Finding Authentic Happiness in Everyday Things

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Don't you just love the feeling on a Sunday morning? Waking up, nowhere you need to hurry to. Even better when it's a sunny day and you can lie there with the sun streaming in, warming your skin.

Happiness is a Sunday morning feeling. When you can call your time your own.

Of course, you don't need to wait for a Sunday morning, or for a vacation. Even if you have a busy life, snatch quiet moments whenever you can to recharge your batteries. Enjoy doing nothing. Even if only for a moment.

For me, happiness is waking up to a sunny Sunday morning.

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Next time you are eating one of your favorite foods, take a moment to pause and really taste it. Forget the TV or magazine, or talking to the person across from you. Notice what you are eating.

There is a mindfulness meditation practice that takes this a step further. If you are eating an orange, you pause not simply to taste the orange but to focus on the sunshine and rain that made the orange grow upon the tree.

You will really begin to value your food if you can focus on it.

What is your happiness food?

For me, happiness is a delicious mixed berry smoothie.

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When I say 'ritual', I'm not talking about anything strange or sinister! A ritual is simply something that is familiar and enjoyable.

For some, your faith will be a ritual. You may find comfort in prayer, or songs of praise.

For some, meditation is a ritual which will repay your efforts many times over in health benefits and peace of mind. Yoga can be a similarly health-giving ritual.

However, 'ritual' in the sense I use it here does not have to mean discipline. Making and enjoying a cup of tea can be a mind-calming ritual that creates a momentary bubble of happiness!

You may have your own favorite rituals. Maybe there is a family game you play at the same time each week, or a friend you meet for a coffee and a chat. Perhaps you enjoy the ritual of baking a cake once a week.

These rituals are often times when you feel happy without really being aware of it.

For me, happiness is curling up in bed with a good novel each night - even just a few pages sends me off to sleep happy.

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I know this is number one for many of us. If you have many loved ones and see their smiles every day, cherish them.

Keep pictures of your loved ones with you to be reminded of them at moments during the day. Even if you just imagine their smiles, you'll soon find yourself smiling right back!

I don't want anyone to feel sad if you are thinking you have no loved ones. Sometimes life can become dark and lonely but it was not always this way and will not always be so. If you had a loved one and can look at his or her photo without pain, use it to remind you of a happy time.

If you are an animal lover, a 'smile' may for you be something different... a wag of a tail or a contented purring, or a bright little pair of eyes.

For me, happiness is the smile of my own gorgeous Scotsman. :-)

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Do you love to dance? Or do you prefer singing... or painting... or a sport? Whatever you enjoy, really getting involved in a creative pursuit can be pure bliss.

I'll never be the most graceful dancer in the world. But I've never been to a dance class that didn't have me going home with a huge grin on my face.

While you are dancing, if you let yourself become caught up in the moment and enjoy the combination of music and your own movement, you will find that all your worries will fade away.

Another bonus is that, as a form of exercise, dance will raise the level of endorphins (those feel-good chemicals) making you feel great.

If you have 2 left feet, you can get happy watching other people dance!

For me, happiness is watching professionals dance the Tango - a truly amazing dance experience.

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Making other people happy will make you happy right back!

Parents get lots of experience of caring for someone else. Don't forget to care for each other too though.

Whether it's caring for your spouse, your child, a dear friend or another family member... or even volunteering... caring for someone will make you feel good.

Caring comes in many shapes and forms. While it can be about gifts and praise, it can also be a simple thing, like meeting someone with an umbrella in the rain, or taking the time to make them a tasty and filling meal.

For me, happiness is cooking for my loved one.

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What kind of view makes you happiest? Maybe you love the ocean. Or are you a mountain person, like me? Then again, there is the calming green of a forest... or the wonder of a snow-covered landscape.

Keep pictures of your favorite views to inspire and uplift you.

In the winter, sunny views will remind you of warmer days ahead.

There are so many lovely views to choose from. Or why not enlarge one of your own photos of a favorite vacation to make a very personal and special view that will remind you of happy times.

For me, happiness is a view of snow-covered mountains.

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If you are a pet owner, you will already know how much joy they can bring into your life. Who could ever be quite as pleased to see you as your dog? Who will snuggle up to you in peaceful companionship quite as well as your cat?

Pets don't care what you look like at any given moment, they won't judge the wit of your conversation or tell you to snap out of a low mood.

Your pets can be the source of one moment of happiness after another, as they do cute and endearing things that brighten your day. Spend time with them, take pictures of them, make sketches of them. Enjoy the fact that they love you just as you are.

Even if you don't have pets, a picture of an adorable kitten or bright-eyed puppy can remind you that life is good.

For me, happiness is a purring cat.

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On a clear night, if you look up at the skies you will see the most awesome of sights.

Countless stars. And each of them so many light years away from us that it will make your brain hurt to think of it!

With a star guide and a pair of good binoculars, you can even see other galaxies! How's that for putting your own worries in perspective?

Next time you are somewhere away from light pollution on a cloudless night, spend some time just gazing at the stars. Try to spot constellations and learn the names of some of the stars.

For me, happiness is a star-filled sky.

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If you don't share your life with pets, for whatever reason, you are still in luck. While wild animals are often shy of humans, birds are all around us, even in the cities. You only have to open your eyes.

I've had happy moments watching a sparrow peck at a crumb in the middle of Manhattan. I've also been lucky enough to have a couple of snow buntings hopping about right in front of me in the Scottish Highlands.

There are some wonderful bird reserves all over the world where you can see more unusual species.

Or if you can't go to the birds, the best thing about them is that they will come to you - with some food and a little patience.

For me, happiness is feeding the birds in the hard days of winter, knowing I made a small difference.

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