On the face of it, this may sound small and not very powerful however I want to share an experiment I performed last year.
Whenever asked the question, “How are you doing?” I ALWAYS answered, “I have no complaints.”
Seems simple on the face of it but trust me when I say the response you get will turn your day around.
Most people can not or will not complain after you say, “I have no complaints.”
Think of it as passing the positive in lieu of the negative.
In performing this conscious act of delivering my line I realized it was like exercising a muscle. At first, it felt like work, I had to remind myself to do it but I kept with it.
Over time I realized my behavior of casual conversation on the topic of my latest list of complaints was just a bad habit. I always had the choice to decide to lead with happy or grumpy.
The grumpy bred grumpy and the happy bred happy, really that simple.
Not only will your subsequent conversation take a turn to the happier side it will leave most people you meet feeling better than if you had joined them in a grumpy exchange.
Making a choice to consciously be happy can be powerful.
Over time I found that my personal happiness had improved and many people thanked me for making them realize they too had NO COMPLAINTS.
Here is a short list of items from an article I recently read :
8 Things The Happiest People Do Every Day
1. They Smile
2. They Offer a Helping Hand
3. They Exercise
4. They Socialize
5. They Work Towards Goals
6. They Express Gratitude
7. They Face Stress Head-On
8. They Remain Optimistic
Perform your own experiment. Try adding one of these happiness habits to your daily life.
I find visual aids to be helpful. We all carry phones with cameras. I collect images of things that make me happy to have at the ready to ward off negative thoughts.
I am sharing my “Happy Feet” photo as a great example.
My first pedicure of the year comes around once I can give up my boots for my first pair of sandals after the long cold winter.
Most years I get to perform this ritual with my daughter which makes me even happier! (BONUS )
Makes me grateful for the ability to purchase the service and for the ability to have the time to do so.
The second photo is of the natural world. I stuff my phone with these images all year round.
Whenever I need to shift my thoughts I roll through my gallery and look at beautiful things.
Another habit worth forming that will reward you 10 fold.