Tips To Become Hot!!!!!!!

Did I really get your attention??? Lol!!!

What was the first thing which came to your mind? Hmm!!!

Forgive me if this isn’t what you were expecting, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong in being HOT!!!! I also suggest you feel good about it.

Please Note: This article is strictly for personal development and the word HOT is an acronym for H-Happy O-Optimistic and T-Thankful.

The topic should now be read as ‘Tips to become Happy, Optimistic and Thankful ‘.

You’ve known what the word HOT in this context means and  the aim of this post is to suggest a few ways or reasons for  becoming happy, optimistic and thankful. We could do with a little bit of each attribute for the year 2010 and I am positive of the tremendous impacts it would have  on your personal development.

The post in context:

Happiness:

These are emotions experienced when one is a state of well being. It is characterized by contentment, intense joy, a state of tranquility free from anxiety and disturbance.

Here are a few ways to experience happiness:

• Be yourself.  You are unique in your own way and you’ve got to appreciate who you are (a human being with emotions, feelings, imperfections etc).
• Believe in yourself i.e. your ability to succeed, make choices, accept change etc.
• Promote your strengths and work around them not forgetting your weakness and finding suitable ways of handling them.
• Learn to count your blessings each day.
• Be thankful each day for your friends, family, colleagues, life …….
• Smile and laugh a lot using a bit of common sense and when necessary.
• Make other people happy. Several researches carried out show that you can be happy by making others happy.
• Deal with your worries and anxieties believing you would see some light at the end of the tunnel.
• Develop positive relationships and friendships, families, colleagues…. This helps to build useful social networks, provide support  and you can always depend on true friends in difficult times.
• Form a habit of celebrating your successes
• Spend quality time with your children.
• Develop a lovely sense of humor.
• Build yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.
• Spoil yourself and make sure you enjoy doing so. Go on vacations, get a massage, eat out……..
• Do things you’ve never done before.
• Give people the compliments and respect they deserve.

Optimism

Optimism is looking at a more favorable side of events and simply anticipating the best possible outcome in any situation. A few months ago, I filled out the VIA Survey of Character Strengths by Martin Seligman (Positive Psychology) and the results showed I was moderately optimistic. Although I have a few reservations on extreme optimism, but one can’t deny the role optimism plays in enhancing our personal growth.

 In no particular order here are a few ways of building optimism:

• Be realistic about your expectations.
• Accept the past, manage the present and work hard towards the future.
• Seek for a ray of light/hope in a negative situation. It’s a bit difficult considering all you are going through, but there’s always an opportunity lurking somewhere in the dark.
• Be authentic, be yourself and stop hiding behind the MASK of pretence.
• Get infected by being in a network or company of constructive people, because optimism is positively contagious.
• Have a dream, believe in it and do everything possible under the sun to run with it.
• Be selective of what you read, hear or watch from the media. Excessive media influence could dampen your spirits.
• Develop the habit of using positive affirmations constructively.
• Exercise regularly. Taking care of your body mind and soul builds courage and resilience to face the pressures of the world.
• Avoid living in self denial.
• Try as much as you can to stay calm when overwhelmed with the issues of life. 
• Create a positive attitude.
• Don’t harbor any form of resentment particularly with issues from the past.
• Know when to call it quits. Some things aren’t just worth the effort and time you put into it

Thankful

Being thankful is a feeling or an expression of gratitude and appreciation. It is consciously acknowledging a form of kindness received.

Alfred North Whitehead says, ‘No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude and thanks.’

There are so many things to be thankful for and Brian Tracy also states you should ‘Develop an attitude of gratitude, give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation’.

These quotes reflect on the importance and benefits of being thankful.

In no particular order here are a few things to be thankful for:

•  Be thankful for who you are.
• Be thankful for the constructive events that evolve around you.
• Be thankful for the gift of life.
• Be thankful for a new year, day, month, hour…..
• Be thankful for the love you’ve experienced.
• Be thankful for precious moments that brings a smile to your lips/face and warmth to your heart.
• Be thankful for your family, close relatives, friends and the positive relationships established over time.
• Be thankful for those who have shown so much care and interest in who you are and what you do.
• Be thankful for those crazy or odd moments you’ve experienced.
• Be thankful for your ability to learn new things.
• Be thankful for the problems you’ve faced and conquered and be assured those outstanding will be conquered.
• Be thankful for the opportunities that have come your way.
• Be thankful for the right to exercise your freedom at all times.
• Be thankful for your successes and achievements, no matter how insignificant they may appear to be.
• Be thankful for the failures you’ve experienced because you have another opportunity to turn it around for the better.
• Show your appreciation by saying the words thank you, giving gifts, offering to help……

A quick reminder: the aim of this post is to highlight a few ways to develop happiness, optimism and be thankful.

There are other examples; it would be great to hear from you.

I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Ayo Olaniyan is a certified Unitive Life Coach, an Accredited Professional Counsellor with the Counselling Society and the editor of The Life Skills Magazine. For further information, please complete this form.