Aunt and niece sharing a funny moment. One of the basics tenants of our culture is that we are offered the opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We all wish that pursuit, that hunt, was easier and our efforts more successful. But happiness can be elusive. Partly because it is an emotion, not a static state of mind. It includes joy, excitement, pleasure, positive anticipation and experiences that "exceed our expectations". It is positive energy.
Too often it is fragile and easily destroyed by negativity, loss, the pain of circumstances beyond our control. So, if you want to pursue and capture some happiness in your life:
1. Focus on what you can control, less on what you can not. (a powerful mindset)
2. Keep your expectations realistic, even a bit low at times.
3. Never make it about you or personalize your experience (either in victory or defeat).
4. Take advantage of moments for thinking of others, less about yourself.
5. Enjoy your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch) and look for ways to enhance those experiences.
6. Stop all defensive behavior; explaining, apologizing, justifying.
7. Limit your interactions with negative people.
8. Turn off the news and turn on some comedy videos. YouTube has hundreds.
9. Finally, we must "interpret" the events in our lives and there are many ways to distort reality negatively or settle on false conclusions. Always "test" negative thoughts and look for facts. An objective mind is often a happier, or at least more peaceful, mind.
Too often it is fragile and easily destroyed by negativity, loss, the pain of circumstances beyond our control. So, if you want to pursue and capture some happiness in your life:
1. Focus on what you can control, less on what you can not. (a powerful mindset)
2. Keep your expectations realistic, even a bit low at times.
3. Never make it about you or personalize your experience (either in victory or defeat).
4. Take advantage of moments for thinking of others, less about yourself.
5. Enjoy your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch) and look for ways to enhance those experiences.
6. Stop all defensive behavior; explaining, apologizing, justifying.
7. Limit your interactions with negative people.
8. Turn off the news and turn on some comedy videos. YouTube has hundreds.
9. Finally, we must "interpret" the events in our lives and there are many ways to distort reality negatively or settle on false conclusions. Always "test" negative thoughts and look for facts. An objective mind is often a happier, or at least more peaceful, mind.
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