7 Actions That Will Make You Over-the-Top Happy

Several people have commented lately that I appear to be extra happy and consistently upbeat. It’s been several years in the making, with many of my efforts finally converging into results. In this critical world, experiencing true transformation in your life towards a positive mindset, takes strategy and thoughtfulness.

What brings you happiness? American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks talks about how scientists have discovered that the secrets to happiness are determined by: Genetics, events and choices/values (youtu.be/sDH4mzsQP0w). Shockingly, the first 2 items, genetics and events, make up 88% of the influence on our ability to be happy. That leaves 12% in my power, and I've invested my time and energy into that percentage.

A New York Times article also mentions these findings and further adds that it has been said that, “happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/opinion/sunday/a-formula-for-happiness.html

Hmmm…so do we find happiness, or does it find us. The conclusion of these writings and my own reflections tell me that, indeed, happiness is a pursuit and it takes some work to make it become all that it can be. I have found that doing the below actions has brought me overflowing, giddy joy and happiness in my work, my life and my relationships. Count them down with me, and then I want to hear your feedback and what makes you happy, in the comments below.

#7. Contemplating: I am continually in awe and wonder of the universe. Whether your beliefs are guided by science or by spirit, there is no doubt that WE are the most amazing thing found in the known universe. That is, human consciousness, is an extremely rare commodity when compared to all the other attributes and elements in the universe. The reason is because we have the ability to reason. We can ask why. If you think about it, even the largest star in the universe is not aware of itself; it can’t understand or contemplate the things within it or around it. For me, meditating on this brings thoughts and feelings of overflowing gratitude. Our thoughts are the most powerful thing in the universe, and actually more importantly, our own lives. So, I choose to keep my mind and thoughts as positive as I can, by practicing gratitude. Gratitude for the universe, for consciousness, and for all the conscious and loving beings around me. One of my favorite TV shows is The Universe on the H2 History channel (http://www.history.ca/the-universe/). Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on the National Geographic Channel is also very fascinating.

#6. Living with Purpose: My passion is finally in the driver's seat. I am operating in my passion more than ever before. For many years, I thought, I'll wait until everything is perfectly in place and then live my passion. I have been licensed in a line of personality profiling and communication tools for many years, so I am aware of my skill, abilities, and preferences, but I used to think everything around me had to be on track...well, before I could be on track. In 2012, I turned it around and decided to put my purpose first to see if things would change. I became more focused, and only conducted activities that brought me joy, which often aligned with making more money in less time. As a result, I tripled my business in 4 months. If you want to zoom in on what your true purpose in life is, try this amazing Mission Statement Builder by Franklin Covey http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/.

#5. Affirming: The old adage, garbage in, garbage out, is truer today than ever before. Retraining our brains to think positively takes practice. Participating in meditations by experts, such as Wendy Friesen (http://www.wendi.com) and Jackie Maclean (http://thepowerwithin.ca), to help me shift into a mindset of mindfulness and gratitude. I have removed complaint about myself and others, whenever possible, and replaced it with a positive approach. Replacing negative self-talk with positive exclamations is the most challenging, but most rewarding. Thinking and speaking affirmations has a huge impact on this process. Click here for a set of 300 very helpful affirmations.

#4. Listening: Upbeat music makes me dance, and ambient music makes me relax – both are important for a balanced life. I love listening to and moving to upbeat, positive music like Pharrell Williams recent release of Happy (http://youtu.be/y6Sxv-sUYtM). It resonated with people around the world, because with many unavoidable critical elements built into daily living, people are seeking positive inputs. Have you seen his 24 hours of happy yet? Check it out 24hoursofhappy.com and “Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.” I also listen to meditative music and brainwave technology, such as Source Vibrations (www.sourcevibrations.com), which helps my brain to stay in the right frequencies. Some say it’s scientific, and some don’t – I don’t care either way, I just find it relaxing and it makes me happy.

#3. Learning: Knowledge is power. I will always be a life-long learner, continually fascinated by everything. I fit much of my learning in by listening to podcasts from experts in my profession and fields of interest. Podcasting first became popular in 2005/2006, and then last year in 2013, it came onto the scene again and became bigger than ever. As the use of smart phones continues to grow, so does podcast listenership. People are choosing to maximize their time and accelerating their learning curve by listening whenever they can. They listen and learn while in the car, exercising, walking, commuting, waiting for an appointment, waking up, and before sleep. They listen to things that will help them improve their life and grow their business.

Another reason why podcasting is becoming so popular again, is that you can listen while doing other things on your smart phone. With video, in general, you often can’t. The video takes up your screen, and you need to watch it to get all the benefits. When listen to a podcast, you can still browse the web, check your email, or anything else you want to do while listening. Then, you can visit the website for the podcast to receive the show notes and all the links and resources that were mentioned. It’s all very efficient and convenience. On a side note, another joy in my life is producing my own podcast. Likewise, being on podcasts is a great promotional opportunity. So, how about you - would you like to be featured on my podcast? Click here

#2. De-Fogging: I’ve gone Gluten Free. Well, I’m probably at about 95% gluten-free. I’ve lost about 15 pounds so far, but most importantly, I have renewed energy and the brain fog is gone! I didn’t realize I had such brain fog until it was gone. It also seems to helping a lot with my blood sugar issues. It takes a bit of planning, but well worth it for my health and wellbeing. It took me a few months to get to this point and maybe I’ll reach 100% one day.

#1. Connecting: My number 1 reason for being happy is YOU! One of my greatest passions is connecting with people, and connecting people with others. It wasn’t always that way. It took me many years to get here. Being an online marketer and coach since the internet began, I found that working alone could be very isolating. So, I learned how to connect with others and my community. Before I founded the Connect Now Business Network, I never would have imagined that I would get so much enjoyment out of facilitating face-to-face live networking and training meetups. Now, it provides me with endless joy and enriches my life beyond measure. Contributing to charities and enriching the community has been very rewarding. Finding better work-life balance, and spending more time connecting with my family has been the foundation for everything else.

Do what you love, be in awe, move, rest, learn, and live a life of connecting with others.

In the comments below, please tell me what makes you happy and brings you joy. What strategies have you employed to experience transformation in your life for the positive? I really want to know. (P.S. There's no affiliate links in this article, it's just stuff I wanted to share from my heart).

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