Project Happiness

Christmas means lots of different things to different people. To some, it’s a day or time of year to reconnect with family and friends. To some, it is a time for festivities, food, fun, music, and feeling good. And to some, it is a sacred day to look within. Whatever Christmas means to you, I think we can all agree it is a season of giving. Many of you have been giving all year long. You have been giving your mental and physical energies to making sure that your family stays ...safe. Safety and health is something to be thankful for. Let’s also thank our doctors, nurses, first-responders, teachers, food providers, everyone behind the scenes - helpers in every capacity - who have been giving of themselves all year long. This holiday season, share some time with your families, whether in person or via digital connection. And, don't forget to take some time for yourself. Be intentional about caring for yourself too; that will give you more energy. Recalibrate, re-center, and refocus on those things that are most important, whether family, faith, or friends. Wishing everyone a season filled with love, life, and laughter. Happy Holidays to all

Have appreciation for yourself, for what you have been through, and for how you have grown. It’s easy to feel stuck. Try to step back and see the larger perspective. You have had to navigate some choppy seas to get to where you are today. Rest in the harbor of your own self-awareness and appreciate your inner strength. You’ve come a long way...

Christmas is a time for exchanging presents, and it is also, of course, the season of goodwill. It’s easy to forget that this can be a tough time for many people, including those who are homeless, recently bereaved, lonely or struggling to make ends meet. So why not brighten a few lives? Acts of kindness can have a huge benefit to your own happiness, health and sense of well-being as well as those of the people you help. On this Christmas eve take a pledge to help each other as much as possible. Unexpected acts of kindness can really brighten someone’s day and make you feel good about yourself as well. That is a magic that will stay with you long after the holidays - it becomes part of your heart...

It is not necessary to know ALL the steps to your goal, just to keep walking. One step will lead you to the next - that’s how it works. When you are open to the signs, know that the universe will place the necessary steps for where you need to travel. Trust that there will be another step waiting for you, and another, and another. What if life was conspiring to help you move forward? Hope is being able to see that there is light despite of all the darkness. - Desmond Tutu Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. - Robert H. Shuller

Deep down we all want to love ourselves, but intentionally loving ourselves can be easier said than done. Loving yourself is more important than you may realize when it comes to our daily lives, physical and mental health, and our relationships with others. It’s the foundation of valuing your own existence, physical, mental, and spiritual growth, self-confidence, happiness, and the ability to love others. Accepting ourselves is the first and most important step when it comes ...to self-love. Some ways to practice loving ourselves include: accepting the parts that are challenging, speaking kindly to yourself every day, working out, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, being positive, forgiving yourself, having more grace for yourself, even buying yourself flowers When we start practicing these things, loving ourselves will become easier and will begin to transform our lives for the better, allowing us to love others more too. Remember: You are loved. You are wonderfully made. You are beautiful. You have a purpose. You are a masterpiece. To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness. - Robert Morley

Living your life fully is one of the most important things to do. And living your life doesn’t mean just surviving day by day. Imagine going through each day like it’s your last and filling every moment of it with something that is worth remembering. CHALLENGE: Try to do one day, maybe today, with that perspective. The thing is, if you go through your life just sliding by, when you get older you won’t have things to look back at and remember. You won't be able to look back an...d feel proud and accomplished by the things that you tried. It will not and cannot always be happy. But you can do everything in your power to try to make the best out of everything that you encounter in your life. Reflect and let it all make you stronger. Each and every single chapter of your life should be something that you can look back on, and remember: the moments, the challenges, the growth, the great times and little joys, the people and places and all the experiences that can be with you always. The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Whatever we focus on grows. If we constantly think about what doesn’t work, we occupy our mind with those thoughts. Then there is less and less room to take in, welcome and savor the goodness that is already around us, when we just take the time to notice. So turn your attention to the small moments of contentment, satisfaction or joy. It doesn’t have to be showy; it doesn’t even have to be obvious. But when you are attuned to sparks of joy, you will see them more and more, even In the darkness. By showing gratitude in your life, then you can see magic. Blessings abound - clean your glasses for a better view. Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy. - Jefferson Bethke

Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around. Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you. Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel loved. - Roy T. Bennett