Being happy is such a subjective thing. What makes one person happy may not make another person happy. Even the word happy can mean so many things.
Often I say I am happy. But if I drill down further it could mean any number of things, such as:
- I am feeling joyful because I have just caught up with my girlfriends
- I am feeling satisfied because I have just completed a project
- I am feeling elated because I just saw a beautiful sunrise
- I am feeling content because I just spent quality time with my son
- I am feeling loved because my niece bought me flowers
- I am feeling engaged because I spent a day working at the Happy Art
Happiness therefore, is the overarching word for a range of positive emotions that can be produced when you follow the LAUGHTER Action Plan.
LAUGHTER Action Plan
- Lighten up – do something every day that brings you joy
- Aim for colour – colour your plate at every meal
- Get Up and Out – connect with Mother Nature every day
- Give thanks – be grateful at every given opportunity
- Help others – life is not all about you
- Establish True relationships – be kind not right
- Embrace your creativity – bring your ideas to life
- Realise your potential – share your gifts with the world
Engaging in any of those activities outlined in the LAUGHTER Action Plan will help you to produce positive emotions. But the intensity and duration of these positive emotions will differ for everyone. For example the one that speaks the loudest to my heart and produces the maximum amount of happiness is realizing my potential.
Happiness expert Sean Achor believes that this saying from the ancient Greeks is the best definition of happiness there is:
“Happiness is the joy you feel moving toward your potential.”
I could not agree more with this.
I can be grateful, I can help others, I can connect with Mother Nature, I can colour my plate with nutritious food and I can surround myself with people who love me. All of these things are wonderful deposits into my happiness account. But the deposit that holds the most weight, that gives me the biggest bang for my buck is when I have done something that is moving me towards my full potential.
Activities such as publishing my happiness book, writing a blog, presenting at a conference, doing happiness coaching or meeting with potential clients and talking all things happiness, makes me feel on top of the world.
They produce feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, contentment, interest, engagement and joy. These deep seeded feelings of happiness hang around for a long time, making me feel alive and giving meaning and purpose to my life.
Do you know what makes you happy?
Maybe it’s true relationships; when you are in the company of people who love you and who you love in return.
Maybe it’s embracing your creativity; when you are involved in bringing an idea to life.
Or maybe it’s a combination of all the activities outlined in the LAUGHTER Action Plan.
What ever the case maybe it is important that you are aware of what brings you the most happiness. Therefore can I encourage you to reflect on that question and really understand what makes you happy.
By knowing this you will be in the best possible position to create sustainable happiness in your life.
Be happy, colour the world.
Claire
