Happiness, Hope, and Humor - Three Simple H’s That Will Change Your Life
November 6, 2009
"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.
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.
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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. © 2009, All Rights Reserved
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Posted by MANASI DUTTA. Posted In : Self Improvement