“Consuming happiness can be fun, however being consumed by happiness is exhilarating”

We have been trained to think being happy is something that happens to us or is consumed by us. Many of these are temporary senses of delight, not real and sustainable feelings. They give minor respite from our real world, rather than helping us sustain true happiness. It is ironic when I talk about the word happy, how many people flinch as if it is an inappropriate word. Some people even snark at the word or become visibly uncomfortable. For some, it may seem safer to protect oneself and avoid being happy. It may be safer to simply not engage with the world altogether. When they are ready, people start to tilt their heads in interest when I speak about truly being happy. Their eyes light up with genuine excitement and some even experience happy tears of hope.

When we focus on happiness and understand it is within each of us, we are able to…:

• Love with conviction and be loved the way we deserve 
• Be more inviting while moving forward more quickly when we feel stuck 
• Own our actions and deliver on the commitments we make
• Feel the energy needed to grow and experience a life filled with possibilities  
• Imagine and connect with things in our world that we have never noticed before  
• Feel worthy and proud of who we are or will become

Once I realized happiness is not so random, I began to focus on my happiness. “It” became a habit. Happiness has helped me lift the fog that was holding me back from living my possible. As part of my journey, I have started to share stories and experiences to help others ignite their happiness. New opportunities continue to reveal themselves on my path; from writing this blog to being published in ThriveGlobal, new speaking engagements, live podcast appearances and being the guest teacher on the “HappyU” radio show hosted by Lionel Ketchian. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and relax. Listen to Lionel Ketchian, founder of the original Happiness Club, and me, the Founder of Ignite Happy, discuss the “Why focus on happy?” topic in more detail. Click the audio player below and learn about the connections that can bring your joy to the surface or those connections that might just stop you in your tracks. 

If you are reading these blog posts fully and trying out the challenges provided within, you have taken the first step in having the chance for happiness to form fully as a habit within. Getting comfortable with connecting to our happiness will open you up like never before and help you to see a life filled to the brim with opportunities. Keep the focus and live your possible.