Creating a Path to Happiness

[Guest guest]

Creating a Path to Happiness

by Susyn Reeve

Whenever I draw a circle,

I immediately want to step out of it.

-- R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER

Human beings follow the path of least resistance. This idea in action

is seen in the habit patterns we follow in the course of our daily

life. For example, your alarm clock goes off, as you reach for the

snooze button, with your eyes closed, you think, " just five more

minutes, " and roll over. The next thing you know your alarm clock is

beeping again. You get out of bed, your eyes are partially open as you

go into the bathroom, pee, brush your teeth, turn on the shower, step

into the shower and sigh as you feel the water against your body. This

is a routine, a well-trod path. Habit patterns provide a structure

that enables us to easily perform routine things. The danger is we

often continue with the habit pattern because we are used to it, even

when it is no longer effective and satisfying.

In addition to habits in our actions, we have habit patterns of

thoughts and words. We think and say them on automatic. The idea of

taking a new path is to be awake to our patterns and create new

pathways in our thoughts, words, and actions when the old ones no

longer contribute to peace and happiness. Taking a new path awakens us

more fully to the present moment.

HOW TO DO IT

DAY 1: Take a new path to the places you go. Drive down a different

road on your way to work. Take a bus instead of the car; park your car

a few blocks from where you are going, and walk the rest of the way.

Use the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Pick the kids up from

school today rather than having them take the school bus. Play with

this. Be creative.

DAY 2: Change the way you normally do things. If you always brush your

teeth before you shower, today take your toothbrush into the shower

with you and brush your teeth in the shower. If you usually

automatically turn on the radio when you are fixing breakfast, today

leave the radio off, and listen to the sounds of your home in the

morning. Are birds singing, are your kids laughing, is there an

argument you can hear, what does the sound of running water sound

like? Sit at a different place at your table. Experiment writing with

your non-dominant hand. Sleep on the other side of the bed. Put your

watch on the other wrist. Play with taking a new path.

DAY 3: Do something different with what you wear. Wear the sexy

underwear you've been saving. Shave, or don't shave. Wear your hair

down, if you usually wear it up. Wear a tie that makes you smile

rather than the one you always wear with your corporate uniform. Paint

your fingernails with the gold glitter nail polish that makes you

smile when you see it on your daughter's fingernails. Wear no make-up

for the day. Play. Enjoy. Take a new path.

DAY 4: Follow the path of your thoughts and think happy thoughts

today. When you notice that your thought patterns are taking you down

a road that is hellish, have a new thought. Notice, when you put your

mind to it, that you can turn lemon thoughts into refreshing lemonade.

Recently, as I was leaving a friend's house after having visited over

a holiday weekend, he said to me, " Get ready for a long drive; you're

going to get into a lot of holiday traffic. " That's not the farewell

idea that I wanted to be thinking as I began my journey home. I went

over to him and said, " Imagine that I have an easy, smooth drive home

and that I call and let you know that traffic was light and my drive

was relaxing. " Having a new thought, creating a new pathway in our

thinking is magical. Experiment. (And I did have an easy drive home. I

even got on an earlier ferry!)

DAY 5: Create a new path in your life that opens the door wide to

peace and happiness. Here are some examples:

1. Signing up for a regular yoga class

2. Beginning each day with an inspirational reading

3. Enjoying the quiet of each morning by not automatically turning on

the morning news

4. Taking a bubble bath before you go to sleep

5. Scheduling a regular massage

6. Writing an appreciation list of what you are grateful for before

you go to sleep

7. Buying a subscription to your local theater program.

Let your heart be your guide as you create this new path in your life.

DAY 6: Do something you have been putting off or have been afraid to

do. Get your hair colored. Buy and wear those rose-colored sunglasses.

Have a makeover at the make-up counter in your local department store.

Get home before your wife, fill your bedroom with candles, and have a

romantic dinner in bed. Audition for the play in your community

theater. Join the choir. Wear a sexy outfit. Express your ideas at

work. Talk to that person in the gym you think is so attractive.

DAY 7: Write your reflections about taking a new path.

1. What did you discover?

2. How can you use this idea in your daily life?

3. How does taking a new path illuminate peace and happiness?

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

CHAPTER ONE

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost. . . . I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find my way out.

CHAPTER TWO

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in this same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

CHAPTER THREE

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in . . . it's a habit . . . but, my eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

CHAPTER FOUR

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

CHAPTER FIVE

I walk down another street.

-- PORTIA NELSON

This article was excerpted from:

Choose Peace & Happiness by Susyn Reeve.

About the Author

Susyn Reeve is an ordained Interfaith Minister whose work includes

organizational and personal development consulting with such

organizations as NYU Medical Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center. The

Plaza Hotel, Exxon, and UJA Federation. In her workshops, Susyn

creates opportunities for people to identify, reconnect with, use and

honor their natural resources-skills, talents, and abilities. She is

co-founder of CelebrateSomebody.com. Visit her website at

www.susynreeve.com.

--

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

" Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love, for the sun is

setting and it will be over so fast. "

-- Ken Pierpont

Be blessed my friend,

http://www.myspace.com/rarebreeze

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Oh, Thankyou so much, it seems that your timing is just

great for such a wonderful way of looking at the glass as half full

again, I have been fallin " into that same hole in the sidewalk "

myself lately..Boy is it refreshing to see such an incredibly helpful

message for getting out of my rut, my sister!! Thank you again for

this post, I must put it on my fridge and practice it each and every

day, til I am feeling more myslef again!!! Namaste and huge hugs

and love and light for you, my dear!! LUNA

--- In , " " <ASundayInJune@...>

wrote:

>

> Creating a Path to Happiness

> by Susyn Reeve

>

> Whenever I draw a circle,

> I immediately want to step out of it.

> -- R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER

>

> Human beings follow the path of least resistance. This idea in

action

> is seen in the habit patterns we follow in the course of our daily

> life. For example, your alarm clock goes off, as you reach for the

> snooze button, with your eyes closed, you think, " just five more

> minutes, " and roll over. The next thing you know your alarm clock is

> beeping again. You get out of bed, your eyes are partially open as

you

> go into the bathroom, pee, brush your teeth, turn on the shower,

step

> into the shower and sigh as you feel the water against your body.

This

> is a routine, a well-trod path. Habit patterns provide a structure

> that enables us to easily perform routine things. The danger is we

> often continue with the habit pattern because we are used to it,

even

> when it is no longer effective and satisfying.

>

> In addition to habits in our actions, we have habit patterns of

> thoughts and words. We think and say them on automatic. The idea of

> taking a new path is to be awake to our patterns and create new

> pathways in our thoughts, words, and actions when the old ones no

> longer contribute to peace and happiness. Taking a new path awakens

us

> more fully to the present moment.

>

> HOW TO DO IT

>

> DAY 1: Take a new path to the places you go. Drive down a different

> road on your way to work. Take a bus instead of the car; park your

car

> a few blocks from where you are going, and walk the rest of the way.

> Use the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Pick the kids up

from

> school today rather than having them take the school bus. Play with

> this. Be creative.

>

> DAY 2: Change the way you normally do things. If you always brush

your

> teeth before you shower, today take your toothbrush into the shower

> with you and brush your teeth in the shower. If you usually

> automatically turn on the radio when you are fixing breakfast, today

> leave the radio off, and listen to the sounds of your home in the

> morning. Are birds singing, are your kids laughing, is there an

> argument you can hear, what does the sound of running water sound

> like? Sit at a different place at your table. Experiment writing

with

> your non-dominant hand. Sleep on the other side of the bed. Put your

> watch on the other wrist. Play with taking a new path.

>

> DAY 3: Do something different with what you wear. Wear the sexy

> underwear you've been saving. Shave, or don't shave. Wear your hair

> down, if you usually wear it up. Wear a tie that makes you smile

> rather than the one you always wear with your corporate uniform.

Paint

> your fingernails with the gold glitter nail polish that makes you

> smile when you see it on your daughter's fingernails. Wear no make-

up

> for the day. Play. Enjoy. Take a new path.

>

> DAY 4: Follow the path of your thoughts and think happy thoughts

> today. When you notice that your thought patterns are taking you

down

> a road that is hellish, have a new thought. Notice, when you put

your

> mind to it, that you can turn lemon thoughts into refreshing

lemonade.

>

> Recently, as I was leaving a friend's house after having visited

over

> a holiday weekend, he said to me, " Get ready for a long drive;

you're

> going to get into a lot of holiday traffic. " That's not the farewell

> idea that I wanted to be thinking as I began my journey home. I went

> over to him and said, " Imagine that I have an easy, smooth drive

home

> and that I call and let you know that traffic was light and my drive

> was relaxing. " Having a new thought, creating a new pathway in our

> thinking is magical. Experiment. (And I did have an easy drive

home. I

> even got on an earlier ferry!)

>

> DAY 5: Create a new path in your life that opens the door wide to

> peace and happiness. Here are some examples:

>

> 1. Signing up for a regular yoga class

> 2. Beginning each day with an inspirational reading

> 3. Enjoying the quiet of each morning by not automatically turning

on

> the morning news

> 4. Taking a bubble bath before you go to sleep

> 5. Scheduling a regular massage

> 6. Writing an appreciation list of what you are grateful for before

> you go to sleep

> 7. Buying a subscription to your local theater program.

>

> Let your heart be your guide as you create this new path in your

life.

>

> DAY 6: Do something you have been putting off or have been afraid to

> do. Get your hair colored. Buy and wear those rose-colored

sunglasses.

> Have a makeover at the make-up counter in your local department

store.

> Get home before your wife, fill your bedroom with candles, and have

a

> romantic dinner in bed. Audition for the play in your community

> theater. Join the choir. Wear a sexy outfit. Express your ideas at

> work. Talk to that person in the gym you think is so attractive.

>

> DAY 7: Write your reflections about taking a new path.

>

> 1. What did you discover?

> 2. How can you use this idea in your daily life?

> 3. How does taking a new path illuminate peace and happiness?

>

> Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

>

> CHAPTER ONE

>

> I walk down the street.

> There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

> I fall in.

> I am lost. . . . I am helpless.

> It isn't my fault.

> It takes forever to find my way out.

>

> CHAPTER TWO

>

> I walk down the same street.

> There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

> I pretend I don't see it.

> I fall in again.

> I can't believe I am in this same place.

> But it isn't my fault.

> It still takes a long time to get out.

>

> CHAPTER THREE

>

> I walk down the same street.

> There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

> I see it is there.

> I still fall in . . . it's a habit . . . but, my eyes are open.

> I know where I am.

> It is my fault.

> I get out immediately.

>

> CHAPTER FOUR

>

> I walk down the same street.

> There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

> I walk around it.

>

> CHAPTER FIVE

>

> I walk down another street.

>

> -- PORTIA NELSON

>

> This article was excerpted from:

> Choose Peace & Happiness by Susyn Reeve.

>

> About the Author

>

> Susyn Reeve is an ordained Interfaith Minister whose work includes

> organizational and personal development consulting with such

> organizations as NYU Medical Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center. The

> Plaza Hotel, Exxon, and UJA Federation. In her workshops, Susyn

> creates opportunities for people to identify, reconnect with, use

and

> honor their natural resources-skills, talents, and abilities. She is

> co-founder of CelebrateSomebody.com. Visit her website at

> www.susynreeve.com.

>

>

>

>

> --

> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

> " Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love, for the sun

is

> setting and it will be over so fast. "

> -- Ken Pierpont

>

> Be blessed my friend,

>

> http://www.myspace.com/rarebreeze

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Luna,

Its so nice to meet you!! And I must admit its nice to know that I'm

not the only one who keeps falling " into the same hole in the

sidewalk " . Something happened not long ago which threw me off course

and I just told just a few minutes ago that I was having such a

hard time getting myself back together since that had happened. I'm

trying to " let go " and I mean REALLY " let go " of some things that I

thought I conquered years ago. But they seem to have been thrown back

in my face and this time twice as hard and with a vengence.

Sometimes me and talk about things it seems like forever. And

at the end of the day I feel like I'm right back where I started. But

then some days I see progress. Baby steps, I guess is what it takes

for me. So it goes reallllll slow sometimes.

So as I babystep my way back into some type of sanity...I think I'll

print this article out also and practice it every day right along with

you!!!

Blessings,

> >

> > Creating a Path to Happiness

> > by Susyn Reeve

> >

> > Whenever I draw a circle,

> > I immediately want to step out of it.

> > -- R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER

> >