5 Simple Practices for Happiness by Gaga Barnes
For many of us, the holiday season is a reminder of what we cherish most in life – the love we share with family and friends. It is also a perfect time to give them the gift of us being happy.
We believe that happiness depends on external circumstances. We forget that happiness is an inside job. It is a choice. It is a daily practice.
We do not have to wait to be happy, we can nourish and nurture our happiness with these 5 practices:
1. Seeing What’s Right
We are hard-wired to see what’s wrong in our lives. The latest research tells us that we can rewire our brain. We can put attention on things that work. We can learn how to see a glass half full rather than a glass half empty.
2. Following our Heart
Our hearts, among many other qualities, are a source of inspiration and passion. They guide us towards things that make us happy. When we listen to our heart and follow its guidance, we are inspired and move towards that which makes us happy.
3. Practicing Daily Gratitude
Our disappointment comes from wanting pleasures to last forever and pains to go away. Unhappiness is the result of resisting the natural flow of life. The simple practice of gratitude allows us to focus on what we are grateful for. It opens our hearts.
4. Being a Loving Person
Listening without interrupting others, choosing to be kind rather than right brings us closer. We are happy when we reach out and practice loving kindness.
5. Starting Over
We will mess up. We will forget. Life is a process. We can start over and re-commit to our happiness.
Experimenting with these five practices will guarantee that for the Holiday Season we’ll have the gift of “happy us” for our loved ones.
