"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do,
something to love, and something to hope for." -- Allan K
Chalmers
If you were a parent, grandparent, or small child during the
past forty years, Sesame Street was probably a large part of
your routine. Intentionally or sub-consciously, we all sang
along, played along, learned along. Sesame Street was a
constantly changing show. New faces, new Muppets, new themes -
but one segment was guaranteed. At some point, someone would
come forward and say "Today's show is brought to you by the
Letter ____." Bert and Ernie would sing a song about the letter,
or it would rise, gigantic, out of a pool filled with children.
Regardless of the set-up, the moral was the same: one little
letter can change your life. And, as it most often is, Sesame
Street was correct. Focusing on, singing about, celebrating the
letter "H" can change your life. As Ernie would say, "Think of
all the lovely words that start with 'H.'" Today and every day
are brought to you by happiness, hope, and humor.
Happiness:
Happiness has many definitions. Happiness is one of the "Big
Six" emotions, according to many theorists (also: surprise,
fear, disgust, anger, and sadness.) To the hedonists, happiness
is simply the maximization of positive sensory input. Yet,
according to cognitive therapists like Arnold A. Lazarus,
happiness results from "making reasonable progress towards the
realization of a goal." Happiness is thought to be physically
caused by high concentrations of the neurotransmitter
norepinephrine in the brain, also attributed to waves of
euphoria. Recent studies show that one's coping mechanisms can
increase a person's happiness level, as can feelings of pride
and self-efficacy.
HOW?
Dan Baker, Ph. D., author of What Happy People Know, insists
that a major key to happiness is gratitude! This automatically
sets the mind on a positive path, ready to acknowledge, receive,
and attract wonderful things. Bring happiness to your life by
focusing on gratitude.
Keep a gratitude journal. Write down at least five things you
are grateful for each day. Repeats are OK, and they don't have
to be grand in scale. "I'm grateful bananas were on sale today"
is perfectly acceptable.
Begin the day with thanks. As you rush about your morning
routine, repeat a thankful mantra as simple as "Thanks." You
will be surprised at how many things come to mind to be grateful
for that you hadn't thought about before.
Remind yourself frequently. Mike Dooley, author of Notes from
the Universe, recommends keeping a gratitude rock in your
pocket. Writing yourself notes and/or setting an alarm also
works well.
Hope:
Although hope was considered a major emotion during Medieval
times, the scientific age does not consider it to be so. It
does, however, fit the five features of emotion determined by
social constructivist James Averill: they are difficult to
control, affect the way you think or perceive life events,
affect behavior, increase persistence even in the face of
adversity, and are common universal experiences. Hope is often
deeply connected to one's moral values and appears most in
situations where the outcome is uncertain. In fact, Norman
Cousins' book The Biology of Hope speaks to the power of
positive emotions in the healing process. Similarly, C.R. Snyder
of the University of Kansas found that hopeful students had
higher levels of academic success, even after a severe setback.
HOW?:
Reinvigorate your life by focusing on your goals and dreams in a
hopeful way.
Write your dreams down in full detail. Allow yourself to dream
big, or, in other words, write out your very-best-case scenario.
Confront your negative talk. If you are convinced your dreams
won't happen, everyone else (and the universe) will agree with
you. Sometimes we are so accustomed to our self-effacing thought
patterns that we grow numb to the pain attached - but the
negativity still acts against us!
Reverse negative patterns with healthy affirmations. Reduce your
dreams to one easily repeatable sentence. Make sure it is grand
enough to have emotion behind it, but not so big that your brain
will instantly disregard it. Writing it as something "in
progress" is a valuable trick. Repeat your affirmations whenever
you think to. Carry them with you on index cards for easy
reference.
Humor:
Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines humor as "something that is
or is designed to be comical or amusing." The Association for
Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) defines therapeutic humor
as "any intervention that promotes health and wellness by
stimulating a playful discovery, expression or appreciation of
the absurdity or incongruity of life's situations." Simply put,
humor is a positive mindset coupled with the desire and ability
to laugh. It has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood,
raise self-esteem, and enhance relationships. It also makes life
a lot more fun.
HOW?:
Applying humor to your life does not require you to "be funny,"
but it does require you to "see funny." Start finding the
laughter in your life today.
Acknowledge your unique sense of humor. What makes you laugh?
How does that differ from others' preferences? Save and collect
clips (paper or video) that make you chuckle. Share them with
friends.
Reframe life situations into funnier points of view. According
to Carol Burnett, "Humor is pain plus time." If it's going to be
funny tomorrow, can you find a way to laugh about it today?
Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Eat with
co-workers who would rather tell a joke than gripe about the
boss. Avoid sourpusses, grouches, and grumblers. Seek out people
who understand that a little laughter goes a long way!
If all else fails, curl up and watch some Sesame Street. You're
guaranteed a few good life lessons disguised as silly songs.
You'll probably get a few good chuckles in, too. Too proud to
watch children's television, even in private? If nothing else,
remember the words of a kind, friendly monster named Grover, "Where there is life, there is hope." If a Muppet gets it, you have no excuses.
Kathleen Passanisi is a hilarious motivational speaker who
focuses on the value of humor. A member of the National Speakers
Association Hall of Fame, she has engaged audiences nationwide.
Visit Kathleen's site at http://www.kathleenpassanisi.com today
for more information or to schedule an appearance.
