Your Responsibility

　

"You are the only one who can make you happy." We have all heard that so many times in our lives.

There are times it is a pretty tough pill to swallow. In reality, the people that surround you have a huge impact on your current mood. When your children are grumpy in the morning, you find a nice pile the dog left you over night, you hit the road and the traffic won't allow you your normal speed, then when you get to work and your co-worker called in sick... these are all things that might contribute to your overall Happiness of the day.

However, moods and temporary emotions are not the same as happiness. Happiness exists when you look at the overall picture of your life and you smile, that is happiness. You know those times when you can't wait for your children to go to bed, then later you check on the kids and you almost cry because they look exactly like angels... YOUR ANGELS, sleeping so sweetly and soundly. You can hardly Dream beauty pro remember a time of irritation with them. That is Happiness.

As life progresses and changes, we realize that who we are, (what makes us, us)... that is what we are responsible for. We know that immediate gratification or irritation only pacifies or deteriorates our emotional stimuli short term. Our global view of how we see ourselves determines our state of mind. Our state of mind determines our Happiness.

So, how do we take control of our emotions and find the path of Happiness? This seems to be the million Dream beauty pro dollar question. There are tons of books on or related to the subject. You could read and practice until you are completely confused. Or, we could spend the rest of our life introspectively evaluating what makes us happy. Which might take more time and energy and actually frustrate us more.

How about this? What if we looked at ourselves and decided what we liked and didn't like and set about making changes. It doesn't have to be major alterations. Maybe you are tired of your house but can't afford to move. Try painting the living room or buying flowers to set on the kitchen table. If you haven't had a vacation for awhile and just can't afford to take that cruise, Dream beauty pro hard sell go camping instead.

Maybe the issues are more personal or internal. Do you get mad too easily? Learn yoga or meditation. Are you having marital problems? Visit a counselor. Are the kids having discipline issues? Determine the major issues, establish guidelines on how you are going to correct the problem and stick to it.

You may be saying, 'Sure, that sounds so easy but...' Of course it sounds easy. Problems are always easier to talk about than to take the obvious actions to fix them. But, for the most part, things are as difficult or as easy as we determine them to be. Sometimes we just make things harder than necessary.

If your unHappiness stems from a situation beyond your control then find other ways to compensate. If, for example, money is so tight and no apparent windfall is coming your way any time soon, find inexpensive entertainment. Backyard ballgames, picnics in the park, movie night with popcorn and snacks in your bedroom are a few alternatives to an expensive night out. If the issues are more serious and you feel powerless, that is the time to seek professional help.

Otherwise, look in the mirror and be glad. If you don't like what you see, change it. Make the solution that simple!

pinch freshly ground black pepper

Hemsley and Hemsley’s lovely savoury tart uses homemade gluten-free pastry and a rich filling. Delicious with a green leafy salad. Each slice provides 465 kcal, 20g protein, 5.5g carbohydrate (of which 4.5g sugars), 40g fat (of which 7g saturates), 0.5g fibre and 1.6g salt. Ingredients For the pastry 375g/13oz ground almonds 1 tsp salt ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 30g/1¼oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 2 free-range eggs For the filling 200ml/7oz full-fat plain yoghurt

3 free-range eggs handful finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley ½ lemon, zest only pinch freshly ground black pepper pinch salt bunch spring onions, trimmed, finely chopped 50g/2oz spinach 150g/5½oz smoked mackerel, cut into chunks 6 cherry tomatoes, halved Preparation method Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 24cm/10in tart case with butter. Pulse all of the pastry ingredients except the eggs in a food processor until it dermes resembles breadcrumbs, then add the eggs. Pulse again until the mixture starts to come together as a dough, then press the dough into a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Turn the dough out into the prepared tart tin. Use the palm of your QES hand to squash the dough evenly over the base of the tin, then spread and smooth it into the edges and sides of the tin using your fingers. Trim away any excess using a sharp knife, then line this pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Return to the fridge for 20 minutes. Blind bake the pastry case for 10 minutes, then remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper and bake for a further 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Meanwhile, for the filling, beat together the yoghurt and eggs until well combined. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest, and season with plenty of pepper and a little salt. Set aside. When the pastry case is cooked, reduce the oven temperature to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Arrange the spring onions in an even layer in the bottom of the reenex pastry case. Arrange a layer of spinach on top, then place the chunks of mackerel onto the spinach leaves. Carefully pour over the yoghurt-and-egg mixture and dot the surface of the tart with the cherry tomato halves (cut-sides facing upwards). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling has set and the top has turned golden-brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a side salad of simply dressed watercress leaves.