Have you ever said to someone else, "I need a change in life"? If you haven't admitted it to the person next to you, then I guarantee you're said it to yourself. Great! We agree you would like to make some changes in life... now what? First there's usually some experience or genuine shift in awareness and understanding (that "ah-ha" moment of how we arrived at this place in life). This could be a relationship, lifestyle, physical health, emotional health, finances, career, etc.

While you ponder this new experience, also keep this in mind, "perception is reality." To expand on that: your perception is your reality and Mary's perception is her reality. Genuinely making the effort to see things from someone else's perspective is the beginning of the change you're looking for. Oh, of course the other aspect is the honest acknowledgement of what you need to do differently and how it needs to be accomplished. Don't waste any time beating yourself up for not having this realization sooner, just get ready to move forward!

Here's a classic example of what I mean by this: I'm now aware I simply eat too much food and/or the wrong types of food. I'm acknowledging that I need to change right now, I've created this problem for myself and I'm the only person who can fix the situation. The consequences for not changing my eating habits would mean continuing to be overweight (fat); feeling frustrated about the way I look and feel and certainly moving myself closer to a health condition like diabetes and a heart attack.

This process works for any area of life when you need a change. Career, family, health, relationships, goals and your overall happiness will move in the right direction as soon as you take action with your new realization.

A National Football League game has an average of 65 offensive plays per game. Each play lasts 5 1/2 seconds. When you do the math, the average player is actually moving and playing the game for about 6 minutes. This may not seem like much time when you consider the average NFL player makes around $1.4 million. How much time do you think he spends practicing for those 6 minutes? During the season most players practice and study an average of 50 to 60 hours per week. Keep in mind an NFL player wasn't an accountant yesterday, then woke up today and said "hey I want to play professional football." These men have been practicing since pee-wee football! After all of that work they're still not guaranteed to win on Sunday!

Happiness, just like any sport requires practice! Certain people poses a natural ability at certain sports, but they still have to practice. The same goes for happiness! Some people are naturally happier than others, but we all need to practice. Being happy is not a right or a state of being that just happens. You must actively engage in activities and thoughts that make you happier. Here are some valuable points you can start to practice every day.

• Change the words you use in conversation and in your own head. Instead of saying "I hate sitting in traffic, this sucks", remind yourself that now you get to listen to your favorite music longer. Say to yourself "it's great to have some alone time" or "peace and quiet at last"! Practice using more positive words everyday and you'll find yourself in a better mood.
• What are you passionate about? When you're at the same job for 5 or 10 years, it might be tough to remain energetic about work. Why did you start that career path? There was something about the job and it felt good inside. You took your job with enthusiasm. Get back to the reason why you started there and challenge yourself to do even better. When you truly can't find any more passion from your career, then it's time to look elsewhere for a salary.
• Have you ever felt there's not enough time in the day? Plan your time and don't just let it get away from you. At the start of your day keep in mind what you need to get accomplished. Estimate how long each task should take. Plan time for distractions and interruptions, because you know they're going to happen anyway. Most importantly, plan some time throughout the day for yourself.

Life has many highs and lows, so expect your level of happiness to be different each day. Have realistic goals for your days, months, and years, but always keep them in sight. You're practicing the skill of happiness in order to have a better life! So keep it up and each positive day will add up to a happier existence!

Happiness is contagious! If you're around happy people, you may become happy yourself. That's the danger of spending time with positive people. When you're feeling frustrated or angry, get to the closest happy person you know & start talking to him or her. Build your personal sense of well being and you'll begin to bounce back sooner than later. While this is like putting a little band-aid on a big boo-boo, it's not a permanent fix. True happiness can only from within yourself.