Happiness...Have you found it?

OK! OK...International Day of Happiness was March 20th, but shouldn't every day be a day of Happiness??

We all want it and lately, that’s all I’ve heard about when listening to podcasts or watching tv.  One of the podcasts mentioned this new book The Good Life Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger who leads the “Harvard Study of Adult Development -- one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever conducted.”  This also reminded me of another book from a few years back written by Dan Harris called 10% Happier.  It seems happiness is something everyone is looking for and I find that pretty interesting.  Are you looking for happiness??

Happiness can be so elusive to so many people, for example, I’ve had my bouts of depression, contemplated suicide more times than I’d like to admit, and often wondered if I'd ever find happiness again all while crying from sunset to sunrise.  

What makes you happy?  

Well, according to The Good Life the key to happiness is Relationships.  Social connections give us life and loneliness and isolation kill us.  Now introverts don't worry you're not going to die young or ever have happiness like the extroverts.  Introverts...You have relationships, you just don't need as many of the rest of the world to feel that same level of happiness.  I really think that you are the lucky ones!  

Now as someone who works from home, most days the only person that hears my voice other than the dog is my fiance and that can go on for DAYS!!!  This is why every day I feel more blessed to have these ladies a part of my life not only are they adding value to my life via text and phone calls and whatnot, but they are adding happier days to my life.  They are adding Happiness!  

This brings me back to this very page you are reading.  This tribe.  If the #1 thing that can bring us happiness is social connections then why do so many of us spend time doing things that isolate us?  Playing on our phones, or watching tv for example, many of us can easily spread 40+ hours a week between those two things and not even know it.    

Are you adding happiness to someone's life?  Is someone adding happiness to yours?  Based on the idea that Happiness is found in social connections or relationships who are you going to connect with today?  As a good friend of mine, Nikki-Dee always reminds me that if someone is on your heart let them know.  They don't have to respond and it doesn't have to be detailed but it can mean everything to either them or even to yourself.  Just knowing you have that connection to someone can change your total outlook on your day. 

So the one thing you should take away from this is no one lies on their deathbed saying they wished they had done more at work or spent more time with their boss or co-workers. “The one thing that if you want to make one choice today to be healthier and happier is to improve your connections with the relationships you have around you.”  Who are you going to connect with today?  Are you adding happiness to someone's life?  Is someone adding happiness to yours?