Happiness every Day!

Too often I hear people say that they are waiting for something to happen before they can be really happy.    They feel as if something has to be achieved such as meeting their soul mate, losing some weight or finding that new job.  They believe that once they have achieved this, then and only then, will they feel truly happy. This thought process can cause your everyday life to feel miserable because you are waiting to arrive somewhere in order to allow yourself to feel happy.

 The truth is that happiness is a state of mind, not a destination.   I acknowledge  that it is not always easy to feel good and happy and sometimes we need to feel pain and sadness in order to move on and find happiness.   However, if you find yourself thinking on a daily basis that you need to achieve something before you are happy, then you are living in a constant state of misery.

One of my favourite action steps is to write a list of ' 100 things which make me Happy' and do something from this list every day!  The list can be filled with the simple inexpensive things in life such as walking on a beach, reading a book for an hour or talking a long hot bath.    This exercise is particularly effective on the days that you do feel unhappy or sad! It is easy to get carried away in being responsible, going to work, looking after others and running a home, but it is equally important to inject some fun and happiness into each day and feed that internal flame inside of you.   Don't let that flame burn out - keep it happy and burning strongly.  It is important to be responsible for your own happiness.  Don't look for things outside of you to make you happy such as a relationship, person or money.  Focus on happiness now! What did you enjoy doing as a child?  Put that on your list as I am sure just thinking about it makes you smile!

Another useful technique is to think of something which makes you happy! Perhaps it is a pet, small child or a great moment you shared with someone else.

Here is a few ideas from my own list to get you started:

• 1) Walking in nature
• 2) Watching an old comedy show
• 3) Aromatherapy oils in the bathtub
• 4) Eating dark chocolate
• 5) Walking on the beach with my coffee
• 6) Coffee with friends
• 7) Fresh flowers

The rest is up to you!

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.  ~A.A. Milne