Is there a formula to happiness?

Happy?? I’m not happy!

Well happiness is not the same for everyone, because luckily we are all different. The one thing I know is that happiness is not handed to us on a plate. It is something that we must work on from within and on a daily basis to achieve.

Many researchers have spent oodles of time researching happiness and there are strong common recurring factors that can tremendously affect our happiness:

• Purpose – We need to feel that our life has meaning. Whether it is in work or play, doing what we love helps build our happiness.
• Altruism – Having real concern for others. Altruism helps you to think of things that are bigger than yourself.
• Cooperation – Working; socialising, playing and having new experiences with others supports ours happiness.
• Compassion – Truly caring for others is key to our happiness.
• Gratitude – Rather than focussing on what we don’t have, appreciating what we do have creates a positive mood shift. Practice gratitude daily and I guarantee your happiness levels will change.
• Acts of kindness – Helping others is a significant boost to our happiness. You can almost feel your heart and happiness grow when you randomly help others.
• Caring and love – Having friends and family that we truly love and care about is like a big warm hug.
• Authenticity – Being authentically you allows you to stop comparing yourself and competing with others. Remember “compare equals despair”.
• Forgiveness – Not forgiving others and holding onto anger is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die.  Forgiveness is not something that you do for others but something that you do for yourself to be healthy and to move on.

Truly think about each factor mentioned above and see how you fair. Are there areas you could improve? Do your happiness levels need a boost?

How happy are you?

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