Tag: happiness

~ Focus happiness, not perfection,

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in happiness, Life Journey

Perfection, if it exists at all, implies flawlessness, while happiness is a state of emotional wellbeing.

Happiness exists when we appreciate what we have and find joy in our everyday lives and relationships. The pursuit of perfection however, can be stressful, costly and erode the joy we have in our lives and negatively impact our self worth and emotional wellbeing.

Whether it’s the pursuit of a perfect face, a perfect body, the perfect outfit, perfect partner, perfect decor, perfect home, perfect job, or some other perfect “thing”, it’s exhausting.

If we’re always distracted seeking perfection, we will never be happy being who we are, with what we already have?

As children most of us were happy messy little characters, playing with sticks in the creek, wearing shirts with missing buttons and mismatched socks. Life was simple. Then, at some point, the world told us we weren’t good enough.

Seeking to improve oneself is different than seeking perfection. Improving oneself is about doing your best and being happy with what you’ve accomplished and happy with who you are, without comparing yourself to others.

Perfection is a constant competition to keep up with social standards that are completely subjective.

Striving for perfection holds us back from seeing and appreciating all the beautiful, simple things about ourselves that make each of us unique, and appreciating all the little miracles we bump into every day.

So be gentle with yourself. Stop seeking perfection in our imperfect world. Let’s teach our children to focus on gratitude, mindfulness, kindness and self love and, happiness will follow.

You don’t need to seek perfection, you’re already perfect, being you, and thats the only thing any of us can be perfectly, perfect at.

Toni O’Keeffe🔆

Create the space for adventure~

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

Create space in your life for more happy adventures.

Any adventure big or small can help get you out of a rut, will exercise your curiosity (and your body), tickle your senses, expand your mind and add colour to your life.

Opportunities for adventure are all around you. Sometimes you just have to open the door and go.

Toni O’KEEFFE 🌹❤️

Happy looks good on you😃

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in happiness, Life Journey

Happy looks good on you, you should wear that more often! 😃

The science on “happiness” has shown that being happy is good for your physical health, mental well-being, spiritual wellness, your relationships and social connections.

If you want to get more of your “happy on,” engage in daily physical activity(even a little goes along way), make healthier dietary choices, cultivate a positive attitude towards life (see the glass as 1/2 full, not half empty), foster connections and networks of support with like-minded people, practice gratitude and engage in creative hobbies or passions.

If you want to go the extra happiness mile, stop being so judgmental, stop messing in other people’s business and lives. Stop worrying and overthinking so much. Let go of grudges and anything that keeps you stuck in the past. And, stop being so offended by things that have nothing to do with you (like the colour of your neighbours skin, sexual orientation or belief system.)

We all go through stuff, sometimes really horrible stuff, that kicks the happy right out of us and brings us down. Cultivating a positive and happy attitude and approach towards life will make it easier if and when you do have to deal with the tough stuff.

Oh and FYI, multiple surveys have shown happy people are generally deemed to be more attractive than those with pessimistic/negative attitudes, just sayen’.

So let’s all get happy!!!
Love Toni 🤗❤️

This dance called life

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey, Toni O’KEEFFE, wisdom, Wisdom, Life Journey,

From the day we’re born, we’re programmed to, two-step, side-step, hop, skip, jump, twist, twirl and boogie, between the demands and expectations of family, school, career, relationships, society, our human emotions, our quest for happiness and ultimately “our purpose.” It’s quite the dance.

The music is continually playing and changing. We bump into others, trying not to step on toes. We slip, fall, break a heal, or break a leg. Some days we dance alone but still, we dance.

And even though we all have different dance moves, different tastes in music, wear different colours to the dance and none of us knows when this life ballet will end, we still have to show up, get along and dance whether we want to or not.

So what’s the point of this little song and dance? It’s this; ~ Life IS the dance.

Our purpose is to make the most of every step, every misstep, every song, every partner, every blister, every moment, every “thing”.

No matter how well you dance, what songs you dance to, how fast or slow, you move, who you dance with, how often you change partners or if you dance alone, find the music that’s in harmony with YOU and tap, waltz, jig, jive, polka, salsa, hip-hop, twirl, tango, do-si-do, or plié and enjoy the insanely beautiful rhythm of it all.

Regardless of who you are, what you do, how much money you have, who you voted for or who you worship, we’ll all get sore feet, the shoes will come off and the music will stop, for all of us.

So while you’re here, get those moves on
and, enjoy the dance.

Toni O’KEEFFE 🌹❤️

The secret to happiness

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in happiness, Life Journey, Toni O’KEEFFE

The secret to happiness is to;
“Stop looking for the secret to happiness.”

You know what makes you happy. Do that.

Do things and be with the people who bring you to life, lift you up, make you feel “happy”, make you laugh, make your heart dance, your soul sing and make you a better, more grateful, human being. Or, if you enjoy and are happy, doing things alone, do more of that.

Stay away from things and people who bring you down, make your heart ache, your soul heavy, your mind crazy and your body unwell.

If nurturing a positive attitude serves you better than harbouring a negative attitude, then stay positive and, stay away from those who are toxic and have a negative perspective on life.

Even if you’re in a situation, such as an unhappy relationship or an unhappy work environment, you still have options, one being, you can make plans to move on.

Happiness isn’t something we look for.
“Happy,” is something we choose to become. It’s an attitude about ourselves and life, which will look different for each of us.

Beautiful soul, go get your happy on, because you my dear, deserve to be oh-so-beautifully-happy.

Toni O’KEEFFE 🌹❤️

Is it time?

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

A moment will arrive when you realize it’s time to tread beyond your comfort zone, escape your fears and everything weighing you down.

In this moment you will know with great clarity, it’s time to move beyond the obstacles blocking your path and allow the things calling you from beyond the veil of fear, doubt and judgment, to be born. Let them be born.

The fear you face may appear larger than it actually is, because it’s standing right in front of you. This fear may merely be the voices of others who have constantly told you what you should or shouldn’t be. Tune the voices out and walk, ride, skip, jump, sail or fly forward. Once you do, the fear will be gone, the fog will lift and you will clearly see the path towards the things you’ve been wanting to do, see, say, and become.

Be brave and muster your courage.
We never know exactly when our journey here will end, but we know it will end.
So, those dreams, goals, aspirations, creations ~ is it time?🌟

Toni O’Keeffe ~🌹❤️

Let’s Dance

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

Let’s dance ~

You may be sent into the lives of others to help them find a way through the heaviness of their pain or the turmoil in their life.

They may not understand or appreciate the meaning of your presence, help them anyway.

Plant seeds of kindness, compassion and wisdom all around them and hope the seeds take root and grow.

No matter how strong, brave, smart or tough we think we are, none of us can do this alone. We’re not supposed to.

We’re at our best when we show up for each other to offer comfort, create laughter, provide light, offer healing and love. In fact, when we’re helping others, we realize, we’re really helping ourselves.

And maybe that’s what this human journey is all about, just showing up for each other, without expectation, because it feels so good when our messy, yet amazing little souls are entangled in this colourful cosmic dance.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

We’ll all look back one day,

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

We’ll all look back one day.
Will you like what you see?

Will you see yourself meeting others
along their path and offering them
kindness, compassion, positivity and love?

Will you feel content knowing you used the gifts you were given to live your best life?

Were you able to conquer your fears, negative emotions and your own stubbornness before your happiness and the happiness of others was sabotaged?

Did you say the words you wanted to say,
see the oceans, deserts, mountain tops and other marvels your heart hoped it would?

Did you take care of yourself so you were able to travel the highways and take the adventures that had been calling out to you?

Did you learn to appreciate how absolutely amazing you are?

Did you thank the ones who brought comfort to your journey?

Did you offer forgiveness to others and more importantly, to yourself?

Did you let love in when it was offered?

Did you release the people, judgment, opinions and things that poisoned your journey, so you could grow into the masterpiece you were meant to be?

Are you settled and at peace with the memories you’ve left in the hearts and minds of those who loved and cared for you?

Can you look back on all of it with a grateful heart, and understand what it was you were here to do?

If you answered no to any of the above, the good news is, you’ve still got time.

We’ll all look back one day.
Will you like what you see?
I hope you do❤️

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Follow your joy.

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in be you, growth, happiness, healing, joy, letting go, life challenges, Life Journey, Reflection, seek less, dreams, simple life,, self discovery

If what you’re doing, what you have, where you’re at or who you spend your time with, doesn’t bring you joy ~ give yourself permission to let it go.

If finding joy seems hard because you have a mortgage to pay, a family to support, educational goals you want to achieve or you’re caring for someone, change your perspective and find joy in these things and where these things and people will lead you.

If you can’t change your current circumstances you can still;

  • Make self care a priority. There is no one who is more important and worthy of self care than you, no one.
  • Stop worrying and overthinking, it serves no purpose. It takes as much energy to focus on what’s right in your life, as it takes to focus on what’s wrong. However, the affect of focusing on what’s right can have a huge positive benefit on your physical, spiritual and mental well being.
  • Nurture yourself in nature. Learn to be still beside the ocean, in a forest, or sitting on top of a rocky bluff. Listen to the peacefulness and bring calm into your life.
  • Avoid being drawn into other peoples drama/conflict.
  • Manage the internal dialogue in your head. We tell ourselves stories about ourselves that are just not true. Stories such as “I’ll always be alone.” “I’m going to be in pain my entire life.” “I’ll never get fit.” “I’ll always be poor.” “I won’t be happy until this situation changes.” Change the story you tell yourself about yourself.
  • Make plans to do something you’ve always wanted to do, even if that something is still off in the future.
  • Try spending less $ on “stuff” and spend more time making memories and having experiences.
  • Interact with positive uplifting people.
  • Take a break from media and tune into a comedy channel instead.
  • Purge stuff; sell, donate or get rid of things that no longer serve you and your life.
  • Say goodbye to toxic people and relationships.
  • Stop being offended by every little damn thing. You’re not responsible for how others behave or why they do the things they do. So stop being judgmental or worrying that others may judge you. We’re not all on the same path, we’re not supposed to be.
  • Get moving. Physical activity to the degree you’re able, can; improve your memory and brain function, help manage chronic pain, assist in weight management, lower blood pressure and improve heart health, improve your quality of sleep, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and, reduce “life fatigue”.
  • Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Focus on the things in your life that do bring you joy; the ones you love, your pets, your garden, a sunset, creating art, the first sip of coffee as you start your day, a ride along a stretch of open highway, your cozy pillow ( I love my pillow), kissing the lips of someone you love.

Life can feel like a “whack-a-mole game” with crazy, unpleasant circumstances popping up in unexpected places. You can still be happy, and you can still whack those things with a big smile on your face😁.

If where you’re at now is hard, find joy in knowing these challenging days will be behind you one day. You’ll look back on your struggle and be proud that you were strong and got through it.

When I look back over my life, its not the stuff or the pay cheques that brought me joy, it’s simple pleasures and precious moments that have always lifted me up.

You have more power over your current situation than perhaps you realize. Use this power to grow into the best version of yourself by following your joy.

Wishing you a happy, zenny, joyful, sunshine and lollipops kind of day☀️🍭 🤗

Love Toni ~ 🌹❤️

Unleash the power of “happy” into your life

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in authentic, be you, growth, happiness, healing, hippie, life challenges, Life Journey, Reflection, seek less, dreams, simple life,, self acceptance, self discovery, Spiritual

Our entire lives we’re on a quest to feel whole and happy.

As we wait for happiness to arrive, some of us fill the empty spaces in our lives with distractions, temporary highs, busyness, unfulfilling relationships, toxic substances, material possessions and the debt that often comes with them, but still, the emptiness remains.

As children we knew how to laugh, how to play and what made us happy. It was being close to the ones we loved, exercising our curiosity, exploring our environment, creating adventures, making art, splashing in puddles, running barefoot in the rain, playing in a forest or a pond, taking risks and trusting we’d be okay, even if we fell; these are the things that filled us up.

Then, as we grew, life became cluttered with distractions, busyness, possessions, stress, too much information, self doubt and responsibility. Many of us parked our creativity, abandoned our curious nature, spent less time with those we loved and we stopped doing those wonderful things that made us happy when we we’re children.

It’s time to invite the child who lives in each of us to come out and play, to remember the happiness we felt when we set ourselves free from the clutter and distractions that bog us down.

Even amidst the frenzied noise and turmoil in the world, we can still CHOOSE to be happy.

Today is a good day;
~ To look up and see the world through the curious eyes of the child in you and reclaim your sense of wonder.
~ To seek out a new adventure and bask in the beauty around you.
~ To flip over a few rocks along the shoreline and see what scurries out.
~ To pull out a colouring book, make a kite, play in the sand, go to a park and get on a swing, hang off a monkey bar, make a mud pie or do some happy finger painting on your guest room wall.
~ To giggle, to play and melt back into your authentic happy little self.

Today’s a good day to be happy.
To let go and jump, skip, slide, soar, surf, run, ride, sail, paddle or swim, right past anything blocking your path to happiness.

You came into this world knowing where happiness resides, it’s still there waiting for you to unleash its power over your life.