We're all so used to thinking that we'll finally be content when we find the perfect partner, lose weight, or get our dream job. Is it really possible to become happier just by deciding you can? "We use the language of having, getting, and chasing to describe happiness, rather than being," says Holden. "What we've learned about happiness is that it isn't an it or a thing. Research has proven that there is no one set of circumstances that makes someone happy; it's more about having a healthy mental attitude toward whatever you're experiencing. So, you can either chase happiness or you can choose to be happy. It really is that simple."
Once participants have made up their minds to be happier, Baraz gives them the tools, delivered in lectures to the live class he teaches in Berkeley and in twice-monthly e-mails sent to participants in other areas, that teach them how to cultivate a positive state of mind. Among them:
+ writing what the word "joy" means to you
+ doing some form of physical movement, such as yoga, dance, or walking, a few times a week
+ making a "nourishment list" of activities you enjoy, checking off those you do regularly and circling the ones that could be done more often
+ checking in with a "joy buddy," a kind of running partner in the pursuit of happiness.
"That's important," says Holden. "One of the major blocks to happiness is a sense of isolation. If you're alive, you need help."
James Baraz on Awakening Joy.
Every day there's a whole new world in which to discover and create. Stay
fully involved in doing all you do best.
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