Your Happiness Starts with YOU
The word “happiness” is tossed about quite often, but what does it mean to be “happy?” And, if you are happy in one moment and less so in another, what does that mean?
You are the only one in charge of how happy you are from day to day. According to scientists, you can take control of how you feel and choose to be happy. Each moment of happiness is a win. If you focus more on feeling good (when you do) and less on feeling bad, you can get the most out of your efforts to feel happy.
Sound too good to be true? You won’t know until you try. Here are some ways to become the master of your own happiness destiny.
- TRY. That’s right. Sounds easy and it is. You actually have to make decisions and pick activities that you think may make you feel good. That’s not rocket science. If you sit on your couch thinking about the fact that you are bored, you are feeding into your own unhappiness. Make an effort to figure out what else you could be doing.
- EMBRACE the present. Same concept. If you are sitting on the couch, instead of focusing on what you aren’t doing because you are too tired to get up and go out – why not get into a good movie or start binging something that will make you think or laugh. Happiness is what YOU make it. (Don’t kick yourself for wanting to be lazy, just make the most of it!)
- LOOK for things can make you happy in your everyday life. It’s very easy to focus on your routine. Get up, get dressed, go to work, come home, eat dinner…blah, blah, blah. Same old thing day in and day out. However, there is a great big world out there that you are coming in contact with every day. If you are failing to take any of it in, you are missing out on countless opportunities to feel good. Notice the lovers in Starbucks Take a moment to watch children playing. Don’t just drive past the flower shop, stop in and treat yourself. You can participate in life or let it pass you by.
- SMILE. We know. We’ve heard it before and thought the same thing. Can smiling really make you happier? According to a study conducted at Michigan State University study, finding ways to smile can boost your mood and provide feelings of happiness. And, when you feel happy, savor the emotion!
- GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION to be happy. That’s right. If you don’t embrace the idea of being happy, you’ll spend all your time focusing on what’s making you sad, angry, bored or frustrated. Break out of that loop by choosing to be happy. This can start with looking for a new activity and seeking out fun!
Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t had the time or money or you’ve been too busy? Now is the time. You may not be able to manage some of the more adventurous or expensive items on your Bucket List but you can start smaller.
Many people say they would love to learn how to ballroom dance. They have always hated sitting on the sidelines and wished they knew how to move on the dance floor. If this is you, now’s your chance to find out what you have been missing. (And, if you’ve never thought about learning to ballroom dance, we refer you to No. 1 on this list: try it.)
At Arthur Murray, we have a dance program that will fit your schedule and budget and we promise it will make you happy. Give it a try. Contact us today to schedule your first FREE dance lesson at one of Arthur Murray’s nine locations in the Greater Boston Region.