We Are Not Taught How To Be Happy

The writing mastermind I’m a part of online has been discussing various aspects of our personal and business journeys in relation to End of Year Goals – as the final 100 days of 2018 approaches. In one of the discussions, we started talking about Joy and Doing Things that Make You Happy and a lot of us had a hard time coming up with lists of things that make us happy and activities that bring us joy.

Everyone in the group could think of people and a few items, but it took a while to come up with a substantial list – especially when it came to things we enjoy doing. We all realized that we aren’t taught how to be happy in this life. This is not a slight against anyone or their upbringing – I’m saying this a whole, as a community, as a country. We are not taught how to be happy.

We are taught right from wrong, strong work ethics, how to be a good person overall – all good things by the way – but HOW TO BE HAPPY? Not really on the list. We usually do find things along the way that lights us up growing up, but how many of us still do the things that made us happy when we were kids and had fewer responsibilities?  I’m going to bet, not many.

So, I want you to take a few minutes today and think – what makes you happy? What brings you joy? Write it down. Spend five minutes and think about the people, places, things, and activities that make you happy, make you excited, make your soul sing. Then try to incorporate more of those into your day. I know, I know you’re going to tell me you don’t have time – trust me, I know!

Let’s say you put music down as an enjoyable thing that makes you happy. Can you listen to music on your way to work or school? Can you take a 5 or 10 minute walk at lunch and listen then? Let’s say you put down talking with a friend. Can you schedule a phone or Skype date with one of them and actually put in your calendar? Can you text a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while and just see what’s up? Ask about grabbing a coffee?

We deserve to be happy. It’s hard out there – we are all stressed and have mile-long to-do lists, but if we don’t take just a few moments every day to be happy, to spend time doing something enjoyable, then what is the point? What is the point of the hard work? What’s the point of running around and completing that mile-long list of endless to-do’s?

Let’s teach ourselves how to be happy and then maybe we can pass that information down to our kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews – so the next generation can change the world and be happy!

If you would like to share your list below in the comments, I would love to see them because I am still discovering things to try, things that might make me happy. If you’d like to see my list – let me know and I’ll post it below as well. I hope you have a great day and that you find some HAPPY in it.

 

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