This week I’d like to discuss the elements of happiness.

I remember when I was in therapy I asked my therapist about happiness & what it really means to be happy.

I’ve never heard someone say they were happy just because, it was always attached to something or someone.

I learned over time that happiness truly does come from within & as cliche as that sounds, it’s true.

You can’t tie your happiness to a job, item, or person because when it goes missing so does your happiness.

Searching for happiness in the things around you will only cause you to realize how fleeting that is.

Happiness is a reflection of balance.

When we’re balanced we’re then able to get still & connect with our truest selves in the moment.

Not our past selves or future selves.

In that moment you’ll gain gratitude for what’s already growing within you & towards you.

The elements of happiness consist of:

⁃ Gratitude

⁃ Passion

⁃ Purpose

⁃ Love

⁃ Service

Within these 5 elements you’ll find:

⁃ Freedom

⁃ Creativity

⁃ Fulfillment

⁃ Kindness

⁃ Allure

These aspects are what you’ll cultivate when you’re truly happy within.

Only then can your happiness reflect upon the external aspect of things.

Something to think about this week is, what makes you happy?

Without attaching your happiness to anything or anyone, how would you answer this question?

It may seem like a trick question but it’s not, it may be one of the most simplest things someone has asked you in a while.

If you can’t answer the question without attachment, it’s ok. That just means some inner work needs to be done for you to be able to get to that point.

Before I sign off I’d like to leave you guys with something that makes me happy.

An example of that would be my ability to write. Writing makes me happy because it’s something I enjoy doing, it’s definitely therapeutic for me, & it’s a service I get to provide for all of you who are reading & listening.

It gives me a chance to be creative but it’s also freeing because I get to share my truth with you all & that is fulfilling to me.

Don’t beat yourself up if you feel stumped by today’s prompt, feel free to circle back to previous weeks to help you tap into doing the inner work necessary.

Remember to be kind to yourself & others.

Also be happy & do the things you love because the days aren’t coming back.

⁃ MML