As we near the end of another year, many of us begin our 2011 review of earned income, goal achievement, successes, failures, lost dreams, new hope, and resolutions for 2012. On the personal side, our self-care plan might include: more exercise, better diet, less alcohol, daily meditation, more sleep, less internet/media, and more playtime!

The optimal result we are seeking is an experience of less stress, greater happiness, and increased well-being. Our current economic dynamic and volatile world scenarios do not always support this intention – but we can cultivate more happiness by growing into greater responsibility for our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and actions. This includes learning to discipline the mind, challenge unhealthy beliefs, manage negative emotions, and choosing wise action. Fundamentally – to challenge, re-think, and re-wire our life.

In 2006, the BBC science department marked their 10th anniversary with a documentary called, How to Be Happy. Through a mix of surveys, opinion polls and experiments, they confirmed that ‘the proportion of people saying that are happy had fallen from 52 percent in 1957 to just 36 percent today’. Additionally, world health reports confirm there is a 10x increase in adults being treated for depression, anxiety, and other mental or emotional disorders – as well as a critically low level of well-being among our children. 

Clarify your own definition of happiness.

According to Dr. Robert Holden, author and founder of The Happiness Project, ‘a commitment to happiness will influence every other significant decision in your life.’ Challenge your thinking about the meaning of happiness. Write your own definition of happiness and allow it to be the central operating principle of your life. If you have blocks to happiness, engage the resources needed to help you change your identity and transition into more happiness and abundance.

Let 2012 be the year when you commit to being happy, despite your circumstances or external influences. Infuse more of your love and joy into everything and everyone!

Warm Blessings,