Our “Happiness Habits” Really Deserve Our Attention.
Have you given much thought to your “happy habits” and how much Super-Power they have in shaping your happiness and life?
Have you given much thought to your “happy habits”?
This really got me thinking. Being happy is daily conscious choices and actions just like our “health habits,” “wealth habits,” and our, “spiritual habits,” for example.
If I knew this, I forgot!
I believe all of humanity is constantly chasing after the all too elusive happiness and wanting desperately to maintain it. And yet, the choice to be happy has been here all along.
According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day and we often do them without thinking. Many habits come from the decisions we make and actions we take every day.
Our habits REALLY deserve our attention!
Many of our habits are unconscious and past down from generation to generation. And those habits that we know are bad for us, we just cannot seem to shake!
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our habits are either our Super-Powers or Kryptonite.
- How is your relationship with God or your spiritual practice? What are your “spiritual habits”.
- How unhealthy or healthy are you? What are your “health habits”.
- Are you in service to your community? What are your “habits to serve”.
- How successful or unsuccessful are you? What are your “work habits”.
- How happy or unhappy are you? What are your “happy habits”.
I am excited and inspired, how about you? Self- knowledge is power and now we understand that our habits are our Super-Powers!! Correction, our healthy, positive habits are our Super-Powers and our unhealthy, negative habits are our weaknesses AKA Kryptonite.
Some interesting facts about habits:
- Your life is to a large extent the sum of all your habits — good and bad.
- A bad habit is a negative behavior pattern.
- You can take control of your life and who you choose to be by changing your habits.
- Do you agree that it takes 21 days to create a new habit?
- The collection of our habits is as simple as having coffee when we wake up or as complicated as running away from problems when they come.
- Our brain turns daily actions and behaviors into habits, so we would do them automatically and without too much thought — thus freeing up our brainpower for other more important challenges.
So now what? I say we experiment with creating a new set of habits that are fun, easy, and wonderful for our well-being, “happy habits”.
We have the power to create our own happiness. If you forgot, I am here to remind you and now, the choice is yours!
- A simple conscious “happy habit”, repeated consistently over time. OR
- A simple unconscious bad habit repeated consistently over time.
Some “Happy habits” you can start today:
1. Being present to your happiness. Put the cell phone away and allow yourself to feel how it feels to be happy. Savor positive experiences.
2. Learning a new hobby is a great way to make happiness a habit.
3. Surround yourself with happy people!
4. Happiness is a practice. Expressing gratitude for the things (and people) that you have. Gratitude has been scientifically shown to have a positive impact on our happiness, both immediately and long term.
5. Practice optimism!
6. Unplug and combine exercise with being in nature.
#1 bears repeating again because I believe we have many happy moments, we’ve just gotten too distracted to be present to them.
7. Being present to your happiness. Put the cell phone away and allow yourself to feel how it feels to be happy. Savor positive experiences.
These are just a few “happy habits” that I feel are a great place to start. As with anything new, there will be times when practice comes easier for some than others, so always be patient and kind with yourself.
To be happy, and create” happy habits”, find what works for you and I would love to hear about your journey.
“My 8 Habits of a Highly Evolved Person: God, Love, Self-Discovery, Happiness, Health. Wealth. Wisdom. Community”. Lindsay McGrail
Healthy Habits = Everyday Actions = A Life Well Lived!
GO DEEPER: Take note of what word or phrase stood out to you. Come back to that word or phrase throughout the day being present to its impact and invitation.
Thank you for reading my story.
Lindsay McGrail is a mom and Rock Star grandma who is a writer, CEO of a brand new endeavor, the hello Self! Co. non-profit Guru, TV Commercial Actress, retired Realtor and lover of the outdoors who currently lives in Los Angeles, California, near her family. She is planning a move to Italy very soon. questa è la mia dolce vita!!
The hello Self! Community shares one unifying message,” I am here to fulfill the highest, truest expression of who I am born to be as I awaken, discover, acknowledge, nurture and celebrate the goodness that is my True-Self.” Lindsay McGrail
