Manifesto

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HAPPINESS

"A smile is worth a thousand words." Living in a foreign country requires certain adjustments to one's life. Language barrier being one of the stumbling blocks for some people who move into a new culture. For me, I have found that although I can only throw together a few sentences in Bulgarian, if I start with a smile, I am embraced and welcomed because a smile is a universal language.

There is also scientific research that proves that smiling is beneficial to our health. Smiling boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure, releases natural endorphines, increases serotonin and reduces stress.

Have you ever noticed that people who are happy look younger? There is a direct correlation between happiness and youthfulness. Having a sense of peace, self acceptance, fulfillment and purpose brings not only happiness, but longevity. Studies show that the better we feel about our well-being, the longer we tend to live. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" " Oliver Wendell Holmes

We must Look inside to find happiness. You carry your heart and your head with you. You cannot escape yourself. Too often we say that our lives are not working because we are unwillingly to work at life. We must take responsibility for things as they are, and work with our challenges. We must understand that it is actually possible to attain clarity, understanding and feel happy, when perhaps the world around us may not be seeing with the same lens. It is a wonderful thing to see your life through rose coloured glasses.

Happiness is subjective. What makes me feel happy, might not make you feel happy. The happiness scale is culturally biased. I recently read an article stating that Bulgarians were the least happiest country in the European Union. The article identified that Bulgarians were unhappy because of their low quality of life and standard of living. I ask myself "Are these not two areas of a persons life that can be changed intrinsically?" As a new resident of Bulgaria, I must admit that many Bulgarians are surprised when I sing praises of their amazing country. For me, Bulgaria is a wonderful place to live. This could be because I am feeling personally fulfilled. I expect that I would find anywhere I live to be a "happy place" because I am content in my being. In Bulgaria, we are surrounded with an abundance of food, energetic mountains, lovely lakes and we are able to experience four seasons. These terrific wonders of the world are amazing, but they should not be the indicators to measure a person's happiness, because happiness must come from within. A person in North America may measure their level of happiness by what material items they have, or how successful they are in their job, rather than searching on a deeper level into the head and heart. A person in Africa might measure their level of happiness by whether they had basic needs of survival; such as food, water and shelter. The bottom line is, rather than looking at the external factors to measure happiness, one must look deep inside, discovering mindfulness and identify what gives them inner wisdom, peace and ultimately joy. The fully developed happy human being embodies the unity of soul and spirit wherever they call home.

Remember this quote: ‎"Happiness is never stopping to think if you are." ~ Palmer Sondreal

Bottle the Energy

Sun, sand and solitude. The sss's of summer. We should all be so fortunate to enjoy a summer holiday, a reprieve from the whirlwind schedule of daily life. It is a time for recovery, reflection and a chance for your body and mind to re-energize.

I can remember as a kid, leaving the house in the wee hours of the morning and not coming inside until the street lights came on. Summer days seem to pass too quickly. A typical summer day might be filled with activities like sailing or swimming, surfing or frisbee. These activities are so incredibly good for the soul, by connecting with mother earth. Playing outside gives us an appreciation of the world around us. What better way to complete a warm summer day, but to sit and watch the spectacular sunset.

Saying good-night to the sun is a great way to reflect on what gifts the day brought. Summer nights are clear and crisp. There is an unparalleled energy that a person gets from just relaxing under a starry night. Note: there has been no mention of computers, ipods, facebook, Ipads, Wii's, just a pure and simple connection with ourselves and the earth. There is much to be said for turning off all electronics when your body is in recovery mode.

We just celebrated our first full week back at school by hosting a welcome back party for the school staff. The energy and enthusiasm can only be described as contagious. Teachers were refreshed and excited to be starting another year of educating young minds. Support staff were relaxed and ready to assist in making this school year the best ever. One could see the maintenance staff breathing a big sigh of relief to have all the projects completed prior to the school opening. The big question is, how can this energy be sustained throughout the year, particularly when it is cold and grey outside? My small piece of advice for you, is to take the incredible energy that you have gained from summer time and bottle it up to use later in the year. When you are feeling exhausted, drained or tired from a busy week, open your proverbial bottle of energy and feed your soul. Remember the relaxed feeling you had during one of those summer evenings while you were sitting under the stars. Be thankful that you had the opportunity to do nothing but star gaze. If you time it right, you should have bottled enough energy to last until your next long weekend or extended holiday. Be in tune with the things in life that not only increase your serotonin levels, but also, allow you time for positive pause and feed your soul. Whether it is climbing a mountain, visiting with a dear friend or sitting in stillness beneath the trees. Bottle this energy.

Speak kindly, Care deeply, Love generously In Fitness, Andie