A Failproof Recipe for Happiness

Important ingredients in my recipe for happiness became clearer to me through a recent bout of inner grumpiness. It was a challenging, mentally uncomfortable state.

Chances are you've felt it yourself at some point... you notice some worries, negativity, fearfulness, or discouraging thoughts raising their tedious voices, and beginning to seriously degrade your mood.

My thoughts were getting stuck in a negative loop and tripping me into a ditch. Fortunately I noticed and called myself on it, "Hey... I'm wallowing in the ditch!"

The good news is that this uncomfortable mental state provided just the right impetus to drive me to further refine my recipe for happiness and cultivate a new, more productive way of thinking. Don't you love it when you get to see that challenges lead to rewards!

How to Be Happy - the Ingredients

• What is happiness
• What is authentic happiness
• Is the pursuit of happiness fruitful
• Are there basic steps on how to be happy

The answers were forthcoming:

• Happiness is a state of being... being in the flow
• Authentic happiness rests with me
• The pursuit of happiness ends with me
• The way to be happy is to nurture yourself and live the version of myself that I love...

And once you see that, you are ready to put your recipe together!

Mixing Your Recipe for Happiness

1. Start by finding your passions and then making sure you give those expression in your life
2. Determine your life purpose and honor your unique calling
3. Identify your personal core values, and sift those thoroughly with your priorities. Your values and priorities are your spices, and you’ll sprinkle them through every day
4. Whisk in your eager self motivation. This ensures that everything gets mixed together as it needs to and very nicely fuels your personal mission development
5. Your self empowerment will naturally be strengthening and causing your mix to rise

Mix a master batch that will nourish you for years to come. And... bake small batches that will feed you each and every day!

Use Your Happy Spices Generously

I call your values your happy spices because it's so easy to sprinkle them throughout your days for wonderful results.

For example, if Giving/Contribution is one of your top personal core values, then you definitely want to express it every day to further cultivate your authentic happiness.

Here are some simple ideas on how to easily activate core values every day, and keep your happiness quotient filled to overflowing:

• Giving/Contribution
  • Talk to a lonely elderly person when you have the opportunity
  • Help a child with a task, to play a game, or read a book
  • Help a co-worker, or make them a cuppa at tea time
• Trust
  • Sit quietly in nature and befriend a wild bird or animal. Gaining the trust of a defenseless animal can feel very uplifting if trust is a core value.
  • Live up to your word. Your self esteem, confidence, and self satisfaction will also grow when you see yourself doing what you say you will.
• Cooperation
  • Ask others their opinion, then listen to their answer (!?:), and discuss a way that may enhance the situation.
  • When someone asks you to do something, immediately think of 3 reasons it may benefit you and others, before you respond.

What are some other ingredients for wonderful authentic happiness recipes? And how can we add them into the 'how to be happy' mix and grow and spread joy? Please share...

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