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Is happiness and the feeling of gratitude what you feel on a daily basis or is stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed seem like a normal lifestyle? Has the feeling of being overwhelmed become so familiar that you don't know any other way to live your life?

Being happy is a choice you face every day. To feel happy, whose responsibility is it? Do you depend on another person or thing to make you happy? Who is the only person who can make you happy?

If you're struggling with the rough road of answering these questions, then it's time to change your mindset and take responsibility for your own happiness. It's time to figure out how to break the old mindset, get rid of the negative tapes or the thoughts that are not serving you to break free of frustration and stress. To strive for the "sigh of relief" feeling you get when you let go and learn to live a lifestyle of more ease, happiness and fun.

Finding balance in your personal and professional life can help you enjoy the feeling of peace within and true happiness. Yet, this is a huge challenge today for most people. Our lives seem busier than ever with the feeling of a "fast-paced get stuff done" type of lifestyle. Although everything around you can contribute to the very severity of your stress levels, stress is truly self-inflicted.

Here are three tips on how to shift your energy to help make happiness and joy your normal lifestyle:

1) Be aware and recognize the stressful situation by noticing where it is showing up in your body. Do you have tension or aches and pains in your shoulders, neck, chest, or stomach? Pay attention to what your body is telling you. This is your red flag.

2) Accept the situation. It is what it is. Yes, life can be very challenging at times. Now ask yourself: "Do I really want to continue feeling this way? If I keep feeling this way, will this make the situation better? How can I help myself?"

3) Are you familiar with the Laws of Attraction? Maybe you have heard the expressions, 'What you think about, you bring about' or 'The more attention you give to something, the more attention it will give to you.' Be the chooser of your thoughts! Feel the power within.

Recognize if your feelings are low energy or high energy. Several examples of low energy are stress, negativity, fear, resentment, worry, despair or a sense of lack (lack of time or money). High energy is joy, abundance, happy, positive, appreciation, love or compassion. Notice how you are feeling just by saying the low and high-energy words. Which words dis-empower you? Which words empower you?

If you are having feelings of low energy, how do you make a shift to feel more of the high energy?

As mentioned in step two, acknowledge and accept the feelings you are having. Be gentle with yourself. Your goal is to make a shift, but realize you might not be able to go from low to high instantly. Start with baby steps.

How to shift from low energy to high energy -- select a method that works best for you or use a combination. Before choosing a method, imagine you are standing at the bottom of a set of stairs. As you help yourself shift to higher energy, you will be able to step up to the next step. Keep amping up your high energy and before you know it, you will be at the top of the stairs. Isn't it great up there? Here are a few methods to get you started:

1) Become present in the moment by observing everything around you this very minute. Use all your senses. Put yesterday's worries and tomorrow's concerns aside and think about only the present moment! Observe everything around you as if you had to describe it to someone over the phone.

2) Focus on what is working 'right' in the situation and build on that. Yes, you may be facing a very challenging situation, yet try to find something that is working or going right, no matter how small to help you move forward.

Think about it...does it seem that people or situations around you have changed or is it you who has really changed? So, who has the power to feel their own joy and happiness? You do'be the chooser.