How To Be Happy #1: Why this blog series?
Why read a happiness blog?
We all want to be happy. It’s pretty much hard-wired into us from birth. We chase happiness and dream of it from the time we can take a toy car or pink pony out of another toddler’s hand.
But there’s a weird thing about happiness. The more you try to get it, the more it can run away from you.
And the things we think will bring us happiness often end up being the things that make us most unhappy in the long run.
The first thing I want to say about happiness is this: don’t just aim for happiness. If happiness is your whole goal in life, I can guarantee you won’t be happy. But if you pursue good habits and the best kinds of character traits, you’ve got a much better chance of ending up with a happy life.
In this blog series (which will be looong… not gonna lie — you might want to stick around all year), I’ll share with you some tried-and-true tricks that result in happiness. They come from a variety of sources (I didn’t just make them all up) but I know from personal experience that they work – if I do them!
Also, I have to warn you. There are no magical fairy godmothers here. Nothing happens instantly. Some of it might even seem a bit, well, boring (gasp!).
But stick with me. By the end of 45 weeks going through these 45 habits (told you it would be long), you’ll be happier. I promise. If you do these things for the rest of your life, you’ll be a pretty happy person. (Also, a nice one, a kind one, a truthful one, a healthy one, and one that other people will enjoy being around. See? It all kind of goes together.)
Oh, and if you really really want to get into this stuff, I’ll be asking questions. You can treat these blog posts like a journal prompt and participate by writing your responses. Get yourself a notebook with at least 45 pages in it and a pen that works, and start writing.
The very, very first thing I want you to do, before we even really begin, is to give yourself a ‘happiness score’ from one to five. One is not happy at all. Five is as happy as you can be.
Not happy 1…..…2...…..3…..….4……...5 Super happy
Today, right now, what score do you give yourself? Are you drowning down below a 1? Floating above a 5? Or sitting, middling, somewhere in between?
Next, answer this question: what’s making you happy?
Uh huh. Go on. Write it down.
I’ll get you to score yourself and answer the question at different times as we go through the blog posts. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have moved up the scale, even just a little bit. Ready for the journey?
Want more on how to be happy? Check out the rest of Cecily Paterson's How To Be Happy blog series for more tips and advice.
Want more of Cecily's writing? You can grab a free copy of her novel, Invisible here.
Please note: None of the advice given in this blog series is medical or expert advice. This is general advice only, with no guarantees behind it. If you are struggling with mental health issues, anxiety or depression or any other diagnosible condition, please let me encourage you to see a health care professional first and foremost.
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