Increase Your Happiness in 2015

2015 your year to live the happy life with these easy tips:

Be Hopeful:  Believing that something good is going to happen is an attitude that leaves you feeling light and eager for the good things in life that are coming your way.

Cultivate Friendship:  Having someone to talk to about triumphs and struggles helps keep you emotionally balanced in ways beyond the moment. 

Blessings:  Being aware of the big and little things and feeling grateful by keeping a journal is a sure way to realize that while there may still be things you want – what you have is pretty good.  

Prayer:  Sometimes when life challenges us, the best way to find your inner compass is to ask for guidance from a higher power.  Usually the answer presents itself.

Set Goals:  Setting goals and reaching them gives you a feeling of accomplishment and this feels really good.  It can be a small daily goal like organizing the pantry or a big goal like starting a business.  Goals give life purpose and meaning and keep you going in the right direction.

Have Fun:  When you are having a day where you feel like life is against you, stop doing what you are doing and find something that brings you joy instead.  Go shopping, paint a picture, take some photographs of a beautiful sunset.  After a few minutes of doing something you love your attitude shifts into positive mode creating a ripple effect in all areas of your life.

Look Forward: A vacation to the Bahamas, a night at home with the family; dinner out with your husband.  Whatever it is - having something to look forward to is a great feeling.

Exercise:  It doesn’t have to be hardcore.  Take a walk, ride your bike, do yoga in your living room.  A little exercise increases your happiness quotient on a chemical level. 

Practice Non-attachment:  Sometimes we are so fixated on the outcome it brings us down.  Letting go of control allows little miracles to happen in your life. 

Forgive: Release anger as soon as possible and forgive. It only hurts you to hold on.  I am always amazed when my children forgive so easily and wish I could do the same.

Acts of Kindness: Little acts of anonymous kindness for others make them feel good and in the process it makes you feel good too. It could be kinds words, a smile, or something grander. Try it at least once each day and see the magic.

Allow Yourself to have a Down Day:  We can’t be happy every minute.  Allow yourself to have those days when you are sad or angry.  On those days pamper yourself.  Have a cup of tea with a friend or take a long hot bath with some essential oils.  Just do not wallow too long or review negative thoughts repetitively. As my mother always told me, tomorrow is another day.