I believe that our health, our financial situation and our levels of happiness are intertwined and connected to each other because without good health our ability to earn may be affected and without income our levels of health can be affected both of which can affect our level of happiness and impact on our general wellbeing. I know what it is like to suffer bouts of depression and when this overwhelming sadness and dissatisfaction with life came over me it greatly affected my quality of life. I lost my spark and my enjoyment for the activities I used to love and it was tough just getting out of bed in the morning. Happiness is an emotion and all emotions are brought on by experiences, circumstances actions and reactions which means that when our external world is causing us put happiness on the back burner it's time to start investigating why. What would your answer be to the following questions?

Are you living life that way you want to?

Are you feeling happy and at peace with yourself most of the time?

Do you see a fun, successful, healthy future ahead of you?

If you answered no to one or more of these questions then you may want to check in with yourself a little deeper and discover what is preventing you from living life the way you want to or preventing you from seeing a bright future and being happy and at peace most of the time. Often some time alone to reflect can prove very insightful and helpful.

The key to living your best life comes down to your level of health, wealth and happiness.

• When you are fit and active you will have energy to burn and your self esteem and confidence will increase.
• When you are living free of debilitating debt and enjoying some of what you earn then you will enjoy a good night's sleep and feel less encumbered and stressed.
• When you set goals for yourself and take the steps to achieve them you will know that you are progressing in the direction that you want to go and progress is happiness.

This is living with abundance. Living in this way requires you to take responsibility for your life and will ensure that you endeavour to make the most of every situation and all that you have.

Learn to love yourself unconditionally and develop the confidence and self esteem that will help you to showcase your talents to the world. Lessen the stress in your life by decreasing your debt and increasing you disposable income so that you are able to invest in your talents and enjoy what you do. Set your goals and clarify your vision of how you want your life and the world to be. Learn to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings. All of this will set you up with an abundance of positive energy that will flow and generate more of the same for others. Be the best you can be and live with gratitude for all that you have, all that you are and all that you will become.

Life will always throw you curve balls and it is by overcoming the challenges that you will grow and become empowered. We are all born with an inner strength and this becomes especially obvious when having to deal with a crisis of some sort. Setbacks come in all shapes and sizes but no matter how big or how small, I believe that this is when facing the challenges head on that your true spirit will emerge. This is when your inner strength will kick in and help you to get your life back together. It is the hard knocks that will help to build your courage and your strength so that you can eventually begin once again to move on and rebuild.

If you can live your daily life with an open heart, gratitude and a love for yourself and others then the magic will start to happen. As Ghandi once said "Be the change you want to see in the world."

I believe that we all deserve the best that life has to offer and I believe that it is available to us all. It is in learning acceptance of self and others that is paramount in reducing stress and increasing wellbeing. Remember that happiness is a state of mind that can be enhanced by living a healthy, happy and relatively stress free life.

You have all you need inside of you. Listen to your heart when making your choices and, if you feel you need someone to show you the way and to kick start you on your journey then start seeking them out. There are teachers everywhere and they can help you to begin creating the
life YOU want.

Susan Briggs holds a Diploma in Life Coaching and is a Certified Hypnotherapist, ACT Therapist and NLP Practitioner. Owner of Yes U Can 4 Women, Susan is passionate about assisting women to create the life they want. For more information phone 0430 118 733, email; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the website at; www.yesucan4women.com.au