Back to Blogging! + What Happy People Do Differently

This semester I'm taking a class called positive psychology, and one of the articles we had to read was "What Happy People Do Differently," by Roberts Biswas-Deiner and Todd B. Kashdan

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201306/what-happy-people-do-differently?tr=MostViewed

So, here are just some things I thought highlighted the article, along with some questions I asked myself in response!:)

- Happiness is a state of mind, and as such, can be intentional and strategic

- Truly happy people seem to have an intuitive grasp of the fact that sustained happiness is not just about doing things that you like. It also requires growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone.  

- Curious people generally accept the notion that while being uncomfortable and vulnerable is not an easy path, it is the most direct route to becoming stronger and wiser.

- what am I most afraid of? being judged by others, being rejected
-  in what ways can I adventure beyond my comfort zone? engage in some performances, take hold of public speaking opportunities, make friendly conversation with new people

- A little attention to detail helps with a more realistic evaluation of the social world. Yet too much attention to detail can interfere with basic day-to-day functioning

- The happiest people have a natural emotional protection against getting sucked in by the intense gravitational pull of little details.

 - how can I find balance with paying attention to detail, but not get sucked into the  intense pull of every little detail? 
try to keep room organized, but not get caught up in having everything in its proper place all the time, recognize the tasks I need to accomplish, but not worry about all of the little things that come with it when I'm doing other activities

- The happiest people are the ones who are present when things go right for others—and whose own wins are regularly celebrated by their friends as well

 - how can I be there for my friends during the good times?
 - encourage them, get excited with them, buy them small gifts!

- Happy, flourishing people don't hide from negative emotions. They acknowledge that life is full of disappointments and confront them head on, often using feelings of anger effectively to stick up for themselves or those of guilt as motivation to change their own behavior. This nimble mental shifting between pleasure and pain, the ability to modify behavior to match a situation's demands, is known as psychological flexibility.

- Purpose is what drives us to take risks and make changes—even in the face of hardship and when sacrificing short-term happiness.

 - what is my purpose?

 - to share the gospel, God's love & truth, + make disciples

 - to help others strive to reach their potential

- Yet overall, people who are the happiest tend to be superior at sacrificing short-term pleasures when there is a good opportunity to make progress toward what they aspire to become in life

 - what short term pleasure can I sacrifice to make progress toward what I aspire to be?
 - I can sacrifice port city java smoothies to save money for mission trips
- I can sacrifice momentary awkwardness and discomfort to obey God and His will

- The good life is best construed as a matrix that includes happiness, occasional sadness, a sense of purpose, playfulness, and psychological flexibility, as well autonomy, mastery, and belonging.

- While some people will rank high in happiness and social belonging, others will find they've attained a sense of mastery and achievement. This approach appreciates that not only do people differ in their happiness matrices—but they can shift in their own respective matrices from moment to moment.

-  Parsing the good life into a matrix is more than linguistic trickery; shifting toward a mixed-bag view of well-being opens more paths to achieving a personally desirable life. Enjoying success in even one area of the matrix can be a cause for celebration.

THE END:)

After reading this I was inspired to take one aspect of happiness that the article talks about and apply it to my life this week! I think I'll focus on adventuring beyond my comfort zone!

So what are some of your responses to these questions? & is there an aspect you'd like to work on?

Food for thought! Have a great day!