Is Happiness sustainable?

You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, late for work. You spill your coffee  and as you try to make up time you find that every traffic light you hit has turned red for you. You arrive with the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s going to be a long one. On another day you wake up refreshed, have a relaxing cup of coffee, leave in time for work, and, as your favorite song plays on the radio, every light seems to turn green for you. You arrive with a skip in your step, ready to take on the day.

So what changed?   Are you luckier one day that the other, or is it just a state of mind?  In German the word for happy is ‘Gluklich’? Did you also know that the word for lucky is also..’Gluklich’?. Interestingly within the German language, they see no difference between being happy and being lucky.  Obviously if you’re feeling lucky you will naturally be happy too, but can the opposite be true?  Can you make yourself lucky by choosing to be happy? Where do you start? Maybe by being grateful? 

In Michael J Fox’s excellent Documentary ‘Still’, he speaks with great clarity about his Parkinson’s Condition  yet one quote truly stands out: “With gratitude, optimism is sustainable ” …and maybe happiness is too? 

Here are 5 easy ways to begin the journey to a sunnier state of mind. 

• Choose Optimism – An optimistic mind-set is key to attaining happiness. Expecting a positive outcome, even in difficult situations, can help to allay worries and stresses. Positive thinking is not naivety, blindly ignoring problems and hoping for the best. It is approaching a situation in a more productive way. Perception is everything.
• Clear out the clutter – Whether it’s your home, your desk, your diary, your inbox or your mind. Tidying up and cleaning out provides space for happiness. Decluttering will force you to make decisions, prioritize and simplify.
• Don’t compare – Minimize your social media. Comparing your own day to others is not going to help. You hold the tools to attain happiness and only you can obtain it for yourself. Your happiness is unique to you. Take pleasure in the simple things in life, happiness follows joy.
• Reconnect – The world is a happier place when we connect with those around us. Modern society is leaving many people feeling disconnected, isolated and lonely. Join a club, organization or group with people of similar interests…or take up a new one. 
• Live in the now – We are surrounded by opportunities for happiness, but we don’t always see them. Focus on your environment and try to live in the moment. There is joy to be found right now by focusing on what you can see, hear or feel. Too often we are not focused on the task at hand and with an absent mind miss the pleasure which is right there. Or we wish the week away in anticipation of the weekend, only to spend our weekend preoccupied with thoughts of Monday morning. Happiness can be found in the here and now. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. As for some, tomorrow never comes.