The Key to Finding Happiness

I’m sitting here in the midst of a pandemic, political drama, and loneliness.  These uncertain times have the potential to cause plenty of stress and anxiety.  So I was wondering, how can I find a way to be happy every day?

Did you know that practicing gratitude can be a great way to boost your mood? I know, I know…you have probably heard this a lot.  But it’s true!  Expressing gratitude really has many benefits.  But it’s not something that comes easily to us when we are bombarded with all the issues of daily life.  And then our negative self-talk kicks in!  So, let’s take a look at how we can take a step back and look at the positives we have going on in our lives.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough.” – Melodie Beatty

Why does gratitude help my mood and my happiness?

To start, in order to create happiness in your life, ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS in this crazy world.  This, in turn, allows you to express gratitude and turns our mental focus to positive thoughts and emotions, such as peace, beauty, joy, which can undo the grip of negative feelings. 

How do I do this?

I asked a few of the members in our Brighten Your Light Community the following question? “What are YOUR simple things that you can find to enjoy in your life?”  

Here are some of their responses:

  • The view from my window – mountains, sky, trees, birds
  • Sunsets and sunrises
  • Animals, especially the unconditional love of our pet.
  • An unexpected “thinking of you” text
  • Warmth of blankets
  • The smell of chocolate
  • Enjoying ways to connect more with family and friends
  • Someone opening the door for me
  • Smiling at a stranger
  • The chance to explore the great outdoors
  • Quiet

There are many things in our lives that we can be grateful for.  Think back over the past few days and write down at least five things in your life that you are thankful for.

3 Simple Tips for Practicing Gratitude

  1. Being grateful is a choice.  What happens if you are mad and possibly yelling at someone and then the phone rings.  How many of you immediately change your tone and answer in a friendly greeting?  Yep!  I got you!  How you act is a choice!  And evening our feelings begin to reflect our actions.
  2. Look for the silver lining.  One of my friends has spent a lot of time at home because of the pandemic.  I love what she said about her ‘silver linings’…
    • My summer clothes from 2 years ago still look new!  I hope they still fit!
    • I always have a parking spot a work (home).
    • To keep in touch we’ve had to learn to use Marco Polo, FaceTime, Zoom, etc.  Now we’re more in touch than ever!
    • I get to go to church in my pajamas!
    • Watched movies, had dinners delivered, celebrated, worked and shopped from home.  Fixed up home.  Home is good!
    • Had COVID during the holiday.  Didn’t put up decorations. 🙁  Didn’t have to take them down! 🙂
    • Saved a LOT of money by not needing to buy hair products and makeup!
    • Working from home.  Great view! Lots of sunshine.  Share office space with my cat and dog!
    • I only had to fill my gas tank once every couple of months!
    • Cancelled my car wash pass – saved money.  No need to wash it when I don’t drive it!
  3. Make it a habit by keeping a gratitude journal.  Yep, that’s right!  You can use any kind of notebook, but I like to find a notebook that just looking at it makes me happy.  That way, I will love picking it up and writing in it.
    • Writing down your thoughts daily helps you focus on the positive things in your life.  Here are a few ideas to make it a habit.
    • Keep your journal where you will see it first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
    • You can write a message on your bathroom mirror or put post it notes around the house where you would see the reminder.
    • Set a daily reminder on your phone!  If you prefer a digital option, you can write or voice record into your phone in a notes app or even a gratitude app.

Does It Really Help?

When your mind is busy with gratitude and reminded of positive events, your life is filled with happy moments.  You feel better and then you feel like smiling at strangers or maybe even your own kids!

So, right now, find something you can write in.  It doesn’t have to be the perfect journal.  You can find that later.  Just get started.  

Write down at least 3 things right now that you are grateful for and the feelings you have about those things.  The more you can involve your senses, the better. 

Give it a try and then come join us in our Brighten Your Light Community and join our conversation!  We would love to see you there!

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