Find Happiness in Moments that Matter

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony – Mahatma Gandhi

I think it’s fair to say that most of us want to be happy, but what does that mean? Happiness is a state of well-being where we feel satisfied that we are living a good life. Or put another way, we are living life in a way where we can make decisions based on our values and passions.

There has been a lot of research done on happiness and well-being and it was surprising to me to learn that only about half of our happiness is within our control. Not so surprisingly, money and things don’t buy happiness, but relationships and experiences have a greater impact.

So when we think about happiness this way, it’s the moments that matter. It’s living each day in congruence with our thoughts and actions and being comfortable enough with ourselves to do so. Distractions may come, either life will throw challenges at you or someone will do, say, or have something that might draw your attention. Let that moment pass and remember that your focus is not on ‘one day’ wants but rather today. Spend time and energy on what matters.

Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be – Abraham Lincoln

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what makes me happy, what is my passion, how can I make a difference. The short answer is I believe in wellness of mind, body and spirit and I am driven by helping others to eat, move, and live well. So after giving up the idea of Perfection, I launched Run Wild and Eat. It all started with my love of food though – sharing those experiences, either cooking for or sharing food ideas with friends and family.

Taking my passion for wellness a step further, I completed my yoga teaching certification training at Amazing Yoga at the beginning of February. It was truly an amazing experience. For one week, I spent my days with like-minded people, practicing and learning how to teach yoga to others. How exciting to share experiences and ideas, fears and gratitude with a diverse group of stranger friends (you know, those people you haven’t known long but due to a shared experience, have a connection to) who I’m proud to have as part of my community. It was very energizing. And the exclamation point on this experience was when my husband came home from being away most of this week and looked at me and told me I was really happy. I couldn’t even put that word on it, I just knew I felt ‘different’, but he nailed it. There is congruence between what I think, believe, say, and what I do.

A lot of this sounds much easier to say than to put into action. I can certainly attest to that from my own journey. But you have to start somewhere. If nothing else changes, focus on the experiences that matter and don’t get caught on auto-pilot taking the good for granted.

Collect moments that matter:

Connect with Yourself. Yes, this might sound a little selfish as a place to start. But you can’t be happy and showing up as your best self if you haven’t spent the time to look inward and feed your mind, body and soul. As the beginning of this post indicates, it is important to understand your values and passion. Spend time taking care of yourself and figuring out what matters most. This can be something as big as working on a new career or as small as making time to exercise or throw yourself a dance party. The important thing is to take moments for yourself.

Get Wild with Nature. We know that nature and the outdoors is inherently good, but it is actually really good for us. This doesn’t mean you have to spend the day out hiking in the woods (although that sounds like a great option if you’re up for it), but even a short walk during your lunch break if you can away from the city buildings, sitting in a park, or even feeding the birds. Go crazy and take your shoes off to feel the grass beneath your feet. No matter what you choose, getting wild with nature has been proven to have positive effects not only on our happiness, but our health too.

Spend time with Friends and Family
Schedule activities with friends and family. Social connections are a great way to boost your mood. “Happiness” researchers agree that Mealtime with friends and loved ones is a direct predictor of well being. Have at least one 2-3 hour dinner and/or drinks per week with this who make you smile and feel good. (From Tim Ferris’s 4 Hour Work Week). There are a lot of different types of events happening on a regular basis too so find what sounds fun.