Happiness...what is it?

When Deron I were in Salt Lake last week we went and browsed around Barnes and Noble for a couple of hours. Its one of Deron's favorite places to shop, window shop or browse. I like to go too, but I would rather shop for other things if I were given a choice...you know, purses, shoes, clothes...etc...BUT... as we were wandering around I was picking up a few books and reading a little bit about them. I ran across one that was about the "Power of Happiness" and its effect on a person. I don't remember the title of the book, but what it said inside stuck with me, and will hopefully make me a better person. I suffer from seasonal depression and have really wanted to be able to be free from this awful plague for a long, long time. I know that its NOT "all in my head" like some people tend to think...its a very real thing, but I also know that my own happiness is up to me. One of my new years resolutions is to "TRY to be more Happy". In this book that I was reading, it suggested to do this by starting a "Happiness Journal", purchase a notebook, journal or binder of any kind and each day write things in it that make you happy. The author also said that on days that you aren't so happy, to read through the things you have written in the past. This may or may not lift your spirits, but acknowledge that its okay to have good days AND bad days....and to ALLOW that to happen. The problem becomes when we are having too many bad days or having them more often than our happy days.

So, I asked myself..."What makes me Happy?" I am hoping to find out. I am going to try to live more in the moment and try to concentrate on the good things, the happy things. I am going to write down each and everything that I can that brings me happiness. Some will be the little things, some might be the big things...but they will be MY happy things. People are different and everyone can easily have a different definition for the word "happiness", and each day the definition may or may not be different from the day before. It all depends on the circumstances of ones life at that moment. The dictionary defines "Happiness" as: "attainment of what one considers good, good fortune, pleasure, contentment and Joy." I love the feeling of being happy. When I reflect on some of the things that have brought me happiness, I recall the feeling that I had at that moment and why that particular thing made me feel happy then.

I am excited about this "Happiness Journal". I am excited about the changes that I am hoping to make in my life this upcoming year and excited about being a better "ME". I am going to try and "Be happy right now, and not worry about tomorrow, until tomorrow!"...and we've all heard the old cliche' that....."tomorrow never comes!"

Wish me luck...I will let you know how its going from time to time~