Love yourself enough
Being happy is big on everyone’s to-do list, so why do you always move it to the bottom of your list?
Colleen Qvist, committee member of the East Rand Business Women (ERBW), had the answer to this question at the monthly ERBW meeting, on Wednesday, February 5.
Qvist, who is a qualified therapist and mediator, helps people who want to reach for their own goals and dreams to bring out the best they possibly can be.
“We all want to be happy, but we end up waiting our whole life for happiness, telling ourselves: ‘I’ll be happy when…’” she says.
“At night we lie awake, and that little negative voice runs through our minds about the day that has past, but we have to change this negative voice into a positive one. ”
We need to establish a new best friend in our minds.”
According to Qvist, the universe accepts what you put out, and affirmations that your “put out” must be positive. She recommends that people should create a habit of positive reaffirmation.
“You need to create new habits; it was originally thought that to get rid of a habit, or create a new habit, would take you 21 days, but it has now been established that it actually takes 66 days,” she says.
“What you think today becomes your future, so you need to think the details of what you want into your actions, speech, thoughts.
“You also need to visualise what you want and to focus on the good to bring these things into your life.”
She recommends that you let go of your past, as you no longer need it – you need to cut the ties that hold you to the past that is dragging you down.
“We have loads of boxes with baggage; for example, problems with our in-laws or a Grade One teacher who was mean to you,” she explains.
“When you hold onto the past you relive that pain and humiliation every time you think about it.”
To leave the past behind, you need to find time in your life where you can be silent and meditate.
Qvist recommends adding “me time” to your daily routine.
“Put the oxygen mask on yourself, or you will burn out; be grateful for the good things in your life and create an attitude of gratitude,” she says.
She notes that you need to accept compliments; we usually tend to shy away from them, as we are trained not to accept them.
“Collect them in a journal or your phone and, when you feel down, read through your compliments,” she says.
“To be happy, you need to read, laugh, play, exercise, spend time with friends and add reflexology to your lifestyle.”
