Our current culture does not teach us to be happy—it teaches us to consume and to want things. Media begins to train you to not be happy with who are or what you have at a very early age. The word New! is a siren call to the shiny object seekers, many of whom think that by buying new things they will be happy. Advertising aims everything at the illusion of happiness by consumption. And advertising is everywhere—you can’t escape it.
That’s why I decided to do this Journey/Challenge for the coming 30 Days. I believe that happiness is a choice, a choice we can make every single day. I believe happiness comes from within, not from outside yourself. I want to challenge you to make it a habit. Over the coming days, I want to inspire and encourage you to make a choice each morning to be happier.
Take a look at this glass.
Is it half full or half empty? This is a great example to illustrate that there are often two sides to any story and that you have a choice in how you view things. And that choice in turn determines how happy you feel. Happiness then becomes a choice you can make every single day.
So let’s say you have a delicious glass of amazing iced tea that you are about half done drinking. You can choose to see the glass as half empty, focus on the fact that you’re almost done drinking that nice glass of ice tea. With that attitude, you’re more likely to feel a little depressed about your tea. If on the other hand you focus on the fact that the glass is still half full and you have plenty of yummy ice-cold tea to sip on, your mood improves and you’re feeling more positive.
When you look at it that way, happiness really is a conscious choice you make, at least to a point. From what I’ve been reading 40% off your happiness is directly affected by how you think and how you choose to feel. And that’s what the next 30 days is all about. Over the coming days I will post here on the blog every day with tips, advice, and strategies to help you make a conscious decision to be happier. Ready to join me?
Join our awesome Happiness Habit Challenge Facebook group here.
It takes time and daily conscious decisions to change habits and how we approach life. That’s where the challenge comes into play. The idea is that you have a daily reminder here on the blog and via email each day to help you remember to make that choice. Of course, there will also be plenty of helpful content on the topic of happiness in the form of a new daily blog post. At the end of the challenge, I hope you have formed new habits, new ways of thinking, and new ways to look at each situation as it arises. With a little shift in thinking and perception, you can design a happier, more fulfilling life for yourself. I hope this challenge will help you get there.
See you tomorrow! Karen
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