Activating Happiness #1
Not so long ago, I went for a walk in the woods and came face to face with a disturbing, yet liberating moment of clarity. I realized that I had been experiencing much more burden and grumpiness, and much less happiness than I wanted. Much more of it, I acknowledged, was inside of me than outside of me. So, I decided to get nerdy about it and read three books on happiness. As it turns out, I read four.
Starting with John Leland’s investigation into happiness among the most aged, I immediately found new perspective. He followed six elders from a range of circumstances for a year. Their situations in life were not pristine. Yet, they had something to say about happiness. He learned, “Some people are grateful seemingly as their default state, even when no one’s looking. Their lives aren’t necessarily better than other people’s, but they find more reasons to give thanks for their small rewards. Fred Jones was one of those people. Giving thanks made him happy, which made him grateful, which made him happy.”
Happiness is ultimately an inside job. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some questions and thoughts on happiness along with some practices and challenges to engage.
1. Choose happiness in the present moment, right now. “This plate of grapes is what makes me happy, because that’s what I’m doing right now,” according to Fred. Can you find the happiness in the present? Keep digging around, it’s there somewhere.
2. Choose happiness as an improvisation to what comes your way. Anger, annoyance, bitterness, exasperation…these all make appearances in our reactions. What about happiness? How can you intentionally choose joy anyway?
3. Whistle. Sing in the shower. Sing in the car. If you can get through an entire song (or more), you’ve put a dent in your unhappiness and stoked the fires of bliss.
It is unrealistic to think you will experience unbridled joy 24/7. Everyone has a whole range of thoughts and emotions which is perfectly natural. But if you’re less happy less often than you’d prefer, perhaps it’s time to do the work of trying something new.
Worth Repeating
The good things in life-happiness, purpose, contentment, companionship, beauty, and love-have been there all along. We don’t need to earn them. Good food, friends, art, warmth, worth-these are the things we have already. We just need to choose them as our lives.
-John Leland
Happiness is a Choice You Make
Chock full of engaging stories from the 85 and up crowd, often in less than ideal circumstances, John Leland delivers a genuinely inspiring guide to choosing happiness. Grab your copy by clicking here.
