“It’s impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren’t feeling twinkly yourself.”
Roald Dahl
So what triggers happiness? Isn’t it usually the simplest things?
Sitting alone with a good book and your favourite tipple.
Weekend barbecues with family and friends.
…A weekend lie-in, gardening, travel, chilling out with a great movie and your favourite partner in crime?
As I started to think about my latest post, I realised that trying to condense the meaning of happiness sure is a tall order. Certainly way too much for this humble little article!
So this week I’m focussing on some universal happiness triggers, that’s to say – those factors that are proven over and over to generate stability, a sense of calm and happiness in all of us.
How many can you tick off?
A Supportive, Loving Network
Partners, children, siblings, close relatives and friends – the moment someone is granted access to your inner thoughts and feelings they cross a very important boundary indeed.
Isn’t it incredible that we can call on the special people in our lives to give us a little boost of motivation, love or advice when we need it?
Actually, when you understand the importance of sharing what’s inside with those you love and cherish the most, you will literally flourish! It’s honestly not easy to radiate happiness and sunbeams when everything important is locked up inside. Having a trusted confidante and cheerleader (or even a few of them) is a crucial element of our day to day happiness – as any Life Coach will confirm.
Who do you turn to?
A Healthy Respect For Your Incredible Body
Anyone who claims to have a 100 percent healthy lifestyle is either missing the point or a bit deluded. Seriously. No-one said you can’t have fun and go off-roading with your diet or exercise once in a while! We’re humans after all. Not robots.
However! There’s a huge difference between occasional detours from the straight and narrow, and kidding yourself that you’re healthy and doing a great job when nagging health issues, your doctor – or even the bathroom scales – are telling a different story.
You are in control here. So don’t pass the reins or responsibility (… or blame!) to anyone else. More emotional strength and resilience than you imagine comes from knowing that you’re genuinely putting thought into how best to look after your body. You only have one – so treat it with the utmost love and care every chance you get. If not you, then who else?
Clarity About What Lies Ahead
Have you ever had one of those personal “Eureka!” moments?
The ones where the penny drops into place and lots of unrelated events suddenly seem to come together and make sense?
Well this is how it feels when you set yourself up with some exciting, achieveable, personal targets – and then crack them! It feels so good to reach – and sometimes even exceed – our own expectations.
Without clarity for what you want out of life in the next 6 to 12 months, you’ll only feel restless.
… and age doesn’t come into it! Everyone needs to have something worthwhile they are working towards in life to feel fully satisfied and good about themselves.
Do you have a project? A plan? A goal? A dream? A hitlist? A bucket list maybe?
Small steps towards something important to YOU will generate a lot of quiet happiness.
An Open, Engaged, Enquiring Mindset
Simply put: People who nitpick, complain, nag, judge and find fault with everything and everyone are simply too closed to their own potential to really get the best out of life. Don’t be one of them.
Be a listener. Be enquisitive. Ask questions. Open your eyes. Learn. Encourage. Explore. Be kind.
An open attitude to life really works – and will make you a much more rounded and happier person.
Respect For Others and The World Around You
When you think about others, and the bigger picture, you start to realise that we share an incredible connection. Both good and bad. It’s just too easy to be insular and self absorbed these days, but don’t be blind to what’s going on around you.
There’s a huge amount of satisfaction and happiness to be enjoyed and shared by reaching out to others. This doesn’t need to be on a big scale. The smallest act of kindness in your own social circuit or community will foster a long lasting sense of wellbeing. Can you do one small thing to help someone today?
Self Belief
I encourage you to start and end each day thinking of yourself.
Yes – you!
Everything in life begins and ends with self belief and if you think it’s wrong to consider yourself as important and worthy of thought, nothing else is going to work.
You can be motivated, kind, argumentative, silly, joyful, quiet – and you can most definitely choose to be happy today too! Never forget that. And never allow anyone to make you feel that this choice is anything other than yours alone.
Do more of whatever it is that makes you happy!
Can you rely on the above six happiness generators in your life? Being aware of these incredibly empowering factors should give you a lot of personal strength in almost everything you do, so be thankful for them.
Ps Did I miss something? Can you think of something else that reliably brings happiness to everyone?
Originally published at www.sarah-virag.com