Archive for: Our Happiness Blog

Ever find it difficult to think of something you are happy about after a particularly hard day or even week? We have all been there at some point. Rather than putting yourself on the spot and racking your brain for one thing that bring you happiness, make it a challenge for this week to come up with a few things. Barbara Ann Kipfer wrote a book called “14,000 Things to Be Happy About.” If she was able to come up with 14,000 things, listing just a few for yourself this week won’t be too much of a stretch. My list for this week includes: coffee, cookie dough ice cream, and hoodies. Now it’s your turn—what are you happy about this week?

“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. So how do you plan to pursue happiness this Fourth of July? There are many ways to celebrate this day whether it is a day at the beach, fun with fireworks, hosting a neighborhood barbecue, or taking the day off from work to unwind in the comfort of your home. The possibilities are endless!

Swing, ballet, salsa, tap, tango, and modern are just some styles of dance. For some, joining a dance class is ideal, while some of us with two left feet would prefer twirling and swaying around the house when no one is watching. Regardless of what option you choose, you can still reap the benefits of losing weight, staying flexible, reducing stress, starting a new hobby, connecting with others, and more!

Take a moment to recall the last time you did something silly for no apparent reason. What did that feel like? As we get older, life sweeps us up into responsibilities and obligations, which inevitably impacts our mood. We challenge you this week to break the monotony and do something silly and out of the ordinary. Here are some ideas:

• Have breakfast for dinner
• Build a fort with sheets and blankets
• Sing at the top of your lungs
• Jump in puddles
• Write a song
• Jump on a trampoline
• Dance around the house

Often times we may make decisions and lead our lives based on what we are told to do or what we believe we are expected to do. While there is nothing wrong with allowing others to help us or influence us in positive ways, we may find ourselves feeling as though something is missing. This often occurs when we are not living a life congruent to our values. Values are things that are near and dear to us that are not necessarily influenced by factors such as, societal expectations, morals, religious beliefs, etc. Rather, values are desired qualities of ongoing action and they help us make life decisions, such as what job to pursue, when to start a family, or whether you should go back to school. For instance, if you are someone who values knowledge, going back to school may seem like the right choice for you. Take a moment today and ask yourself, “What do I want my life to be about? What do I want to stand for?” Once you identify your values, take it a step further and brainstorm ideas of how you can engage in actions that are congruent to those values. Here are some examples of values:

• Knowledge
• Adventure
• Caring
• Loving
• Contribution
• Creativity
• Family
• Health
• Leisure

Keep in mind— values are not goals. They are a way of living and when we live a life congruent to our values, we feel fulfilled!

If you feel like you have enjoyed the warm weather, exhausted your options for outdoor activities, and need something exciting to look forward to this month, consider the following national holidays:

June 7th – National Chocolate Ice Cream Day: To celebrate this day, you only need one thing-chocolate ice cream! And maybe a sweet tooth.

June 8th – National Best Friends Day: Tell your best friend they matter whether it is through a gift, a planned day out, a phone call, or card. There is no wrong way of letting your best friend know you value them.

June 15th – National Smile Power Day: Share your beautiful smile with whoever you encounter on this day. You never know, you might just make someone’s day better with the power of your smile.

June 21st – National Selfie Day: Get creative and show your followers your selfie skills! Looking for more ideas? Check out National Calender

If you asked ten different people to define “happiness,” I can guarantee you every person would give you a different answer. Often times it can be difficult to put into words exactly what happiness means. Rather than thinking about the concept of happiness, try drawing it! You can illustrate what happiness looks like to you by drawing the things or situations that bring you personal happiness. If you do not have paper and a pencil, use the virtual sketchpad found here.

In a TED talk entitled “There’s more to life than being happy,” Emily Esfahani Smith discusses her difficulty grappling with society’s search for happiness. It was not until graduate school that Emily realized true happiness arises from finding meaning within one’s life. Cultivating meaning can be narrowed down to four crucial pillars – belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling. Belonging involves being truly accepted for you who you are by friends, family, community or other social groups. Purpose evokes the idea of obtaining one’s dream job, but Emily notes that purpose is really about utilizing our strengths to serve others. Transcendence entails complete focus during an activity. For example, this could be losing yourself while viewing artwork or writing a story. Finally, storytelling is the ability to edit and transform the stories we tell ourselves about our life. Reflecting on your personal narrative can bring about a deeper understanding of how you became who you are. Life is bound to be full of ups and down, but by cultivating meaning through some or all of these pillars we can make the journey more worthwhile.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. You might find that you excel at problem-solving, but speaking in public may not be your forte. Similarly, we all have happiness strengths and weaknesses that influence our everyday life. Psychologist, Sonja Lyubomirsky, suggests 50 percent of happiness is genetically predetermined, 10 percent is due to life circumstances, and 40 percent is the result of your own personal outlook. This is particularly motivating because it means almost half of our happiness is directly under our control! Knowing this, it is important to identify individual happiness strengths and weaknesses. Consider the following happiness skills below…

• Positive self-views: The ability to see yourself as a good, worthwhile human being
• Empathy: The ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and see the world from
  their perspective
• Gratitude: The ability to be thankful for the experiences and people you have in your life
• Growth mindset: The belief that your strengths can be developed through hard work and
  dedication
• Assertiveness: The ability to stand up for yourself, speak up, and communicate your
  needs

You can read more about happiness strengths and weaknesses here. Choose one individual weakness and set aside time each week to work on developing this skill. Over time your weakness will become a strength and will serve to bolster your happiness!