Last weekend I presented a happiness talk called ‘Building your happiness bank’ to 160 people at a one-day conference.
It was so wonderful to have the opportunity to remind people that happiness is not something they have to chase. It’s already there deep inside them, just waiting to be nurtured.
Many people think that they will be happy when they lose 5kg, when they go on holidays, when they get a new job or when they have more money.
The catch is, that even if they achieve those things, they will only be happy for a short while; just until they think about the next thing that they need in order to be happy.
Deep lasting happiness doesn’t come from external things.
Happiness is an inside job and the beauty of this, is that you are in total control of it.
If you want to start nurturing the happiness that is already inside of you, open up a Happy Art account today and start making regular deposits into it.
Just like a rainy day savings account increases when you make regular deposits into it, so too does your Happy Art account. The result being the establishment of a solid foundation of happiness. Then on the days when you need to make a withdrawal, you won’t be hitting rock bottom.
Happiness deposits come in the currency of giving thanks, helping others, doing something that brings you joy, connecting with Mother Nature everyday, colouring your plate with naturally colourful foods and exercising just to name a few.
Last weekend I encouraged people to open up their Happy Art account and make deposits into it. I asked them to think about activities they could do at least once a week that would bring them joy. I asked them to consider helping others, to get outside every day for 10 minutes to enjoy the fresh air, to add three vibrant colourful foods to their plate at each meal and to give thanks for everything that is already good in their lives.
At the end of the conference they had the opportunity to write on a postcard what they would most like to implement into their lives from all of the information they had been given during the day. The postcards would then be sent back to them in 6 weeks time to remind them of their commitment. These are some of the things that people wrote on their cards:
- Keep banking into my happiness account and help others
- I am going to have compassion, love and understanding of my fellow man
- Smile, be happy and positive. Exercise regularly. LIFE IS GOOD!
- Play more golf and be nice to my students on the bus.
- Always know that no matter what I am loved
It was such a joy to read those comments and know that in some small way I had made a difference. I believe it is so important to invest in your happiness, to make a conscious effort every day to make a deposit into you account and to remind yourself that you are so worth the effort.
Be happy, colour the world.
Claire
It simply astounds me, or maybe it doesn’t, how often I read your blogs and they resonate with me on that particular day. Today I am feeling a bit low, stressed, busy and overwhelmed, and I saw your blog and took a breath and read it as I knew I didn’t really have time. So glad I did. It made me stop and take stock for a moment, re evaluate my priorities and just be for a few minutes. In short, I took time to make a deposit into my happiness account. Thanks CB!!
You are my star pupil Nik! I am always encouraging people to pause and ponder and you just did it. Thank you for trusting in my blog knowing that in some small way it may add a bit of inspiration, reflection, positivity or happiness to your day.