The path of the least resistance

Desires are a part of human nature, but there is a difference between wanting and actually receiving. Sometimes there is hope and there are many dreams about things without ever drawing it into our reality. This doesn't mean the law of attraction isn't working, it means that even though you've had an intention towards your desire, you weren't on the receiving frequency. 

As mentioned before like attracts like, therefore it is important to get on to the same frequency as your desires. Wanting often comes with doubting. You want something, but you can't believe you can actually draw it into your reality. That creates resistance towards the desire and blocks it from coming in. People often manifest the things they want when they have forgotten about it. Why? As soon as they can forget about it, they release the resistance creating a free path for it all to come to them. This can be a long process.

The way to manifest without losing the focus that is needed is to monitor our feelings. Happiness is the path of the least resistance. We often don't know how the Universe is going to bring us the things we want. The easiest way to tab into the receiving frequency is to feel good and trust the process. We preach happiness for a reason. Every happy vibe you send out comes back to you, putting you in a state of receiving all that you want and more.

Be happy.
~Ilona~

Every day is a gift

Dear Monday,

It's okay.

Even though you are blue,

we are still grateful for you.

 

 



Outdoor activities are a happiness booster

Weather circumstances force Dutch people to be indoorsy most of the year. Personally I am an all season girl, but weather complains are not unfamiliar to a lot of us. I do not blame people for complaining. For at least 6 months out of every year our beautiful country looks like a grey painting, where the painter forgot to add a little bit of color. By the time spring arrives, we literally go all out. There is no stopping us. Spring flowers, fresh air, blue skies and a sun that is finally smiling upon us, is a happiness cocktail I get addicted to every year. The taste is so good it keeps me craving for more. On top of that, the cocktail is served with so many outside activities I sometimes need a reminder I have a home. Since happiness is contagious and to give you some ideas I made a list of all the fun outdoor activities that are a must do this summer.

1. Festivals

2. Every type of food event



3. Outdoor/ rooftop movie nights



4. Floating parties



5. Sunset picnics



6. Beach days



7. Nothing beats a bike ride

8. Jump in every pool you can find

9. Roadtrip!

10. Go cultural

Ten Dalai Lama quotes

Today His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is celebrating his 80th birthday and we would like to congratulate him by posting ten of his quotes that we find most inspiring.

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

"When you generate a reasoned desire for others to be happy, your humanity increases in strength."

"Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can't help them at least don't hurt them."

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."

"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend, or a meaningful day."

"I find hope in the darkest of days and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

"The more motivated you are by love, the more fearless and free your action will be."

"The seed of goodness is found in the soil of appreciation."

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of love."

"The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it's open."

Making memories

"The mind replays what the heart can't delete." - unknown

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say summer? Beaches, sun, parties, flip flops? The first thing I think of is crickets. I just love to hear them chirp. Do crickets chirp? They might, but that's not the point. My point is that ever since I was a child I have had a wonderful association with the sound of crickets. During summer vacations I would always walk back to our vacation house after a day of fun and I would hear the sound of crickets. So if I hear crickets today, I smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside. It brings back so many memories. 

Sounds and smells are powerful memory triggers. We all have them. It can be a song making us remember how we danced the night away or the smell of burning wood reminding us of summer campfires and so on. These pleasant memories are intensified by our senses.
Our busy schedules often push us to live our lives in haste. We multitask even when we are relaxing, unconsciously blocking our other senses. At a concert we are taking pictures instead of really enjoying the music. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for taking pictures, but don't let that be your only reminder of that moment. Listen, feel and really live in the moment, otherwise life will pass you by in a blur and you lose the opportunity to really enjoy it.

My summer challenge for you is to fully live happily in the now and reactivate all your senses to create new blissful memories. You can do that by following these simple stepz:

- Let's start with a little reminiscing. Reconnect with the happy memories you have when you think of summer. Is it collecting seashells at the beach, bubble gum wrappers or eating ice cream? What song makes you jump up en down of joy when you hear it?  What perfume reminds you of your summer love? If these memories give you the nostalgic and joyous feelings we are aiming for it's time to move on to the next step.

- Let go of your plans for a while and let life surprise you. An unexpected moment of joy is just around the corner if you let it happen. Don't compromise on happiness because you are too busy.

 - Simply take the time to enjoy the moments you have this summer. Let all other thoughts go and take pictures but don't spend all your time behind the camera or on your phone. Take all the goodness in life in and really feel the moment with all your senses.

Now go and make new memories that will last you a lifetime.


With love, Ana

The morning ritual

I used to wake up in the morning in a state more dead than alive. Opening one eye, looking all grumpy and stuff, hating the world, hoping for the morning to be over already. Not to mention all the morning drama that comes with it such as delayed trains, stumbling over own feet and losing keys.  I am sure I am not the only one around with these daily errors and people reading this, nod while thinking, I feel ya. 

This all changed when I made a conscious decision to change my ways and therefore to change my days. A good start in the morning is half the battle to a happy day and in the long run, a happy life. All the good you send out comes back to you in tenfold. This doesn't mean that slow grumpy starters aren't happy people, I am merely saying there are easier ways to get your day started. Positive thinking is a habit that runs on autopilot by repetition. The first couple of times when you wake up in the morning and say to yourself: “this is the happiest day of my life!!" Your subconscious mind objects: “No it's not you liar, this morning stinks!" As Josh Shipp points out perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose. Don't give up!

I support my daily happiness habits with a morning ritual starting the night before. Right before I fall a sleep I mumble to myself: “tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life." That thought alone is enough to fall a sleep with a smile on my face. Since I am not a morning person in general, I replace my hit by a truck feel with feelings of gratitude. Realizing I have had a good night sleep and good health is enough to start my morning in bliss. I will never be an out of bed jumper, and that's ok, changing your habits doesn't mean you have to become someone you are not. So, I slowly open my eyes, cuddle my cat, and make my way to the bathroom where I serenade the day by playing my happy music playlist. The cheesiness of the playlist itself already gives me the giggles. This ritual alone is enough to start the day with a smile, but there is a cherry on top of that cake, the ode to the morning coffee. Full of love I stare deep in the eyes of my cup of happiness realizing life can't get any better than this. That's it, start your day differently by changing your state of mind and a whole changed world will welcome you with open arms. 

Be Happy, 
~Ilona~

The power of thought

When created my happy to-do list at the beginning of this year, fun cycling trips were amongst the things I listed. I knew very well that I didn't own a bike at that time and I either had to borrow or get one. In my mind I saw myself hopping on my bike at any time to go to the beach, a festival or any other fun event. This meant that owning a bike was what I wanted, so I quickly changed my list and added a bike on it. I also decided I wasn't planning on spending a lot of money on it, the less the better.

I live in a country with bicycles in abundance, surely there has to be one bike that has my name on it. I had all the faith in the world I would get my bike, the only thing I didn't know was the how and the when. I didn't care about the how and the when, my thoughts where only about the joy I would have riding my bike. Everything else wasn't of any interest to me. I truly knew and believed that I would get a bike no matter what.

Time passed by and I went on with my life, but in the back of my mind there was this strong belief that one day I would have my bike. My thoughts would drift to visions of me on a bike, smiling and having fun on my awesome looking bike. The joy that it gave me was overwhelming. Whenever I had the chance I would look for pictures of bikes, picking out the ones how I wanted my bike to look like. This was also pure bliss.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in May my desire became my reality. I was talking to my uncle and out of nowhere he mentioned that a friend had a bike she no longer wanted. One phone call and a car drive later I was in possession of my bike. Not only did I get a bike, I got it for free! I pimped my ride  with a few accessories and now it just looks like the one in my dreams. My desire became my reality because I believed in it with all my heart and I never gave negative thoughts a chance to cloud my belief. You too have the power to make your desires a reality, you only need to believe.

With love, Ana