We can all see that the end of this year is drawing to a close and there is much to do for the next season. Has this one being good for you? Are you happy with the way things went?

Happiness. What does that word mean to you?

Where do you find it? What places? With whom? What activities? How do you measure it? Do you feel it every day?

This is the dictionary definition happy/ adjective

1. Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment/ Jack came in looking happy and
2. Having a sense of trust and confidence/ In a person, arrangement or
3. Satisfied with the quality or standard of/ I’m happy with his performance
4. Willing to do something/ We will be happy to advise you.
5. Fortunate and convenient/ He had a happy knack of making people like

Indeed, when the business of life is going well good health, balanced relationships, engaged in work that excites you and feeds curiosity and enthusiasm, financial bounty and earning power, It is easy to be a happy chappy/ess. But what if the adventures of life are challenging you with the opposite of the above? How does one feel happiness in the face of that?

Take a moment to consider, right now make a list of five things that create happiness for you. Now look at that list. Was the word ‘”me” on there? If not why not?

There is a body in us that isn’t seen yet felt and like any system it’s requires training to keep it strong and functioning. So, this body of deeply complex layers needs regulating; it requires flexing. From a chemical perspective your endochrine system is responsible for chemicals that run your body. e.g. Cortisol and adrenaline relating to basic survival functions, endorphins and serotonin that are your central happiness chemicals; there are many more but I’m not here to teach a chemistry lesson. However, what is important to know is that depending on the thoughts that you think, we can switch on those chemicals; or off.

The lens that we see through the world with our beliefs, switch on or off our chemical body. So, what do you believe? How do you think this relates to happiness? It’s in an emotion, it’s a muscle in your emotional body. Just as we go to the gym to strengthen our muscle body, so too we have a duty of care to be cultivating the emotional one. The body you’re walking around in is your home, this is your house, this is where you live ALL THE TIME. Do you appreciate it with supportive thoughts? Do you look after the good nourishment and exercise? Do you nurture it with nature and mindfulness and appreciation? You are carbon based, but it is the chemicals that run the show (after being given directions from what you think) and happiness cultivates good mental and physical health. Therefore, finding ways to feel it, to nurture emotional resilience along with a healthy body; makes sense.

So…. How to float your happy boat? We’ll get to that in a bit…. It is simple.

Probably on that list of five there are things that you do (which is great that you have some already, use them often) but I would like to challenge you to the idea, a question……. If you stripped that all back and you were standing in a bucket with nothing else to your name,

would you, could you still choose happy? Could you feel in every cell of your body; feel not only enough, without any trappings… just simply satisfied, happy with your bucket, being above ground….. Can you?

When children are young they laugh all through the day, at everything. This is not only good exercise for your abdominals and lungs; oxygenating you. It is very good medicine for the body, just like good sleep, fresh foods and clean air.

How often do you laugh in a day or week?

If it’s not a lot and you think that your muscle of happy is not being engaged with on a daily basis…… Here comes the simple bit… This month listen/watch 15/30 minutes daily, of any type of comedy or funnies (you know the laugh out loud kind) to boost your endorphin quota and strengthen the happiness muscle that is part of you. Which can be drawn from as a strength; so that even in times of change and challenge, like a constant North Star, you can have that light to break you into a smile and laugh (instead of a breakdown) whichever way the wind blows.

And for those whose interest was stirred check out the Biology of Belief by Dr Bruce Lipton. Intrepid explorers, have a positive month…good luck discovering and practising ways

To getting your happy on.

Christina de Staël

Tel: 674 698 465

Email: purpletyger@gmail.com