“The most simple things can bring the most happiness.” -Izabella Scorupco
“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the
lead.”
-Beyonce
“In a time of destruction, create something.” -Maxine Hong Kingston
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Statement #3, “Happiness is a habit I am developing.”
Happiness
is created, not waited for.
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Alcohol
or other substances of abuse can appear to bring happiness momentarily, but
underneath a desire to escape or run away, feelings of emotional pain can
linger and increase. As sobriety and recovery flourishes,
Statement #3 encourages the creation of genuine and concrete happiness, turning
this action into a habit, and into a healthy new skill.
Here are 4 ways which can aid in creating happiness:
1. Begin
your day with intention: As Jean Kirkpatrick encourages
in our Program
booklet on page 3, take a few minutes each morning to reflect and read the
Statements. This can also be a good time
to set an intention: focus on being
patient with family or friends or prioritizing your day or tasks.
2.
Be physical: Walk, run,
stretch, dance, exercise. Give a hug, get a hug! Moving the body releases endorphins, which
trigger positive feelings.
3.
Mindfulness: Focus on where
your mind goes in certain situations. Need
inspiration? Watch inspiring videos, get
creative and get connected!
4.
Close your day with gratitude: Have you
considered how your eyes, ears, family, pets, home or sobriety make a
difference in your life? Ruminate on
gratitude and it quickly becomes a healthy habit.
What are some ways or examples that you are making happiness a
habit in your life?
Hugzzz
Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi 4C Women,
Creating
a habit takes practice. I have been
practicing developing happiness for a very long time and in looking over the
many books, messages and inspirational quotes I have in my possession, I
realized I have developed a strong foundation of happiness, joy and peace. I have especially needed and utilized this
foundation the past couple of years because I have also experienced deep
sadness, frustration and a bit of resentment.
Here’s the good news - I am no longer the woman who clung to and lived
in constant negativity without any hope of a situation, my attitude or response
changing. Everything changes! Life is not static, it is evolving just as we
are with the tools and guidance of the WFS program.
I
found a tear out sheet from a very old Oprah Winfrey magazine about joy and
happiness. Here are the questions and
exercises to do:
·
What gives you the greatest joy - and when was the last time you
felt that joy? Starting now, how can you
incorporate what pleases you most into your daily life?
·
Each day for a week, make a list of the things that bring you
delight. At the end of the week, hang
the list on a mirror to remind you of all that’s positive in your life.
·
How much joy you experience is connected to how open you are to
receiving it. Do you believe you are
worthy of it? How might the way you see
yourself be robbing you of happiness?
·
Who in your life brings you the most contentment? Are you depending more on your spouse,
friends, family to bring you satisfaction than you are on yourself?
That last question fits right into Statement #3. Please note that it says who in your life
brings you the most contentment. It does
not say that others cannot do that as it is followed by asking if you are more
dependent on others to do so. That is
the key question. We all are
interdependent. People in our lives
bring different things to us - laughter, love, adventure, listening, helping,
quiet assurance, compassion, joy and so many other emotional needs. They are there to support, encourage and even
bring balance when we are struggling in figuring things out.
The
important part of Statement #3 and the posed questions is that we need to be
part of creating the path to joy, happiness and contentment. We are not alone yet we cannot expect others
to completely fill that void in our lives.
It is unfair to them and to ourselves.
It robs us of our ability to be creative, to uncover and discover our
needs and how to meet them. I hope you
will take the time to consider the questions and do the exercise of writing the
“delightful” list along with Karen’s fantastic suggestions.
Bonded
in developing happiness,
4C WFS member
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