{"id":1994,"date":"2013-04-07T05:34:57","date_gmt":"2013-04-07T12:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/66.147.244.209\/~canadiu3\/?p=1994"},"modified":"2014-02-09T05:37:06","modified_gmt":"2014-02-09T13:37:06","slug":"happiness-101-a-rousing-talk-with-a-wellness-guru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2013\/04\/07\/happiness-101-a-rousing-talk-with-a-wellness-guru\/","title":{"rendered":"Happiness 101: A Rousing Talk with a Wellness Guru"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"challenge<\/a><\/p>\n

WE\u2019RE<\/i> FACED with uncertainty each day. Today may be all well and good, but tomorrow\u2014who knows. I ask myself, \u201cIn spite of life\u2019s many trials, can we still be happy?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Just recently, I attended a talk dubbed \u201cHappy, Sexy, and Strong\u201d by one Dr. James Rouse, a celebrated speaker in the field of wellness.<\/p>\n

As I was on my way to the hall, a few things ran through my mind.<\/p>\n

I asked myself, \u201cWhy am I here?\u201d; \u201cIs there a specific formula to happiness?\u201d; and, lastly: \u201cWould it help me<\/i> be happier?\u201d<\/p>\n

I stepped into the hall and saw it packed to the rafters: there were journalists, healthcare professionals, and a wide variety of curious individuals. They were all here and eager to hear from our celebrity speaker.<\/p>\n

When Dr. James Rouse entered the stage, all eyes and ears locked upon his figure, and a hush fell upon the hall. \u201cDo you want to be happy, sexy and strong?\u201d he began. Smiling, he said, \u201cWellness and happiness are contagious. We can inspire each other to be happier, and to attain wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I said to myself: \u201cWow! How?\u201d<\/p>\n

What is happy, sexy and strong?<\/h6>\n

Dr. Rouse\u2014also known as an Ironman triathlete\u2014posed us this question: \u201cWhat is happy, sexy and strong for you?\u201d But before we could think of a response, he quipped: \u201cYou don\u2019t need to know the answer.\u201d He smiled, knowingly.<\/p>\n

The audience, including me, reflected on that.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rouse paused for a few seconds and watched us all widen our eyes in curiosity.<\/p>\n

What we think<\/h6>\n

He gave us some trivia: we think some 60,000 thoughts every day. 80% of these thoughts are negative<\/i>. He says that \u201cwe should change our thinking, so we can change our lives for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n

He urged the audience to be \u201cstudents of life\u201d to enjoy its benefits. \u201cWhen you choose to be a student of life, you won\u2019t be afraid to take certain challenges. You\u2019ll be happier.\u201d Based on statistics, happy people have lower rate of heart diseases, added the naturopathic physician.<\/p>\n

Again, I asked myself: \u201cAm I a student of life? Am I brave enough to face all of its trials?\u201d And\u2014\u201cOh, and is my heart okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

But I need not answer these questions right away. I knew there were still more to come from the wellness speaker.<\/p>\n

Are there ways to be happy?<\/h6>\n

\u201cWhat makes you happier?\u201d he asked the audience. Dr. Rouse told us that we should practice kindness, make it known to others. We should express gratitude, he said. He asked some participants to give a massage to the person next to them. Dr. Rouse, himself, massaged an 80-year-old man on the shoulders, and asked him: \u201cHow did that gesture of kindness make you feel?\u201d The participant simply gave him a beautiful smile.<\/p>\n

I reflected on his earlier statements. \u201cWellness and happiness are contagious. We can inspire each other to be happier and to attain wellness.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I realized, then, what he meant, and it felt great to ponder upon its truth.<\/p>\n

Good nutrition<\/h6>\n

As the night went on, Dr. Rouse introduced us to the concept of \u201cEat, Think and Move.\u201d According to the doctor, people who take time to eat breakfast before work or school are happier. Studies even show that women who eat breakfast have lower risk of heart diseases.<\/p>\n

He emphasized the key role of nutrition in the path to a well-balanced and happier life. \u201cWhen we eat the right kinds of food, we are more energized; thus, we can do everything we want to do. Wouldn\u2019t that make you feel happier?\u201d<\/p>\n

I said to myself: \u201cYes, that does <\/i>sound a lot happier than going to work on an empty stomach. How can you be happy if you don\u2019t have the energy to do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Challenges and excellence<\/h6>\n

According to the wellness guru, there is happiness in leaving our comfort zone. \u201cChange is indeed a challenge; nevertheless, growth is all about change,\u201d he expressed.<\/p>\n

I was once afraid to make changes, especially in myself. I always \u201cplayed it safe.\u201d I would admit that, at some point, I felt that something was missing. Then there came one incident that inspired me to come out of my shell and try new things.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rouse said: \u201cAnother way to be happier is to do that one thing really well. You can simply cook dinner the best way that you can, sing your favorite song, and engage in any activity that would give you happiness and fulfillment.\u201d<\/p>\n

One study revealed that most chronic multitaskers are prone to depression. He emphasized the need to focus on one activity at a time. \u201cGive yourself permission to be uncomfortable. Through it, you will be able to do that one thing exceptionally,\u201d Dr Rouse said.<\/p>\n

No bad news<\/h6>\n

\u201cHave you tried media fasting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust for one day, turn off your radio or television. Listen, simply, to your heart, and make it your primary source of good news,\u201d Dr. Rouse told us.<\/p>\n

As the night came to an end, he enumerated a few more ways to be happy, sexy and strong. Try the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Write down five things that you\u2019re grateful of before going to bed.<\/li>\n
  2. Exercise in the morning.<\/li>\n
  3. Walk in the mall.<\/li>\n
  4. Exercise your mind.<\/li>\n
  5. Add one healthy new food to your diet.<\/li>\n
  6. Breathe from your belly.<\/li>\n
  7. Make self-care your top priority; and, lastly\u2014<\/li>\n
  8. Be a go-giver by taking all these tips and sharing them with passion and purpose.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And he capped it all off with this: \u201cOur world is dying for inspiration. Your life should inspire you.\u201d<\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve been applying all these wellness tips to date, and I\u2019m glad to say that they work wonders on me. Happiness is a choice. So choose happiness\u2014even in the midst of life\u2019s trials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    WE\u2019RE FACED with uncertainty each day. Today may be all well and good, but tomorrow\u2014who knows. I ask myself, \u201cIn …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-lifestyle","mauthors-katherine-marfal-teves","mauthors-philippine-canadian-inquirer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1994\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}