What Makes You Happy?

What makes you happy? A warm, sunny day in early spring? The giggle or smile on your little one's face? A cuddle with your partner?

I find so much pleasure in my first cup of coffee in the morning. The aroma, the taste, and simply the ritual of preparing a cup. It makes me happy to savour each sip and ease into the day.

In Bhutan, national happiness has been officially valued greater than national income since the early 1970s. This is when it "famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product" as noted on the United Nations (UN) website.

It's no surprise, then, that it was Bhutan that initiated the resolution for the International Day of Happiness, which was proclaimed March 20th by the UN.

On March 18th this year, the 10th annual edition of the World Happiness Report will be released. If you're curious to learn more, you can register to receive a copy by clicking here and scrolling down to the 'World Happiness Report' section.

Happiness can be very personal. It can be a discovery to learn of new things that make us happy. Sometimes we stumble upon new situations or events. It's serendipity. Other times, we find happiness right under our nose just by paying closer attention.

One way to gain clarity around what creates happiness for us is journaling. By writing down our thoughts and feelings on a recurring basis, we develop insights into what makes us tick. We see patterns emerge from our musings and ruminations. Sometimes, noticing what we don't like can lead us to uncover what we do.

     

Have you unearthed something new that makes you happy recently? How will you celebrate The International Day of Happiness? It happens to fall on the first day of spring - Monday, March 20th.  

We don't mind sharing with you that the start of spring makes us happy!