How to Be a Happy Woman

We live in a time where the search for happiness consumes almost all of our time. We crave it. Some believe money makes them happy or religion or spirituality, but in the end, it is a decision you yourself have to make. Barring any clinical depression, you are at the heart of making a decision to be a happy woman.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Get Real!

1. STOP IT! There is a skit on Mad TV where Bob Newhart, playing a therapist, has a patient come in and she rattles off a number of things that are wrong with her--fear of closed in areas, fear of being trapped in a box, the list goes on. Bob's answer--STOP IT! That's it. That is all he says to her and to her dismay she is at a loss for words.
   
   While he said it for humor, he does have a point. Most of us choose not to be happy. We make this choice when we choose to repeat bad news, all our aches and pains, all our responsibilities, all our chores, all our unfairness that has been dished out to us. By doing those things, we've chosen to pass along the doom and gloom.
2. STOP BEING AFRIAD! At the core of not being happy can be several emotions, but many of them go back to one: fear. The fear of not knowing what to do or the fear of doing the wrong thing or the fear of being left out and behind. The list can go on of what we get ourselves worked up over.
   
   It's okay to be nervous now and again, but don't let the fear stifle you into being paralyzed.
3. MAKE A DECISION! When you make a decision, you move forward or through something.
   
   For women, the decision to work outside the home while having kids or to work within the home while having kids can bring women to their knees or to an all out brawl with each other.
   
   There is the decision to marry or stay single, or to marry and never have kids, the decisions seem to fall squarely on women's shoulders.
   
   Pick one, pick one for right now and be done with it.
4. DECISIONS CAN BE CHANGED! What you decide is right for you at this very moment, might not be the choice you want six months or a year from now. That's okay, change it, but remember, make it. Make a decision and don't wallow in the but's and what if's.
5. FIX IT! Why are we staying at the office until 8:00 at night or driving to five different soccer fields in one afternoon? Haven't had a meal that wasn't eaten over the kitchen sink in a week or had your whole family at the same table at the same time in a month? Wonder why your knuckles are white as you drive from one event to the other and realize you've become a bus driver even though your in a SUV?
   
   Fix it if it's causing you stress. Stop blaming the kids for all the driving you have to do; overachievers are over rated.
6. THE THREE S's: Sleep, sex, support! You need all three. Not getting any of them? Go back to the previous step!

Tips & Warnings

• Lighten up.
• Get a sense of humor.
• Depression is a real issue for many people. If you suffer from clinical depression, seek help of a professional and follow their instructions on getting medical care.