believe in themselves. Success requires Believing in Yourself and the definition of success doesn’t mean money, success can be good friendships, family, or in sports. Disbelief in your own abilities makes things even harder as you have to be able to value and “sell” yourself more than you think. Realize how capable you really are. Believing in yourself generates the energy to achieve your goal and overcome obstacles.

We all can think whatever we want about ourselves and dream big but we have to always remember to be human and respect each other. So be kind no matter what and always try to give more; it can be just time to listen someone.

Progress is made one step at a time. Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishments. Every big dream has to cut in smaller pieces and daily small actions.

My take away quote from the author is: “do what you fear and fear disappears”

If you want to sell better, manage better, earn more money, and most important of all find greater happiness and peace of mind this book is for you!

Thank you for taking the time to read it. I hope you found it helpful.

Have a nice day!

You can find the book here.

5 yoga poses for begginers

This workout takes only few minutes of your time and the benefits are much more that you think. Yoga is a workout for mind, spirit and body. You are investing in strength; stretch and harmony in one go. Yoga has been found to improve quality of life, increase muscle strength and flexibility. Is the only hobby which needs the least money to invest in. The only equipment you need to start is a mat; then the next tools you need are your body and your breath.

I started doing yoga last year just for additional workout and I found out that is much more than just a practise for your body. Yoga is a new exploration tool for me and I am sure it will teach me a lot more in the future.

Here are few poses that I would like to share and you can start receiving the benefits straight away.

Child Pose ( Balasana )

(Child’s Pose is a gentle stretch for the back, hips, thighs, and ankles. It can help relieve back pain.)

How to do it:

Kneel on your mat with your knees width apart and your toes touching. Rest your forehead, palms and forearms on the mat. Inhale fully and relaxing exhale from 5 to 10 times.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Shvanasana)

(Downward-facing dog is a standing pose that builds strength while stretching the whole body. The flow of blood to the head calms the nervous system, improves memory, concentration and relieves stress.)

How to do it:

Put your palms on the mat, lift your hips and straighten your legs. Keep your tail high, with straight back and your head hanging. Inhale fully and exhale from 5 to 10 times.

Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)

(This pose helps to stretch the chest and abdominal muscles while strengthening the shoulders, triceps and forearms. “Rejuvenates” the spine and gives elasticity to the lungs.)

How to do it:

The legs are stretched out straight, the toes out (not tucked under), and the weight of the body is supported on the hands with outstretched arms so the hips are off the ground. The gaze is directed straight upwards, so the neck and back are arched.

Seated Forward Fold ( Paschimottanasana )

(This pose calms the brain; helps relieve stress and mild depression. It also stretches the spine, shoulders and hamstrings.)

How to do it:

Sit down on your mat, flex your feet and keep them engaged. Bend from the hips, trying to reach your feet.

Corpse Pose (Savasana)

(Complete your yoga session with this final posture for total relaxation. It allows your mind and body recharge and come into a relaxing state. Absorb the benefits of your practice.)

How to do it:

Lie down on your back and separate your legs. Bring your arms alongside your body and slightly separated. Turn your palms to face upwards. Stay in that position for a minimum of 2 minutes, breathe deeply with your eyes close and bring your attention to your breath.

Yoga makes me feel more calm, grounded and positive. It makes my body and mind feel stronger. Try it yourself…

Find inner peace

As we going to sleep every night so we can rest our body, exactly the same thing we need to do with our mind. In order to gain more energy for the next day it’s not only our body that needs to rest but more important our brain. We have to have a nice balance toward to have energetic, peaceful and healthier life quality.

As we need tools to work, to build things, to create, to keep us in shape, the same we need tools to keep our mind and spirit in balance. The only difference with our mind (and that’s amazing) is that we all have the tools within us; we just haven’t been shown how to use them.

Our brains never stop working, building big amounts of stress quite often. If you feel like your life is full of stress and things that never ending I think you should try a couple of these tips:

1. Find your Zen method

During the day we have to take small breaks and disconnect of what we do in order to rest our mind and charge our mental batteries. Zen is a state of calmness and peace. Long walks, music, yoga, meditation or going for a swim? Find out what works for you best and do it.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Don’t let small stuff to create a lot of unnecessary stress. Take few moments to reflect and ask yourself, “Will this matter in couple of days or weeks?”. If not why would you let it pull away your inner peace?

3. Slow down

Don’t rush to fit everything at the same time, instead write everything on a yellow pad (so you have a better vision and clear mind to act) and set priorities. A good tip is to do the easiest first to give you a sense of motivation and break the big projects you have into smaller pieces.

4. Let go

Let go of things and situations that drain you and you cannot change. All of us have made mistakes and we will carry on making them, they are part of our learning process. Someone or some bad situation may cause us stress or even pain but there’s only one thing that we can do and that’s to let go. Life keeps moving so we have to do the same if we don’t want to be left behind. The past belongs to the past and there is nothing we can do about it.

5. Do what needs to be done

Quite often we leave tasks to pile up and make ourselves stressing out. We have to stop procrastinating and start taking action. We let all that tension be created in us and make us feel awful.

There’s a nice quote from Martin Luther King Jr “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

6. Breath

When you feel stressed or overwhelmed take few deep breaths and release any tension. Breathing technic is easy, you can do it anywhere and anytime you want as much as you want. Fill your body and brain with oxygen.

Inner peace is a state in which you are mentally and spiritually at peace. It’s an everyday must in our life; by mastering inner peace you will be in control of your mind and emotions and no one or nothing external will change that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think. You can share this post with friends and family. Have a great day!

GOOD

Today I want to share with you a nice and helpful article written by a retired Navy SEAL Commander, Jocko Willink, that I read in the book Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. Here is the article:

How do I deal with setbacks, failures, delays, defeat, or other disasters? I actually have a fairly simple way of dealing with these situations. There is one word to deal with all those situations, and that is “good”.

This is something that one of my direct subordinates, one of the guys who worked for me, a guy who became one of my best friends, pointed out. He would call me up or pull me aside with some major problem or some issue that was going on, and he would say, “Boss, we got this, that, or the other thing going wrong,” and I would look at him and I would say, “Good.”

And finally, one day, he was telling me about some situation that was going off the rails, and as soon as he got done explaining it to me, he said, “I already know what you’re going to say”.

And I asked, “What am I going to say?”

He said, “You’re going to say: Good.”

He continued, “That’s what you always say. When something is wrong or going bad, you just look at me and say, Good”.

And I said, “Well, I mean it. Because that is how I operate.” So I explained to him that when things are going bad, there is going to be some good that will come from it.

Oh, mission got cancelled? Good. We can focus on another one
Didn’t get the new high speed gear we wanted? Good. We can keep it simple.
Didn’t get promoted? Good. More time to get better.
Didn’t get funded? Good. We own more of the company.
Didn’t get the job you wanted? Good. Go out, gain more experience, and build a better resume.
Got injured? Good. Needed a break from training.
Got beat? Good. We learned.
Unexpected problems? Good. We have that opportunity to figure out a solution.

That’s it. When things are going bad, don’t get all bummed out, don’t get frustrated. Just look at the issue and say: “Good”. Accept reality but focus on the solution. Take that issue, take that setback, take that problem and turn it into something good. Go forward.

Finally, to close this up: if you can say the word “Good”, guess what? It means you are still alive. It means you are still breathing.

And if you are still breathing, that means you’ve still got some fight left in you. So get up, dust off, reload, recalibrate, re-engage, and go out on the attack.

It’s ok

The last three weeks have been challenging for me. Lots of thoughts keep coming, some insecurity, agony and pressure to make everyday a ‘good day’. I personally want to feel like each day I am improving and going a step forward. A step forward as a husband, as a father, as a friend, as a productive person, as a human. 2020 has been full of good and challenging surprises for me until now.

Two weeks ago my wife started having contractions so it was time for us to go to the hospital. Ten hours later I had a call that I had to go back as my wife was going into labour, and nine hours after that we were holding in our hands our lovely second son. As everything went well, we were expecting to go home by the end of that day but as things turned out, both my wife and the baby had to stay longer.

Long story short, our baby son had to have blood transfusion and eventually nine days later they were back home. All that time I couldn’t be with them, as partners weren’t allowed in the hospital due to the virus so I had to stay home with our eldest son. IT WAS TOUGH FOR EVERYONE AND THE LONGEST NINE DAYS. What that situation taught me is that we can’t predict of how things will turn out, how they will affect us and IT’S OK.

The truth is that sometimes we’re not ok but we will be. We will hold on but eventually we will let go. It will be tough but we will make it through. We may feel fear but we will get stronger.

We have to try and do things with whatever life gives us. Due to COVID-19 our life routines have changed completely and there’s not much we can do about it. We have to be like water; making it’s way through cracks, we have to always find a way to adjust in any situation. We don’t have to feel fear, as fear freezes us and makes us numbed; instead we have to be ready and open to move on and grow from these challenges.

Are they comfortable? Absolutely not.

Are they part of our life and vital to grow? Sure.

So, it’s ok to have hard times,

It’s ok to have bad days,

It’s ok to don’t feel productive,

It’s ok to do less and

It’s ok to do what’s best for YOU.

Those are my thoughts when I don’t feel ok. Because, it’s ok not to be ok and it’s ok to talk about it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope it will help you when you won’t feel ok next time! I would like to know your thoughts and what you personally do when you have those moments.

Ways to support your mental health during COVID-19

This lockdown period is so hard for all of us and something that we have to get through together. We have to remember that everything happens for us and not to us. Stay positive, don’t lose your strength.

With this entire situation let’s see what we can do to stay productive and gain a lot of free time that we always used to need.

Time you wished to have.

The ‘free’ time you were wishing to have it’s now here. Use it however you want but don’t waste it by complaining or worrying about things that you can’t control. People around the world may face much hard times than us. Let’s feel grateful for being healthy and use this time to grow mentally, spiritually and physically.

Approach every hard time with an alternative perspective. Try to reframe “I am stuck inside” to “I finally have the time I need to work on myself and the things I love”. I personally have the best extra time that I could ask for as I have free time to spend playing, drawing and learning things with my 2 year old son.

No matter how small your house is or how few things you have, there is always enough space and as many things you need to create something beautiful; be creative.

Journaling.

Journaling can relief your worries and stress. It’s important to connect with your inner-self and let any negative thoughts go away. The great thing about journaling is that you can write whatever you want, whenever you want. Write about your day, feelings, ideas, goals or anything you like; nobody else will read them (unless you want to) so feel free and write whatever bothers you.

Create a good self- care routine.

It’s easy to slip into the habit of sleeping late, spending all day in your pyjamas and eating junk food, but looking after yourself is essential for your mental health. Self-care routine is something that we all have to have in mind and use it on a daily basis. We have to make sure we are getting the right amount of sleep, rich in nutrients foods and exercise as much as possible.

Bucket list.

Create your bucket list with all the things you want to do in your life. Reflect on all of the things you‘ll be able to do once lockdown is over. I will put a bucket list in my Facebook page that you can have a look and get some ideas, you can comment with a photo of your list if you like and I would encourage you to do it.

Exercise.

Exercise if you can and as much as you can; is really good for mental health and physical well-being. Put music that boosts your mood and start feeling amazing. Exercising at home can be simple and there are options for all ages and abilities, including yoga videos, body weight or cardio workouts. Between me and you, you can just sit sunbathing in your garden and get some sweating, plus a nice tan, from sun.

The key point is just to feel good and stay strong through this hard time. If you don’t feel like doing any of these things it doesn’t matter. What matters is to take care of yourselves. Try to relax and focus on positive things, knowing that every effort is being made globally to bring this situation to a close, but it will take time…

Don’t forget to be kind to others and yourselves!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post and take care!

Gratitude for living better

Gratitude is such a powerful emotion, one that can make your life better in so many ways, if you have that emotion you remove anxiety, fear and depression.

It’s very easy to take things for granted, to lose perspective and lack of appreciation for things in our life. Quite often we blame the society that we live and we feel like we always missing out, but the reality is that we are don’t take the time to be grateful for what we already have and how blessed we are.

We are seeking for more money and material goods to make us feel happy, but the truth is if we don’t feel happy right now, this moment, it won’t change even if we had all of them. The simple action that we have to take is appreciating and feeling grateful.

Gratitude is a tool that we always have with us and we can use it as much as we want. By practicing each day we can develop a high performance habit that will bring happiness in every sector in our life. We will improve our well-being, resilience, energy, self-esteem, positivity and studies has shown even live longer.

Here I have some tips to practice on gratitude:

Share love with other people. Find what you like about them, what makes them special and feel grateful for having them in your life. Let them know that they are special to you.
Be kind, offer some help and smile more. Kindness and giving are connected to gratitude. Don’t allow other people’s bitterness or negativity, or any other outward circumstance, to disturb your inner peace.
Practise mindfulness and meditate. [here is a nice blog post about it, click here]
Start writing a journal. Each day write three things that you are grateful for. It can be anything, the weather, your feelings, your dog, your cat, your special mug, your car, your kids, the running water in your house. Last but not least is something easy and we always have it with us, is
Appreciation. Think about what you already have rather complaining for what is missing. Appreciate every small thing around you wherever you are. For example when you wake up in the morning feel grateful for the nice sleep you had or for your nice bedroom, when you are at work for having a job that you earn money or for the people you have met, when you are in your car for the fact that you own a car and you can go anywhere you like to, when you are at home for the electricity or the nice, comfy sofa that you have. There are plenty of things to feel grateful for every day and all day long!

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

What could you be grateful for right now? Think about it! Appreciate all the little things around you. No matter how horrible you might think your life is and what you are going through right now. We all have tough times and problems to solve, but even those times see the lessons that we learn from them. We need them to make us stronger and wiser. God gave us hard times to appreciate the good ones and because He knows we are capable to handle them and grow through them.

“The quality or condition of being thankful, the appreciation of any inclination to return kindness.” The oxford dictionary

If you want to feel better, healthier and grateful, you just have to say these two words often: THANK YOU!

I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read it, as well I want to thank all of you that are sharing your thoughts by commenting to my blogs or sending me personal messages through my page on Facebook! Have a great day! Love you all.

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