souls. Having a safe haven for yourself is a necessity to giving yourself the chance to be happy. In order to feel good, comfortable and at peace, it is im- perative to create a space that radiates positivity, organization and supports your goals. Chaos blocks happiness. Just as your body needs nourishment, your spirit needs order and peaceful- ness to thrive.


Live mindfully.


This is not new age fluff, nor is it the lat- est craze on the path to happiness. Liv- ing mindfully has been practiced for centuries. The simple idea behind this concept is to be conscious of "you" at all times. In other words, be conscious of your life by paying attention to your thoughts and actions. How are you hurt- ing yourself by permitting pain from the past to possess you? What can you do to change? Make a commitment and reap the rewards of being conscious of your existence. You have enormous power when you are aware of what you are doing at any given moment. This is positive psychology at its best.


Come out of the darkness.


"In order to cause a shadow to disap- pear, you must shine light on it." -- Shakti Gawain


When you live daily in a painful past you are living in darkness. The only who can take you out of your darkness is you. Work on your relationship with yourself and decide who you are aside from the pain. Take an inventory of your life and decide what you no longer need. Your


28 Kalon Women Magazine Jan/Mar 2014


past does not define you and your future. You are an adult, you are responsible for your well-being and that includes being happy, and you do get to choose how you will let happiness into your life.


© 2014 copyright Kristen Houghton all rights reserved.


Kristen Houghton is a lifestyle journalist and top-selling author. Her writing portfolio includes the Huffington Post, twoday- mag.com, More Magazine, and the San Francisco Examiner. She is the former head writer and features editor of Mused Literary Magazine. Her new detective novel is in pre-publication. visit www.kristenhoughton.com for more infor- mation.


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