Today’s Topic: Happiness 

“Happy holidays.” You have been hearing that a lot lately. We feel like we should be happy during the holidays. It’s a cheery time of year. Sometimes people are not happy. Job and family stress creeps in. Expectations seem overwhelming at times. You may even feel guilty that you don’t feel happy when you are “supposed” to be happy. I have pulled together some ways you can truly get happier right now. How about a big dose of genuine happiness?

Surprisingly, happiness has a lot to do with choice and perspective. Often, people think happiness is cause and effect, that the circumstances create happiness or take happiness away. In reality, happiness is the beginning. Happiness can be right now, not someday.  There doesn’t have to be any waiting for joy or waiting for happiness to happen to you. You can choose to be happy right now.

I, occasionally, hear from comments from people like “I don’t have time for happiness, I have bills to pay. Or I just want to be debt free. Or I just need to make it through the work day so I can…” The thought process here is that happiness is a frivolous thing and not important. In reality, when you are happy, everything else in your life flows better.

“Needy” energy repels. Loving, supportive, caring, happy, joyful, confident energy attracts.

Your relationships improve when you are happy. Happiness attracts. This is how happiness and joy are linked to your financial bottom line and your success in life. Joy is a very high energy feeling. The best is attracted to the best. When you are feeling great emotionally (happy, joyful), you magnetize greatness to you.

In my work with clients I see examples of this all of the time. When people consciously focus on being happy, their businesses grow. When people get caught up in frustration, growth stagnates.

Think about the last time everything seemed to be working smoothly? You may have felt like you had a golden touch. Every business deal worked out. Money seemed to come from everywhere. Your personal life felt like it was working well.

What was going on for you at that time? You were probably relaxed and happy. Maybe you associate being relaxed and happy because the deals were working, but the truth is more likely that you were happy and relaxed and then the deals and everything else started working out.

A recent study by economists at the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved 10% less productive.

According to research from University College London and London School of Economics professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and University of Warwick economics professor Andrew Oswald, happier people tend to make more money.

What can you do right now if you are tense, worried, and/or frustrated? What can you do if it feels like happiness is far away?

Follow these steps to create almost an instantaneous shift.

1. Make a decision that happiness is important. Say, “I decided happiness is important.”
2. Choose daily happiness. Say this statement every morning, “I am in the process of being happy.”
3. Create a daily happiness ritual (Ideas: a morning run. A morning journaling practice. A daily gratitude list. Lighting candles. Listening to music. Dancing. Prayer. Meditation. Other?)
4. Say thank you more often.
5. Do more of what you love to do.
6. Deepen your relationships with people
7. Realize that you are a powerful creator. You have control over your thoughts. You always have choice. Find your power in your daily choices.

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Note: Today is Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas on my blog. This has become an annual tradition and I love doing it. Each day, now through Dec 17, I will feature an article that will help you celebrate the season, achieve your goals, and maintain your inner peace. On December 23, I will be announcing a $50 Amazon gift card winner based on all of the comments on the blog between Dec 5 and Dec 17. You will be entered one time for each comment. You could be entered in the drawing up to 12 times.

I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

Sheri Kaye Hoff

Coach, Trainer, and Author, Sheri Kaye Hoff, is a Business Coach known for inspiring massive action and a catalyst for personal and business growth, joy, and profits in a way that is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling, Sheri inspires people to do the work they love and make more money. Sheri helps business owners and professionals to relax into success. She uses both spiritual and practical techniques to obliterate blocks and create dramatic change. She is a business, leadership, happiness, and inner game expert. She has overcome nearly dying, and the loss of her brother at an early age. She has made it her life mission to discover the keys to happiness and success and then share them with her clients and community. Learn More About Sheri