Two Rules to Happiness

I can't control anyone, and while giving advise often times makes me feel good, it's not always wanted or appreciated. Laying down some ground rules that everyone has to follow is a good start to finding a way to live in harmony.

Take for example, when your children are fighting about something. Most parents will try to control the discussion or argument, and create a solution for them. A solution based on the parent's beliefs, and past experiences. While this is how many parents find solutions for their children, have you ever just let them settle it themselves?

I have read that sometimes children should be allowed to figure things out for themselves. Left to come to decisions and agreements without parental intervention. As long as there is no hitting, or inappropriate language going on, you could just let them figure it out. Perhaps, knowing the law of attraction, a little guidance or ground rules would help them to make those important decisions on their own, and create more peace and harmony between them.

Live by the first rule:
I always have the choice to be happy.

Yes, we always have a choice. In fact, we are making choices all the time. Our emotions are choices as well. If we choose to think of negative things, this can bring feelings of anger, hurt, aggression, depression, anxiety, and so on. We can choose to be happy no matter what the situation. It may not be the easiest thing to do, especially at first. It is something we have to practice every day. There will be easy days, and challenging days, but if we continue to choose happiness, we will find it comes easier and more frequently to us. So, the first lesson is to become aware of what feeling we are choosing to have.

When someone says their behavior is because of something someone else did, we can remind them that regardless of what others choose to do, we are still making a choice for our own feelings and actions, and this is where choosing to be happy will benefit us. Using the actions of others to justify wrong action for ourselves is never the right thing to do. It is a poor choice.

We can have this discussion with our children, and remind them that they are choosing to be upset, when they can be happy. Daily reminders will lead our children and ourselves to a path of inner peace and happiness, and that is a great gift indeed.


Live by the second rule:
What I put my energy and focus on is what I will receive.

If a person is angry for more than 17 seconds, they will increase that anger as time goes on. The negative emotion must be changed before too much time is allowed to go on, or we will find ourselves feeling very unhappy. You may ask, how do I change a negative feeling? One way is to think about whether or not it is worth your happiness to continue to feel negative about the situation.

If we come to realize that the importance of things is simply determined by our beliefs, which can be changed, then we can put more energy and focus on positive things, and put the negative things behind us. Many times our Ego is at work, creating situations where we fight to be right, or insist on having the last word. We may feel that what we have to say is more important than what someone else is saying, there are many things our ego compels us to do that really aren't beneficial to us. Focus on positive good things, put your ego aside, and watch how your world changes.

Try these ideas with yourself, and your children and you will begin to see a change in everyone.