Happiness

Happiness is really a mood or state of being.  It is a way you might feel at a certain time, and that feeling is described as positive, good and joyful.  Many people think about being happy or strive to be happy all the time.  But that really is not realistic all the time, for what goes up, must come down, right?  If you were always happy, that state of being would become your norm, and that level of happiness would start to feel average.  This would create a need to feel above average and a new level of happiness would be needed, and that could go on and on.  Experiencing the down times that come in everyone’s life as well as the up times helps each of us to know the difference and appreciate the happiness we feel.  Having said that, we certainly can program or arrange our days to have many things in them that do make us feel happy.  Just make sure you don’t keep doing the same things every day, or that “average” feeling described above might appear, replacing your happiness with feelings of monotony.

Keep in mind also that you are always the one constant whether you have or don’t have happiness.  If you always stay in the same places, work the same routines and visit the same establishments, it is very likely that your happiness will be low.  Try changing your routine, do a new activity or do some traveling.  Experience some new things and make some new friendships.  These new experiences increase your probability of more happiness while also making life more interesting.  It only takes one happy event to make you feel good again.  If you don’t plan for a little change in your life, you may realize one day that you are in a “rut” and doing the same things over and over.  The stability of that rut might feel comfortable, but if you allow for some changes once in a while, things in your life might really feel great most of the time.

Everyone’s version of happiness is also a little different.  Going out and socializing or having a great meal or conversation with family and friends can be good sources of happiness for many people.  Staying in good shape, eating healthy foods and getting plenty of sleep all can help you improve your mood and maintain a positive outlook, which all work in your favor to experience happiness.  But again, you create most of the happiness in your life and many times it does not take much effort on your behalf to be happy. 

Stay away from negative thoughts and negative people.  Negative situations and experiences do come up, and you must deal with them, but you should focus on treasuring your positive experiences and creating more of them.  Happiness is an emotion, and you can create emotions through activity, so do something you love and enjoy.  Look around, see what others do that makes them happy.  Give it a try, if it works for you too, so much the better. 

Being happy also means adhering to your value system.  If you are constantly going against your own grain every day, doing things you don’t really believe you should be doing, that type of activity can be a negative emotional drain on you and prevent you from being happy.

Finding your true purpose in life, sticking to your value system and working to develop yourself into the person you truly want to be in life can help you feel happier.  Working with a good life plan can help you do this and more.

 

Here is a short list of things leading to happiness:

• Express gratitude on a regular basis
• Practice being more optimistic
• Engage in frequent acts of kindness
• Savor joyful events
• Practice forgiveness
• Keep learning new things
• Stay physically fit
• Create goals and accomplish them
• Be part of a group and get to know others

You can learn more about HAPPINESS by reading these books:

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to Act by Russ Harris

Paths to Happiness: 50 Ways to Add Joy to Your Life Every Day by Edward Hoffman

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want by Sonja Lyubomirsky

The Happiness Mindset: 12 Strategies for Happiness & Success I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Younger by Brandon Stanberg

Gary Kiecker, LifeLongU™