The movie was inspiring and resonated with me on a deep level. A down to earth documentary about the true nature of happiness and how to keep it flowing.

What struck me the most was what many of us know deep down makes us the happiest. Our relationships with ourselves, friends, family and our natural world around us. When you come from a place of within and not from “out there” you realize that it’s all about the vibration and connectedness of our communities that really matter most. Someone who comes from a fulfilled place, without all the trappings and “stuff ” that is so promised to make us happy finds themselves in a stress-less free state that allows clear conscious expressions of joy and happiness to bubble out spontaneously. Now that is not to say “you can’t have it all. It’s about perspective and having “stuff” can certainly be nice to create but when it comes down to a meaningful happy life, stuff is just that stuff.

One expert psychologist and author (of the book titled Flow) that was interviewed during the film is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He explains that Flow is experiencing a timeless state in the now and doing what you most love to be doing. There were many people throughout the film that were clearly in “The Flow”. Most of us can relate to being in that state and how free and happy it feels.

Experiencing Flow not only suspends time per say but energizes the body as the person experiences a challenging and skillful activity. It can be thought of as a type of ecstasy.

This movie takes you on a journey worldwide to view different cultures and share in their way of life.  I realized our world is filled with many happy people and there are some profound similarities to what makes us truly happy.

A dear friend of mine once told me that when you have your personal, physical, emotional and spiritual needs met you can honestly feel happy and when you have your personal, physical, emotional and spritual preferences met you can feel a deep sense of JOY. Those needs and preferences are not generated from the outside towards you but the other way around. Happiness and Joy come from within and all the outside toys and accolades will never make you happy or Joyous and seeing this documentary titled Happy reminds me of the meaningful aspects of life.

I give Happy a 5 star rating and recommend it to everyone.

image source: shairy, leawoodward

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The lovely and positive, Mimi Kirk

ABC News posted this morning about research done on the centenarians (100+ years old) and how they have positive attitudes. The research showed that genetics only account for 1/3rd of our long lives. In fact, many long livers are from families with a history of illness. The research is showing that positive thinking can help to prolong our lifespan and quality of life.

Let’s take a look at why positivity can help us to live a long life.

• Less Stress – The more positive we are in our worlds the less stress and drama we attract. Positive thoughts help us be more patient and understanding when conversing with others, helping us ease tensions that can come up from poor communication.
• More Active – It’s tough to be very active when you’re down. Negativity is a crusher of spirits and activity that would help us shed those few extra pounds or move some of the toxins out of our body. When you’re positive, you feel like you can run forever, stretch farther and hoola hoop until the cows come home.
• Less Acidic – The more positive we are, the more alkaline we can be. Constant worry and stress can create high acidity in our bodies. Being more positive can help alleviate the stress and, in turn, reduce the acidity.
• Quality of Life – What fun would it be to live longer if you didn’t enjoy living? The longer you live the more fun you should be having. Staying positive will help you enjoy all the goodies that come into your life.

Learn From Positive and Delightful, Mimi Kirk

Positive thinking in addition to a healthy diet is the best way to live long and happy. For a perfect example of this we can take a look at Mimi Kirk. She is full of life, very positive and eats healthy. Not only that, she is one of the best people to advocate a long, healthy life since she is 73 and looks like she is in her 40′s.

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When I stumbled upon these prints by Therese Senneholt, I loved them immediately. She really inspires me to design boldly in black and white.  The phrases and quotes she chooses are always fun and shake things up. They are all perfect for everything I’m going through and wanted to share them for those of you who are in the same boat, and those who also appreciate black and white like I do!

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I’ve always loved this quote- I don’t know how accurately it has been passed down over the years, but we get the gist of it. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to keep your most positive, supportive friends and family closest to you whenever possible. When you’re positive, of course you can be an example and support for others, but over time negativity can wear on you and mean people can tear you down. Do your best to seek out people who will take your life in the direction that you want it to go, and spend your time with them. People can be a huge asset, or a huge liability when it comes to the ultimate wealth- your health and happiness.

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