What is happiness? Webster says that happiness is feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc. Some say that happiness is a mix of how we feel on a day-to-day basis and how satisfied we are with our lives. Did you get that? Happiness is a feeling. Just like anger or sadness. We want to feel happy. How do we do that? If it is a feeling, how do we produce it?
Being happy is a skill that we can improve upon with consistent practice. We don’t always feel happy automatically. Sometimes it is a choice. It is a choice in how we interpret our circumstances and where we choose to put our energy. Our lives often change and we are faced with adversity. Happiness is not a constant state, so don’t expect yourself to be happy all of the time. But the happier you are overall, the more likely you will be to bounce back and deal positively in spite of adversity.
The most important thing we can do to maintain a good level of happiness is to take care of our basic needs. Get enough sleep, eat well-balanced meals, move around and get some exercise and take care of your personal hygiene. Be the best person you can be. Everyone feels better after a nice warm shower and a new hairdo. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air on a regular basis. In the early days of medicine, the prescription for depression was to sit the patient outside in the sunshine for several hours per day to boost their mood. That remedy is still valid today.
Another way to cultivate your happiness is to spend time connecting with others. Spend time with those you care about. Your family, friends, God, church group and even volunteer groups are all great to get involved with. Do something good for someone who needs your help. Find things you are good at and do those things. When we spend our time in positive moments, our minds won’t have time to focus on the not-so-perfect times.
Practice gratitude. Focus on the good things that happened throughout the day. Sure, you may have “bad days,” but if you can jot down three or four high points of each day, things that you are thankful for, the bad won’t be able to overtake your mood. Stay in the present. Don’t let your mind wander to negative thoughts of the past, especially if you can’t change it.
Most important, find meaning. To feel connected to a deeper purpose in life is the key to overall happiness. People who have found meaning in their life report having more stable moods and sociable behavior. Find meaning through spirituality, a fulfilling career, through your children and how you raise them and by pursuing goals that are meaningful to you.
Motivational speaker and author Dennis Waitley once said, “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.”
Wise words. Now move forward and feel happy.
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