Week 7

Sorry this is a couple days late. I was out of town without my book.

Here are the secrets for week 6:

Friendship beats money.

Have realistic expectations.

And now I will give you the secrets for this week.

Secret #13

Be open to new ideas.

"Never stop learning and adapting. The world will always be changing. If you limit yourself to what you knew and what you were comfortable with earlier in your life, you will grow increasingly frustrated with your surroundings as you age."

The world is not standing still so why should you. People who are not willing to change and adapt to what is going on around them will never be happy. For example, we are photographers, and if we weren't willing to adapt and change with the times we probably wouldn't get much business. People know what is in style and they like to feel like they are getting something that is up to date not out dated. The technology in photography changes and improves daily. If we weren't willing grow, our business wouldn't grow either. The same is true for anyone. We must constantly learn and grow. Otherwise we'll force ourselves to be stuck in the same place forever. Doesn't sound very happy to me.

"In research on older Americans, what predicted satisfaction more than finances or the state of their current relationships was their willingness to adapt. If they were willing to change some of their habits and expectations, their happiness was maintained even when their circumstances changed. Those who were resistant to change, on the other hand, were less than one-third as likely to feel happy."

Secret #14

Share with others how important they are to you.

"Relationships are built on mutual appreciation, and there is no better way to show that appreciation than to tell someone how much you care."

Telling the people you love that you love them is so important. Of course, not all people show their love by just saying it. If any of you have read "The Five Love Languages "by Gary Chapman, you will know what I'm talking about. Every person speaks love in a different language. Actually saying you love someone is only one way to show them that they are important to you. Maybe you like to show your love by giving gifts, whether bought or made by hand. Or maybe just serving people is your way of showing appreciation. However you show your love, make sure you do it. People need to know you love them. And in return it will make you happier with yourself.

"Research on unemployed adults has found that the length of unemployment was less important to a person's self-esteem than the amount of social support received from parents, family members, and friends."

Review:

Be open to new ideas.

Share with others how important they are to you.