Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.– Aristotle

The Happiness Project was an initiative of Alex Shalman in February this year. Reading the first 34 posts from a variety of top bloggers inspired me to become a part of this ongoing project.

This morning I was drawn to write the word, with the wonderful spelling from one of my favorite movies The Pursuit of Happyness. The father and son in the picture reminding me of this story. Serendipity! A gift!

Now for the question as posed by Alex:

1. How do you define happiness?

Happiness is a feeling , feelings of joy, having a smile on my face doing things that make me feel happy. Happiness is what’s within me.

2.On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?

Now- 8  As a child- 9.  These numbers were what I felt on an intuitive basis as I read the question.

3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness?

• I start my day by being grateful, when I wake up I think of 10 or so things I am grateful for.
• Mediate, read my desire statement, use angel cards,  journal any thoughts or messages that arise.
• Namaste each day with Des
• Walk on the beach, swim, sometimes I get to see the sunrise which always makes my heart sing.
• Plan my day, and celebrate my wins for the day
• Journal each night how abundant my day was.

How consistent are my feelings of happiness throughout your day?

Most days I am able to maintain feelings of happiness throughout the day. Some days I lose it! What can help is to mediate for 5 minutes, paint, read a book, watch a funny video, dance, deep breathe, drink a glass of water, make a healthy juice, cook a wonderful meal, go for a walk,watch the pelicans.( We have a point on the river,where we live and where pelican gather, these birds raise my vibes- they are so unique).

4. What things take away from your happiness?

• Negative thoughts, negative news, negative people
• Being financially stressed
• Feeling sorry for myself
• Trying to control the world
• Computer glitches

What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?

• Have daily habits that emphasize being in a positive vibrational state.- see Question 1
• Do the Gratitude Dance– this will bring a smile to you face and raise your vibes
• Start a gratitude Journal
• Have a daily plan and celebrate your wins
• Read inspirational books
• Watch inspirational movies
• Be creative, get the fabric and the paints out
• Spend time with positive people
• Have multiple streams of income
• Weekly computer maintenance- automate tasks

5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?

• Be in the now,
• Play full out.
• Be fully present in all aspects of my life.
• Continue to inspire and to make a difference

Now if you would like to to explore what happiness means to you and be part of this ongoing project visit

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.- Helen Keller

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