A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Speakers-Authors Networking Group (SANG) in Las Vegas and got to spend some time talking with my good friend Marci Shimoff. Marci is one of the teachers in the movie The Secret and I met her some years ago at a meeting of Jack Canfield’s Transformational Leadership Council, of which we are both members. While in Vegas, Marci shared with me some ideas from her new book, Happy for for No Reason. I found her ideas about finding happiness amid a recession to be particularly valuable, so I’d like to share them with you here.
Marci’s “Rx for the Recession,” as she calls it, is to follow these four simple techniques:
1. Reach out and touch someone. Schedule time every day to call or visit someone you love or care about.
2. Anchor yourself to silence. Take a moment to step off the hamster wheel of your everyday activity and just “be” for a change . . . sit quietly, close your eyes and breathe.
3) Become a “joy juice barista.” Your brain contains natural happiness-enhancing neurochemicals–endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. Use this to your advantage by releasing those chemicals as much as possible through proper nutrition, exercise, getting plenty of rest, and–simply enough–smiling.
4) Don’t just stand there, express yourself. When you’re being creative, the parts of the brain associated with fear, anxiety and worry are less active. So instead of stewing about the state of the economy, think of a creative project you can begin or a workshop you can take.
“In times of uncertainty,” Marci says, “when the events in your life seem beyond your control, the key to staying afloat–and even thriving–is to find that place of unshakable peace and well-being inside. Join the ranks of the resilient by becoming ‘happy for no reason.’ It’s the best Rx for the recession there is.”
I can tell you from firsthand experience that Marci is a person who really walks the talk. She has achieved a significant amount of success by putting her ideas about maintaining a positive mindset into action. I highly recommend her material to all. If you’d like to find out more about Marci and her new book, click here.
