Prepare to Be Happy This Year

Prepare to Be Happy This Year

January is often the time we set goals, make resolutions, and determine what we’ll do differently or better. So, after attending a recent meditation evening, I was profoundly struck by a deceptively simple question:

“What do you do that makes you happy?”

On the surface, I might say, “I find great ways to meet new people, I travel, I reach lots of people with my blog,” and a host of other activities. But the question is really much deeper.

We spoke about our natural tendency as human beings to wake up each day and hope our day goes well. We might think things like, “I hope this year is better than last year” “I hope I get a job” ”I hope the boss is nicer to me today.” “I hope I don’t have to do that stupid report today.” If you’re homesick, or suffering from relocation depression, you might be thinking, “I hope I can find something interesting to do today.” “I hope I can leave this awful place soon.” “I hope someone will become my friend today.” 

Do those thoughts make you happy?

Typically, those thoughts disempower us. Instead, they put all our power in our circumstances, and the people around us to make us happy. If the train is late, or the boss is mean, or you don’t find anything to do today, then your day will stink. After a stinky, tough, horrible day, you’ll come home feeling angry and unhappy. Once you get home, you’ll expect your friends and family to be understanding, and make you feel happier. As if they hold the key to making you feel better.

But the real truth is, we create our own happiness. We have the choice to get angry when things don’t go our way, or to see the opportunities that are created, and to focus on what makes us happy, and create more happiness in our lives. For example, let’s say a friend cancels plans with you last minute, leaving you alone with nothing to do. You can get angry, complain to your friend that you could have made other plans if she had told you sooner, and spend the evening muttering curse words and feeling full of regret. Or, you can catch up on that reading you haven’t had time for, go to the movies, check out a museum, walk home a different way, etc.

As you spend your January making resolutions, I’m going to challenge you to be more happy! Here are a few suggestions: