If I give you a pen and paper and ask you to list what exactly makes you happy, my guess is that you will not go further than five or six at the most without thinking. If that is the case, you can use the Define Your Happiness form to list at least up to 30 items on your list.
My friend, you cannot be happy without knowing first what it is that makes you happy, and cannot be only four or five items that is on the top of your mind. Everyone have unique likes and dislikes. We are concentrating only on the things that makes us happy within.
Your list can only consists of the things that comes from you and is not dependent on any outside sources. Your happiness cannot come from other people or other places. It only comes from you, and only you can make it happen for you.
I'm talking about the kind of happiness that nobody can take it away from you. It's only yours and you can access it any time you want to. When you are in its presence, you forget how bad you life is; you forget your bills and headaches. Your forget your fears, phobias, problems, and all negativity. Instead, you become generous, kind, supportive, cheerful, understanding. I'll share a short version of things that makes me happy. Some items are very silly, but it is unique to me. Your's will be completely different no matter how silly it looks on the paper.
Rivers, walking on the beach, dancing, music, meditation, yoga, helping, smelling flowers & fruits, playing with my granddaughter, reading, writing, horses, blue ocean, sunrise, sunset, the moon, sex, laughing with my friends, travel, dress up, the color white, helping, speaking on the stage, being on camera....
When I am in the presence of any of these items above, I am in my happy zone that I forget the rest of my life in that moment. For instance, when I am walking before sunrise towards the ocean, I am in that moment. When I am playing with my granddaughter, I am in that moment; and when I meet my best friends and laugh out loud - or cry out loud sometimes - I am in that moment. Almost none of these items depends on the outside sources, unless something happens to the Earth ;)
In order to be really happy within, you need to do the following:
- Define what makes us happy first - what do we want?
- Prioritize your list based on achieve-ability.
- Write an action plan next to each one of your list that YOU can do to make it happen.
- Own it. Announce your happiness list with the world through your social media.
- Get yourself an accountability partner, someone to remind you to do more of the things on your list.
- Reorganize and adjust your list constantly. It's a living and breathing list.
- Share your list with your family, friends and kids.
It's important that you take action now, because the time to do it is now. Your life won't wait for you. If you are wondering why you need to do this, please refer to the article why happiness matters now.
Because, my friend, life is too short to be unhappy!
Love,