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Happiness as Your Top Priority

  • December 7, 2016 3:05 PM EST

    What would change in your life if you decided to be happy and made that your top priority? Edwin Edebiri thinks that happiness needs to be our default position and has declared himself the Chief Happiness Officer. Listen to his Ted-x talk here. Happiness as a Default Position

    He speaks to a core belief that happiness is a state you deserve to enjoy and that everyone can find happiness. I agree that happiness is a state of mind that improves when you pay attention to what does make you happy. What I like about his talk is the idea that self-compassion or the ability to forgive yourself is a key component to happiness.

    I pulled a few ideas that appealed to me from his talk:

    1. Decide to be happy
    2. Smile more and learn to laugh at yourself
    3. Create a gratitude list, include what makes you happy
    4. Create a list of all the things that make you unhappy and seek solutions
    5. Eliminate some things that contribute to unhappiness
    6. Be active and make healthy choices for self care
    7. Create a dream list and take actions towards your dreams
    8. Play

    Is it really that easy to become happier? There is research that supports that idea of happiness being linked to attitude and your focus on need-satisfying goals. These are goals that nourish and support you - not just achievement goals.

    Goals that nourish you can be long-term projects that you work on over time. Happiness comes from taking good care of yourself in small ways.

    I have small things that make me happy: hearing a bird sing, riding my bike instead of driving to the store, connecting with people on a summer walk, swimming, and a quiet start to the day drinking tea.

    Consider the small things in which you find pleasure. What does make you feel good? It can be an activity or something you view or appreciate. When you pause at the end of every day and create a gratitude list, it gives you a reason to be happy. In hectic times the only thing that we can truly control is our attitude. Start today by writing out the list of what makes you happy. Take one week and work on creating your daily gratitude list.

    Do something silly that makes you laugh. Connect with family or friends.

    Reflect and consider the small actions you could take to contribute to your happiness level. It can really be that easy to enjoy happy moments.

    Need some other ways to check your happiness level? ? Schedule a call with Coach Gwen