Cultivating Happiness ~ Intro

Choose Joy Today

True joy can be a choice and a gift, however sometimes it does take a little extra internal work to cultivate and appreciate its existence within and around us.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our day to day to-dos, errands, chores, and goals that we struggle with making time for what we truly love and enjoy. Yes, it's important to be productive, but I don't think that we have to sacrifice our personal sense of joy in order to be successful in life.

With a sincere mindset coupled with devout action, we can be both happy and productive!

In this series I encourage you to discover and determine, or examine and redefine, your own version of happiness.

Here are some of the topics we'll review in this series:

• Exploring activities to bring more pleasure into your life

• Exchanging bliss blockers for everyday healthy habits

• Connecting with nature to maintain your feel good vibes

• Cultivating contentment while moving through difficult times

• Making a commitment to be filled with and surrounded by joy

Journal Companion

The Happiness Journal by Michael O'Mara will be our companion as we take on this practice to cultivate more delight in our lives. We'll focus on a few key activities mentioned in this interactive journal. Feel free to purchase your own copy to delve deeper into the workbook which is filled with creative writing prompts, motivational quotes, and illustrations designed to elevate your mood and spirit.

You can also use your own journal or notebook, filling it with the activities that will be presented in this series. Allow yourself to get creative too, adding pictures and doodles to liven up the words you write. Throughout this process I'd like for you to contemplate on the people, places, and things that make you smile, giggle, laugh, and radiate pure and authentic satisfaction.

Practice

1. What is happiness to you? Write down or record what happiness means to you. You can refer to this journal entry later in your happiness journey to gauge your progress. This entry can help you to acknowledge the personal growth you're experiencing while cultivating more joy in your life.

2. Make it tangible. Here are some ways to capture your thoughts and feelings into something you can see, feel, and/or hear:

   1. Choose a picture that ignites bliss within you and caption it with a happiness quote.

   2. Doodle, draw, or sketch yourself with chat bubbles or thought clouds describing what you acknowledge joy to be.

   3. Record a voice audio or a video expressing your own version of true contentment.

As you go about your week, refer to your answer to "What is happiness to you?" This is your current definition of joy. Know and remember that your personal meaning of joy, including how you experience it as well as express it, can change over time.

Consider how you can maintain an elevated mood and spirit throughout this upcoming week. Be proactive and put your positive thoughts into action. If you're not sure where to start, share your gratitude with others. Expressing what you are thankful for and why can invite a sweet and worm change to how you view yourself, others, and your immediate environment. Remember, joy can be contagious so shine bright and share your light!