Monday, September 3, 2012

Happiness, Hope, and Humor - Three uncomplicated H's That Will convert Your Life

"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." -- Allan K Chalmers

If you were a parent, grandparent, or small child during the past forty years, Sesame road was probably a large part of your routine. Intentionally or sub-consciously, we all sang along, played along, learned along. Sesame road was a constantly changing show. New faces, new Muppets, new themes - but one segment was guaranteed. At some point, man would come send and say "Today's show is brought to you by the Letter ____." Bert and Ernie would sing a song about the letter, or it would rise, gigantic, out of a pool filled with children. Regardless of the set-up, the moral was the same: one tiny letter can turn your life. And, as it most often is, Sesame road was correct. Focusing on, singing about, celebrating the letter "H" can turn your life. As Ernie would say, "Think of all the lovely words that start with 'H.'" Today and every day are brought to you by happiness, hope, and humor.

Happiness

Happiness has many definitions. Happiness is one of the "Big Six" emotions, agreeing to many theorists (also: surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sadness.) To the hedonists, happiness is naturally the maximization of positive sensory input. Yet, agreeing to cognitive therapists like Arnold A. Lazarus, happiness results from "making reasonable strengthen towards the realization of a goal." Happiness is notion to be physically caused by high concentrations of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in the brain, also attributed to waves of euphoria. recent studies show that one's coping mechanisms can increase a person's happiness level, as can feelings of pride and self-efficacy.

How?

Dan Baker, Ph. D., author of What Happy citizen Know, insists that a major key to happiness is gratitude! This automatically sets the mind on a positive path, ready to acknowledge, receive, and attract wonderful things. Bring happiness to your life by focusing on gratitude.

Keep a gratitude journal. Write down at least five things you are grateful for each day. Repeats are Ok, and they don't have to be grand in scale. "I'm grateful bananas were on sale today" is perfectly acceptable.

Begin the day with thanks. As you rush about your morning routine, repeat a thankful mantra as uncomplicated as "Thanks." You will be surprised at how many things come to mind to be grateful for that you hadn't notion about before.

Remind yourself frequently. Mike Dooley, author of Notes from the Universe, recommends keeping a gratitude rock in your pocket. Writing yourself notes and/or setting an alarm also works well.

Hope

Although hope was considered a major emotion during Medieval times, the scientific age does not consider it to be so. It does, however, fit the five features of emotion considered by communal constructivist James Averill: they are difficult to control, influence the way you think or realize life events, influence behavior, increase persistence even in the face of adversity, and are base universal experiences. Hope is often deeply related to one's moral values and appears most in situations where the outcome is uncertain. In fact, Norman Cousins' book The Biology of Hope speaks to the power of positive emotions in the medical process. Similarly, C.R. Snyder of the University of Kansas found that hopeful students had higher levels of schoraly success, even after a severe setback.

How?

Reinvigorate your life by focusing on your goals and dreams in a hopeful way.

Write your dreams down in full detail. Allow yourself to dream big, or, in other words, write out your very-best-case scenario.

Confront your negative talk. If you are convinced your dreams won't happen, everyone else (and the universe) will agree with you. Sometimes we are so accustomed to our self-effacing notion patterns that we grow numb to the pain attached - but the negativity still acts against us!

Reverse negative patterns with healthy affirmations. Reduce your dreams to one assuredly repeatable sentence. Make sure it is grand sufficient to have emotion behind it, but not so big that your brain will at once disregard it. Writing it as something "in progress" is a vital trick. Repeat your affirmations whenever you think to. Carry them with you on index cards for easy reference.

Humor

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines humor as "something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing." The association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (Aath) defines therapeutic humor as "any intervention that promotes condition and wellness by stimulating a playful discovery, expression or appreciation of the absurdity or incongruity of life's situations." naturally put, humor is a positive mindset coupled with the desire and potential to laugh. It has been shown to Reduce stress, heighten mood, raise self-esteem, and heighten relationships. It also makes life a lot more fun.

How?

Applying humor to your life does not need you to "be funny," but it does need you to "see funny." Start finding the laughter in your life today.

Acknowledge your unique sense of humor. What makes you laugh? How does that differ from others' preferences? Save and regain clips (paper or video) that make you chuckle. Share them with friends.

Reframe life situations into funnier points of view. agreeing to Carol Burnett, "Humor is pain plus time." If it's going to be funny tomorrow, can you find a way to laugh about it today?

Surround yourself with citizen who make you laugh. Eat with co-workers who would rather tell a joke than gripe about the boss. Avoid sourpusses, grouches, and grumblers. Seek out citizen who understand that a tiny laughter goes a long way!

If all else fails, curl up and watch some Sesame Street. You're guaranteed a few good life lessons disguised as silly songs. You'll probably get a few good chuckles in, too. Too proud to watch children's television, even in private? If nothing else, remember the words of a kind, amiable monster named Grover, "Where there is life, there is hope." If a Muppet gets it, you have no excuses.

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