Happiness comes from making strong personal relationships a priority. Good relationships are buffers against the damaging effects of all of life's inevitable letdowns and setbacks. Happiness also comes from expressing your gratitude toward someone and by visualizing the best possible future for yourself while performing random acts of kindness on a regular basis.  

Time skews our perceptions of happiness. Evaluate your well-being in the moment and in the big picture to gain an accurate assessment and be open to change if necessary. Not everyone can put on a happy face all the time. Looking on the bright side isn't possible for some people and is even counterproductive.

Happy

It might seem crazy what I’m about to say. 

Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break. I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space. 

With the air, like I don’t care baby by the way
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof. 

Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.

 Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you. 

Because I’m happy. 

Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do. 

Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah,
well, give me all you got, and don’t hold back, yeah, well,

I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine, yeah, no offense to you, don’t waste your time. Here’s why
Hey, come on (happy)
bring me down
can't nothing bring me down
my level's too high
bring me down
can't nothing bring me down
i said (let me tell you now)
bring me down
can't nothing bring me down
my level's too high
bring me down
can't nothing bring me down
i said
Hey, come on
(happy)
Bring me down… can’t nothing…
Bring me down… my level's too high
Bring me down… can’t nothing…
Bring me down, I said (let me tell you no come on
Pharell Williams

"Where words fail, music speaks." 

- Hans Christain Anderson, Writer

If you aren't living according to your values, you won't be happy, no matter how much you are achieving. Create a magic moment in your mind. Ask yourself what would your world be like if you had the approval and admiration of everyone on the planet, forever. Then ask yourself what you choose to do with your life from that moment on?

If you’re smiling you must be happy? Smiles may be natural or faked. The smiling or laughing face is often not very different from the angry or tearful face. In the science of smiling the cause, consequences and manifestations of smiling is universal whereas many nonverbal of the body language behaviors (like gestures or touch) differ between cultures. We begin smiling at five weeks: babies learn that crying gets attention of adults but smiling keeps it. Body language is mirroring. We automatically copy the facial expressions of others in social groups, therefore happiness can be extremely contagious.


Mindfulness, a mental state of relaxed awareness of the here and now creates an openness and curiosity toward your feelings rather than judgments of them. If you bring mindfulness to bear on negative feelings they lose their impact and defuse anxiety and depression. Happiness also comes from the anticipation of achieving your goals — it suppresses negative emotions such as fear and depression.

Money buys happiness because it enables you to live comfortably. But generosity brings true joy.
Status anxiety affects happiness because it fuels  a constant comparison to those around us. We're constantly making decisions based on whether we think a particular preference will increase our well-being. Actually unlimited opportunity imprisons us more than it makes us happy.

The Psychology of Happiness

The US Declaration of Independence contains the phrase "A Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” What is happiness? It’s more like being satisfied or content than feeling "deliriously happy" in its strictest sense. It’s a state of mind that has depth birthed from living a meaningful  and purposeful life.






Happiness emerges when you feel part of a community. It's not being overprotected but a feeling you get when you confront obstacles. Happiness comes from acting on life not merely taking it in. Its more than a feeling of temporary exhilaration of joy or even pleasure that comes with a sensual rush in the moment. Some people are born with brighter outlooks than others--they see beauty and opportunity where others see negativity and pending doom. Happiness comes from facing fears and dispelling negative self-talk.






Happiness is not your reward for escaping pain but accepting that real life guarantees disappointments, losses, and inconveniences, which involve a full range of emotions. Emotions are your personal sounding board where each emotion cues us into what we value and what we need to change. For example grief for a loved one shows how much a relationship means. When patterns of negative emotions appear as red flags they speak to you about bad choices either in a career or personal relationships. Happiness would be meaningless if not for this sadness: Without the contrast of darkness, there is no light. 

Test your happiness here.



MUSIC