Strip Naked and Re-dress with Happiness. Maria Hocking

yourself time to be still and allow your attention to focus on what makes you smile. Focus on what makes you happy. Joy can be found in many thing such as tiny flowers, vibrant sunsets or the feeling of warm sand between your toes.

      CHANGING ROOM TIP

      Get Snap Happy

      One of the most effective and rewarding ways to learn to live in the moment is to get snap happy. Literally. Find yourself a camera, and wander aimlessly in a place of natural beauty. Photography will give you respite from your internal worries, as you become receptive to the beauty that surrounds you. Plans or expectations will become irrelevant, as you allow yourself to just ‘be’. Focusing a camera lens on the tiny petal of a buttercup or a butterfly at rest allows you to focus your attention, and you will be able to rest too. Photography will expand the way that you see, and what you see. Taking pictures allows space in your mind. With space, your mind can begin to see your circumstances in a new light. Allow yourself to snap and be happy.

      “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

      Thornton Wilder

      CHANGE YOUR

      EXPECTATION FOR

      APPRECIATION

      AND YOUR WORLD

      CHANGES INSTANTLY.

      TONY ROBBINS

      MOVING WITH MAGIC

      In my moment of gratefulness, changes began to occur as if by magic. Seconds after my revelation my legs took me over to a rather crumpled edition of the Yellow Pages (yes, it still existed in those days). I flicked through, looking for a local college. It seemed to happen instantly without a thought. Was I in control? Was I out of control? What was happening to me? Confusion set aside, I called the college straight away, knowing that for me to find myself something needed to change. I sobbed into the hand-set as I spoke to the receptionist. I told her my story with tears pouring down my face, and snot leaking from my nose. I doubt that therapy was in her job description, but I didn’t really give her much choice. Through sniffs and wails, I explained to her that I needed something new to focus on, other than myself. I told her that I thought that learning something new would give me that focus. What I had totally failed to do prior to this call was decide what I actually wanted to learn. When she asked, I didn’t have a clue. I was lost, hopelessly lost. Sensing my confusion, the receptionist asked me one very specific question that opened the door to change a little wider:

      “What have you always enjoyed doing?”

      Giving myself a short time to sort my thoughts, my life flashed before my eyes. In a split second I recalled secondary school memories of blasting up the hockey pitch as team captain with a huge grin on my face. I remembered how good it felt to run, and to run a long way. Memories of swimming, football, and athletics came flooding back, in a moment of inspiration.

      “Sport,” I said immediately, “I’ve always enjoyed sport.” I was informed that there was a fitness instructor course starting in two weeks. Knowing nothing else other than I was moving forwards, and praying that I had enough money in my depleted bank account, I booked onto the course there and then. Putting the phone back on the hook and taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh of relief. Sensing movement replacing stagnation, I became aware that a shift had occurred, but was unaware that I’d stepped deeply into the changing room.

      CHANGING ROOM TIP

      Use Magic To Move

      When the word ‘sport’ shot from my mouth whilst I was speaking to the receptionist at the college, it was powered by joy. Joy creates movement because we are naturally drawn to move towards it. We experience many moments of joy as a child, but as we grow our joys can become less of a priority. Daily commitments seem to take our time, and we think we have less time to connect with what makes us happy. This isn’t who we were meant to be. It’s not who YOU were ever meant to be.