Email Savvy Elders!

I have had a swag of emails from some wise elders who live in Victoria. Do you all know each other? I will upload the rest of the emails during the week. Thank you all so much for your wonderful contributions to this site. Please keep your revelations coming folks! Regards, Abi

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Meredith (77) from Sorrento, Victoria: "We cannot make someone like us, or even love us. If you think too much about how other's see you it will eat you up and make you feel insecure and uncertain of your place in the world. No one can be happy feeling this way. Learn to love the person you are by doing to others as you would do for yourself. This is how to live a happy life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Eric (74) from Sorrento, Victoria: "To be happy we need to let others be as they want to be. We cannot control the life path of others - we cannot decide what others should do with their lives, or how they should react to us. When we try to control the life of another person, it consumes us and stops us from living the life we should live for ourselves."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Edna (74) from Sorrento, Victoria: "Never wish for anything. When you wish for something you start longing for it, and when you long for something you feel restless in your tummy and your mind feels like it is set on fire. How can anyone be happy feeling like this? Wishing is such a terrible waste of time. Wishing just takes your focus off the important thing in life...which is, quite simply, living in the world with others."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Anne from Christchurch, New Zealand: "Having a happy life comes down to two simple things; how you behave in your life, and how others react to that."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Mal (57) from Toronto, Canada:

"Be a happiness warrior. Make it your mission to bring a smile to many faces in a day. That doesn't mean cracking jokes all the time. It just means doing things during your day that will make others feel good, and make them smile. When you make others feel good you make yourself feel good. You will have a happy life if you feel good about what you do with your life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Ted from Byron Bay: "Get enough sleep. When you are well rested your mind is well rested, and when your mind is rested you are less likely to be reactive to situations, and if you are less reactive you are less stressed, and if you are less stressed you dont worry as much. So, the secret is simple. It is SLEEP."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Murray (73)from Tunbridge Wells, UK: "Worry is what causes stress, and stress erodes our happiness. We worry about all sorts of things that we dont need to stress about. Humans are probably the only creatures on earth who stress over 'imaginings', so just stop creating scenarios in your head and deal with problems as they arise. You can have problems in your life and still be a happy person."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Theresa (42) from Sorrento, Victoria: "Live your life as though someone is writing a song about you. You wouldnt want them to be singing about some miserable old cow who no one felt good being around, would you? Be the amazing star in your own song, and you will live a happy life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Joan (86) from Melbourne, Victoria: "Smiling is under rated as a tool towards happiness. People do all sorts of courses in the quest to be a happier person, when all they need to do is to learn to smile - especially at themselves."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Peter (88) from Essendon, Victoria: "Thoughts create your happiness, or not. Annoying or negative thoughts are like your eager relatives..they drop in uninvited whenever they want. When your head hits the pillow at night, tell your bad thoughts to buggar off for a few hours and that you'll invite them back at breakfast time. When you are having your breakfast, tell your thoughts you would like to indulge them but you need to concentrate on eating your muesli and getting ready for your day. Tell them they can drop in at dinner time. When you are having your dinner tell your thoughts you havent any time to have a debate because you are enjoying dinner too much and need to have a clear head to watch Neighbours on the telly. And then when they start to get a bit niggly with you for not giving them any attention today, tell them they can come to stay anytime they want as long as they dont expect any conversation. Oh, and maybe try this technique with your rellys too!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Anne (72) from Bribane, Queensland: "Your journey to a happy life should also take into account the impact of your actions on others. Before you make a comment to anyone, censor it for a fleeting moment and rephrase it so that the words that spill from your mouth are kind and considerate of the other person. Words can be like angel feathers brushing on the cheek of that person, or like poison arrows in the heart. And we would all prefer angel feathers."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Alex (25) from Glasgow, Scotland: "Let go of criticism, gossip, nasty judgements, and thoughts of revenge. These kind of thoughts poison your character, and in turn poison the way you think about yourself. No one can be happy when they spit that kind of energy into the earth."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Amy (19) from Bayswater, Western Australia: "Dont let the bad stuff weigh you down. Shrug off the things that bother you or they will eat you up like acid on metal. The secret to being happy is to start happy and stay that way!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Ingrid from Rockingham: "Your thoughts and actions, not your wants and desires, will determine whether in your life you experience suffering or happiness. Aim to keep your thoughts and actions pure and true and in turn you will experience great happiness in life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Walt Whitman - deceased (American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist)from Long Island NY, USA: "Happiness...not in another place, but this place...not for another hour, but this hour."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Barbra (75) from Vancouver: "Never gossip. Gossip is poison to your mind. You will not feel good about yourself when you are driving home from an afternoon with the girls and realise you had spilled the beans about someone who had entrusted you to a secret. Or you realise you had relished in another's misfortune. Gossip is for insecure people. Free yourself from gossip and you will be on your way to a happier life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Ian from Vancouver, Canada: "Live your life in capsules of time. While you are in the capsule, experience only what is happening right there and then. Forget about what happened 5 hours earlier, or what may happen tomorrow, or in five weeks time. Live and experience only in the capsule of time, and you will find your thoughts will be less clouded, your anxieties and insecurities will diminish, and in turn you will be a happier person."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Marilyn from Adelaide: "To be happy we need to acknowledge that everyone is different from us...and then just accept it. No judgement, no analysis, just complete acceptance that we are all different, but we are also One."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Annalise from Glasgow, Scotland: "Aim to make someone else happy in life. If you succeed in that, you will find that there will be happiness in your life too."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by the most ancient of wise men, Confucius (and thanks to Myra of Hobart for forwarding it): "If you choose a job that you like, you will never have to work a day in your life." And another from Myra: "I do not cut my life up into days but my days into lives: each day, each hour, an entire life." Juan Ramon Jimenez

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Theresa from Dublin: "Dont abdicate your life to anyone - not your husband/partner/mother/father/sister/brother/boss/God - no one!! Even when things are crappy for you, be prepared to make the decisions that affect your life. Even if you make a bad decision, at least you had the courage to make it. You will be a much happier person if you take charge of your life and steer your own course."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by the husband of Sandra from Brisbane: "The secret to a happy life is to have a happy wife!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Ginny from Geelong, breast cancer fighter/survivor: Btw, Ginny found this wonderful quote on the internet, but she has embraced the philosophy and is living proof of it....that's her beautiful face in the picture!

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Lynn from Canberra: "Be aware of how you impact on the lives of others. If you want other people to be happy, you will act with kindness, grace, dignity and respect. Not only will you make others happy, but you will make yourself happy."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Tom from Darwin: "Choose to live with a horse and not a woman. A horse will never let you down."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Abi from Darlington: "Be open to all experiences and have no expectations of the outcome....then you will never be disappointed."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Donna from Adelaide: "Be open to all possibilities."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Beth from Byron Bay, NSW: "A cluttered house makes for a cluttered mind. Do your housework if you want to be happy. The serene space you create will really make you feel more content and happy. Sounds corny, but just try it!"

I really love how the oldies who have been sending me stuff include their age with their comment. Maybe some of you may also like to include yours. It may help the reader put your comment into perspective.

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Sidney (79) from Liverpool, UK: "Live your life as though it might end tomorrow. Dont procrastinate about stuff you want to do and people you want to see. Do it now!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Natasha from Ringwood: "Speak to a happy child at least once a day. Kids are brilliant at making you realise you take yourself too seriously." PS I am a happy school teacher!

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Rina (72) from Newtown: "Dont take yourself too seriously. It will only make you question everything that is happening around you, and you will relate it all back to you and react to it. You will end up a miserable sod. Lighten up, and lighten your load!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Bryn from Inglewood: "Be open to anything. I suffered depression for about 2 years. I isolated myself from everyone, and felt so low I wanted to top myself. About 4 years ago a friend dropped by and dragged me out of the house. She took me to Bunbury, with me swearing and cursing at her for the whole 2 hour drive. She took me to a bay where we could paddle in the water and within minutes we were surrounded by 3 dolphins. I was terrified at first, but she encouraged me to stay in the water by telling me about the habits of dolphins, etc. We were in the water for almost 10 minutes and that was a turning point for me in my life. I felt overwhelmed with happiness from that point on. I dont know if it was the contact with beautiful wild creatures, or the fact that someone cared about me enough to endure my bad moods and bad behaviour to help me out of a dark space."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Nicholas from New Jersey: "I am not a very outgoing sort of person, and being an introvert people scare me a bit, so I do not get my happiness from conversing or being around other people. My happiness comes from creating things. I paint, I sculpt, I write poems, I play a few instruments. I feel happy when I am in the process of creating. Although I cant communicate face to face with people just how I feel about them, I can give them one of my creations to show them how special they are to me. Their reaction to the gift is what makes me happy. And PS, why do people think introverts are unhappy people? What a huge misconception!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Skye from Essendon, Victoria: "Stay in contact with your friends and family. They are the people who know you the best, and when you are down, they are the ones who know what to do to make you feel happier. These are the most important people in your life, and it is worth nurturing them. On another note, if your family dont make you happy nurture intimate friedships with people who do make you feel happy."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Hans (64) from Braidwood: "Having a hobby that satisfies you and makes you feel peaceful and calm will make you happy. Having a passion is something different. A passion can make you miserable because a passion can become an obsession that over rides the rest of your life, and can send you into a spiral of self judgement . A hobby, however, is something that you find time for to indulge yourself and tinker away. I have two hobbys, wood turning and reading."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Bill (88) from Carlton, Victoria: "Try to have a laugh everyday. If you feel miserable, watch something funny on television, or get a joke book and read from that each day. When you are laughing it is hard to dwell on your own crap. That might mean reading a lot of joke books and watching a lot of funny television on some days, but eventually your mind will know how to think happy and you will become a happier person too. So get laughing, that's what I say!"

The secret to a happy life is revealed by William from Frankston, Victoria: "If you want your life to be happy, dont listen to your mother once you reach 20 years old. Make your own way in the world, learn from your own mistakes, create your own journey. You will feel happy that you trod your own path."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Jean from Port Lincoln: "Try to listen to children playing everyday. It doesnt matter that you cant see them, just listen to their rules, squabbles, negotiation, and eventual laughter and it will make you feel that all is as it should be in the world."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Betty (71) from Toronto: "Try and get out in Nature at least once a day. If you cant get into the wilds, then visit a garden. Being in nature helps to remove your thoughts from your internal chatter, and this helps you to feel calm and peaceful. Calm and peaceful people are nearly always happy with their lives."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Kristina from Belgium: "Get a pet, care for it, enjoy it, love it. You will always feel happy when your pet is happy, because your pet will love you even when you are having a miserable day."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Benjamin from Liverpool, UK: "Make friendships with old people. Old people have wisdom simply because they have lived so long, and their experiences and insights can help you put a better perspective on your own life. I always feel happier in my life after talking with old people."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Rob from Alberta: "To keep a content and happy mind, snooze in the grass in some gentle sunshine at least twice a week."

Hi folks. Keep those emails coming! I will upload a few every day. I am a bit behind at the moment, but will try to get most of the emails I received in the last few days on the blog tomorrow. Thanks again for your interest in this blog.

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Scott from Byron Bay: "Keep physical. That doesnt mean be a gym junkie, it just means making sure you keep yourself mobile and energetic. When your body feels good, your mind feels good, and when your mind feels good, you cant help but feel happy in your life."

The secret to a happy life is revealed by Olwyn of Newcastle: "Learn to let go of the niggly stuff. Once you can do that you will feel a sense of freedom, and this freedom will lighten your thoughts and you will feel happy. When you feel happy, you can live happy."

The Secret to a Happy life is revealed by Arun from Geraldton: "I always thought I was a happy person, and then I had my first child and found that my happiness increased beyond what any words could describe. Every stage of my child's life brought me so much happiness I thought I would burst! My son continues to enrich my life with abundant happiness, and every time he visits me that happiness washes over me like warm sunshine on a winters day. My son is 65 years old tomorrow."