Small joys, chosen

Happiness isn’t a reward, an endpoint that has been earned. Happiness is a way of being, a chosen path.

Honestly, lately this is something I’ve kind of forgotten.

And so, I am making a choice to bring in more happiness. Here’s a simple practice that I am adopting, to celebrate the small joys:

Make three mindful tweaks in your daily routine, for happiness.

Here are my (current) three:

• Savor my morning beverage. Stop. Smell. Taste. Linger.
• Get outdoors. Even for ten minutes in this subzero temps streak. Okay, start with five.
• Talk with someone I care about. Under my roof or on my phone. Texting counts too, it’s about the connection.

What are other ways to mindfully tweak daily routines to create space for happiness?

Laugh. Spend a little time doing nothing. Take a nap. Read a good book. Soak in the tub. Sit down to eat your meal. Place your hands on your heart and pause. Hug. Connect with your pet. Find something beautiful out your window.

Be happier, now. Don’t wait until the dishes are done, the laptop is shut, you are off of your feet.

Choose happy, along the way.

And experience the difference it makes for you. For your loved ones.

I am again astounded, with this reminder practice in my life.

And speaking of small joys, Animals: Personal Tales of Encounters with Spirit Animals was released yesterday! I’m so excited to be a contributing author and to have my story shared. Here I am in one of the publisher’s promotional videos:

In what ways can you create your own small joys, today?