What does it take to love life?

Live in the moment and don't waste time on things about which you can do nothing!

There is a book by a guy called Ekhart Tolley (I think that is the right spelling) called the Power of Now. When I read this book it brought home to me all the messages I had been getting but not understanding and while I will leave you to read the book yourself if you want the following are my quick points:

Be comfortable in your own skin.

How many people do you know that seem to be always trying to be something else or wanting to change something about themselves. Sure, if you want to get fit etc... but the person that you are inside is the you that your existing friends know and love - you don't have to prove anything to anyone so enjoy being you.

Don't wallow in sorrow.

How often have you got caught up in misery and hurt? Endlessly dissecting someone else's problems or failings, plotting all sorts of revenge for some seeming hurt and calling all your friends to tell them how hard done by you are about one thing or another. Think about it for a moment and you might be horrified just how much time you spend on negative things.

Sometimes really 'bad' things happen and they require all our internal resources to cope but mostly what happens is the normal ebb and flow of stuff in our lives. Someone says something mean, we lose a boyfriend/girlfriend, somebody steals our parking space. How many times do you repeat the story? How many great things do you miss while being grumpy?

If you look for the bad in everything you will surely find it.

Smile.

I felt pretty silly about this when I first started doing it but if I catch someone's eye, not matter where I am - I smile!

OK, so I am not a young and attractive woman whose smile might be misunderstood by guys but it is amazing how hard it is for people to not smile back.

Be generous.

This is not about material goods, if you want 'stuff' then go for it. This is about generosity of spirit. If something good happens to someone else then make sure you are genuinely pleased for them.

If you are struggling with work or no work and someone you know is telling you how they just won a huge pay rise, it can hurt. But try to think about how you would want them to feel for you if it was the other way around.

Laugh.

See the funny side of things. No matter what happens there is always a funny side!

Don't be cruel funny and laugh at people's misfortunes but just polish up your sense of the ridiculous and you will be more relaxed.

And finally, take the lesson I have reinforced every day by my dog. He lives in the moment and is just as excited every day when I come home and he is just as interested in the same bushes and trees in the same park every morning. He loves life because he just lives it and is comfortable in his skin!

We are a little more complex but if we look for the good and celebrate it we are more likely to find it and appreciate the extraordinary world in which we live!