HAPPINESS HABITS… IS THAT A THING?

By: Jill Monson

Merriam-Webster defines happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment.”

In 2023, according to “Home Magazine” these were the Top 10 Things that Make People Happy:

1. A good night’s sleep
2. A nice meal
3. Hearing your favorite song
4. Finding money you didn’t know you had
5. Laughing so hard it hurts
6. Dislodging a piece of food that’s been stuck in your teeth
7. Seeing a dog on the street
8. A compliment from a stranger
9. Finding money on the ground
10. A sunny day

This list is great and there may be things on it that make you happy, but the key to happiness is understanding it is NOT one-size fits all. It’s very personal and ultimately the path to true happiness is knowing what makes YOU happy.

These four Happiness Habits can lead you to welcoming more happiness into your life:

#1) Be a Magnet: Since confidence is ONE ingredient of happiness which tends to attract positive people and opportunities, you should cultivate positive relationships. Consider spending time with supportive friends and family who uplift and encourage you and weeding out those who don’t. 

#2) Catch Compliments: This can be a very hard one for some people, but you need to learn how to take a compliment. Most likely you compliment others all the time but think about what happens when someone compliments YOU. Do you smile and say, "thanks!" or do you instantly try to undermine yourself? Most likely the latter. My recommendation is practice saying “thank you” no matter how much every ounce of you wants to do something else. 

#3) Embrace Your Quirks: In a world where everyone is fighting to stand out from the crowd, your differences are what make you stand out from everyone else. Take if from Dr. Seuss who said, "You have to be odd to be number one."

#4) Seize the Suck: Yes, you read that right. I actually recommend that you become grateful for closed doors, bad vibes, and stuff that falls apart. My belief is its divine protection from people, places, and things no longer in alignment with your soul. Remember, life is a cycle – sometimes everything is great and sometimes everything falls apart in a matter of seconds. But the cool part is we can choose to see each experience as something that’ll help us grow.

---

Jill Monson is the Associate Director of Marketing at Chikmedia and also the owner of POP!more – confidence coaching, training and speaking done differently – no fluff, no deep-breathing, & no BS.

---