Ingredients for Happiness

Okay so I posted about my sock fetish the other day and how the more outrageous fun socks I have on my feet the happier I am. That is the truth too.

But......I've been thinking a little on the happiness thing again.

Happiness I think has just a few ingredients. In searching out happiness I think people try to make Tamarind Marinated Chicken Breast In Coconut-chickpea Flour Curry. Many ingredients, lots of steps, lots of stirring, waiting, prepping and care.

Maybe happiness should not be that difficult.

Here are my key ingredients. (in no particular order)

Strong fulfilling relationships with your God, your family, your friends and yourself.

Finding and Pursuing your passion.

Dealing with worry and stress effectively.

Gratitude

Accepting of the truth.

Engaged in the moment.

Removing the word perfect from your vocabulary.

Having happiness doesn't mean you will always be happy.






And really I think that is it.




You know those silly psychological tests and profiles you take with HR? While taking one once I really started to question the questions. Such as

"Would you consider yourself to be happy?
0 - never 1- rarely 2- sometimes 3- often 4-always."



Well if you caught me on a great day I'd say "3". Then again this could have been my day! I was late for work cause some dingle-berry rear ended my car. Spilled my coffee all over myself. My boss is pissed at me. Have a huge project to complete and need to leave early to see my kids basketball game. So on that day my answer would be "1".

My point here...... Happiness will ebb and flow. If you think happiness means being happy all the time then you are looking for (the dreaded word) perfection.


Perfection to me has finally morphed from something to strive for, into one of the dirtiest, most nastiest, most self deprecating, most self loathing words in the dictionary. Honestly, in the dictionary the synonym for the word Perfection should be Pain. Perfection = Pain. Perfection is Painful! Sounds like the name of a book. hmm?



I would like to visit each of these ingredients individually over the next few weeks.

Should be an interesting exercise.

Joytobe