Authentic happiness formula: being aware and accepting

Being Aware and Accepting

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Being Aware and Accepting: first part of AmAre

* A – Aware and Accepting* M – Meaningful and Motivated* A – Active and Attentive* R – Resilient and Respectful* E – Eating properly and Exercising

TopicsBeing Aware: definition

Assessing our current situation by being Aware of how we perceive it

Cultivating our Awareness

Introduction: let’s define together Acceptance

Advantages of being Accepting

Cultivating our Acceptance: loving kindness

Introduction: let’s define together Awareness

Being aware is important because:

Through our awareness and actions, we gain the courage to change the things we can change, the serenity to accept the

things we can't change. And the wisdom to know the difference.

Being Aware of:

contextfeelingsintentionshow we see thingsour strengthsvaluesbiases

Being Aware that:

happiness and meaning are not only an end result which shines from far in the future; they are attitudes and choices

Assessing our current situation by being Aware of how we perceive it

To keep in mind

Tools described in this chapter are a way to facilitate happiness and meaning

They are not a crystal ball, nor deterministic

We benefit from the learning process of considering different variables, assessing course of actions and seeing potential results in scenarios

Assessing the present with Awareness

Using the formula

Evaluating the different variables

Calculating the result

Interpreting the result

Being Aware about happiness

Is happiness an inside job?

Instead of a journey to happiness…

… we are living happily our journey

We are living happily our journey

Can we represent happiness?

Using the formula

Evaluating the different variables

Calculating the result

Interpreting the result

Using the formula

Evaluating the different variables

Calculating the result

Interpreting the result

Cultivating our Awareness

When you wake-up in the morning, and before going to sleep, set your alarm clock to sound after 15 minutes. Sit

comfortably, close your eyes or lower your gaze, and be aware of your breathing. Breath in, breath out.

This is a form of meditation you can also do everywhere, for example on the bus. Just be aware that your response-time

may be be slower right after meditation, so ensure you meditate when it is safe to do so.

Being Accepting

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Introduction: let’s define Acceptance together

A definition of Being Accepting…

… of things we cannot change, which are inevitable. Of how other people are, and

especially how we perceive them.

When not Being Accepting…

Acceptance often facilitates our happiness. When it is not the case, then we can embrace

alternatives to acceptance.

An example of skillfull Acceptance

Situation: person A is acting not respectuflly towards person B

A skillfull acceptance: accept person A with his/her weaknesses, which every person has.

However, do not accept person A’s inappropriate behaviour.

Being Accepting is as easy as…

Think about something you want to let go. Put it in a bubble. The bubble starts to fly

away, until it disappears in the sky.

Being Accepting is the rational choice to implement

The story we tell ourselves, about how we should have done this or that differently, is just holding us back. The past is gone, the

future is not here yet, the present is everything. Let’s accept it all!

Advantages of being Accepting

Accepting the advantages…

Higher level of energy

Lower level of stress

More tenacious on what matters

Accepting other people makes easier for them to accept us

Cultivating our Acceptance: loving kindness

What loving-kindness is:

A form of meditation

It directs love to one person, and one person’s:FriendsAcquaintancesProblematic contacts

Everyone

Loving-kindness: advantages

Increases social connectedness

Reduces pain and anger in people with chronic lower back pain

Boosts positive emotions and well-being in life

Thanks to

www.dgano.com/charity.htm for the beach painting

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