Lately I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the topic of happiness.
Why are some people able to consistently enjoy life, while others simply can't? I really think there is a genetic component, and that the ability to be happy and content resides within the brain...
and just as some people have artistic talent or a great memory embedded within their brains, certain people simply have a "talent" for staying happy.
I also believe, however, that with some work you can reprogram your brain to get better at it.
Natural artists are born, but someone who is not intrinsically gifted can still learn to draw a recognizable picture with training and practice.
So, too, can people learn to create and enjoy some happiness in their lives.
It may be harder for some than for others, but it is possible for everyone.
And just as we are raised learning to read and write, learning to be happy should be a required lesson...
because, after all, what could be more important? I consider myself a relatively happy person, and I think people who know me would agree.
But why am I fairly content, while so many others are not? I do have some things going for me (which are all pretty significant)-I have a good relationship with my family, good friends, I am healthy, and I am lucky enough to work in a field that nurtures my mind and soul.
That being said, I am also a single 35-year-old woman with no children, no financial security, and a HUGE amount of debt.
And I wasn't always working in a field that I had such a passion for; at 25 I was single, poor, and working in a corporate restaurant that sucked away at my will to live every single day.
Yet even then I was pretty cheerful about life, even when it wasn't going well for me.
I've been thinking long and hard about this, and think I've discovered why I (and other "happy" people I know) am able to maintain a general sense of well-being even when life is pissing in my face.
No, it's not something I read about in "The Secret.
" We all seem to have something in common: consistently giving ourselves something to work toward.
I always, always have some sort of goal-and the goal isn't usually grand (although, sometimes it is..
as my friends can attest.
) It could be as simple as just learning one more acupuncture technique by next week.
Or, on a superficial level, simply looking a little bit better within a month-whether it's new hair, better skin, or anything else that is simple but makes you feel better about yourself.
The point is, there's always a goal: and the most important thing is that the goal is actually attainable.
Don't wake up on Monday and think, "This week the plan is to lose 15 pounds by next Monday.
" That's not gonna happen-and it's only going to make you sad when you fail.
So that's part two of this happiness equation: low expectations;) Changing your entire life in a week is (mostly) impossible; changing your hair is easy.
This article came into being when I woke up and finally saw a shaft of sunlight and decided to embrace the Spring.
That so-called "Spring Fever" we all experience when the weather warms is really our bodies crying out for change.
The cold weather brings us into ourselves, creates a tightness of the body and spirit; then the warm weather gets us all loose and ready to move forward into positive changes.
It's a perfect time to create new patterns in our lives, isn't it? That being the case, I thought, why not take a month and work on one tiny, almost insignificant thing every day, and see if it's possible to create far-reaching ripple effects?
Why are some people able to consistently enjoy life, while others simply can't? I really think there is a genetic component, and that the ability to be happy and content resides within the brain...
and just as some people have artistic talent or a great memory embedded within their brains, certain people simply have a "talent" for staying happy.
I also believe, however, that with some work you can reprogram your brain to get better at it.
Natural artists are born, but someone who is not intrinsically gifted can still learn to draw a recognizable picture with training and practice.
So, too, can people learn to create and enjoy some happiness in their lives.
It may be harder for some than for others, but it is possible for everyone.
And just as we are raised learning to read and write, learning to be happy should be a required lesson...
because, after all, what could be more important? I consider myself a relatively happy person, and I think people who know me would agree.
But why am I fairly content, while so many others are not? I do have some things going for me (which are all pretty significant)-I have a good relationship with my family, good friends, I am healthy, and I am lucky enough to work in a field that nurtures my mind and soul.
That being said, I am also a single 35-year-old woman with no children, no financial security, and a HUGE amount of debt.
And I wasn't always working in a field that I had such a passion for; at 25 I was single, poor, and working in a corporate restaurant that sucked away at my will to live every single day.
Yet even then I was pretty cheerful about life, even when it wasn't going well for me.
I've been thinking long and hard about this, and think I've discovered why I (and other "happy" people I know) am able to maintain a general sense of well-being even when life is pissing in my face.
No, it's not something I read about in "The Secret.
" We all seem to have something in common: consistently giving ourselves something to work toward.
I always, always have some sort of goal-and the goal isn't usually grand (although, sometimes it is..
as my friends can attest.
) It could be as simple as just learning one more acupuncture technique by next week.
Or, on a superficial level, simply looking a little bit better within a month-whether it's new hair, better skin, or anything else that is simple but makes you feel better about yourself.
The point is, there's always a goal: and the most important thing is that the goal is actually attainable.
Don't wake up on Monday and think, "This week the plan is to lose 15 pounds by next Monday.
" That's not gonna happen-and it's only going to make you sad when you fail.
So that's part two of this happiness equation: low expectations;) Changing your entire life in a week is (mostly) impossible; changing your hair is easy.
This article came into being when I woke up and finally saw a shaft of sunlight and decided to embrace the Spring.
That so-called "Spring Fever" we all experience when the weather warms is really our bodies crying out for change.
The cold weather brings us into ourselves, creates a tightness of the body and spirit; then the warm weather gets us all loose and ready to move forward into positive changes.
It's a perfect time to create new patterns in our lives, isn't it? That being the case, I thought, why not take a month and work on one tiny, almost insignificant thing every day, and see if it's possible to create far-reaching ripple effects?