Valentines, Schmalentines!

Everyone is talking about Valentine’s Day and you would think I would be too, but nope – I’m preoccupied with something even better!

Did you know that there is a  World HAPPY Day? Yes, it’s true and it’s sooo exciting!  There is no better reason to connect with your positive buddies than on a day like this! How are you going to celebrate being HAPPY? How can you plan to be even HAPPIER in the coming year?

There are many theories about what makes people happy, one leading theory is based on positive psychology and the work of three professors, Lyubomirsky/Diener/Seligman, it is what they call the happiness formula.

Now I’m not too excited about formulas generally, but this one gets me excited!

H=S+C+V 

Huh?? Allow me to explain…

Happiness = Set Point + Conditions of Living + Voluntary Activities.

Your brain’s set point determines how naturally happy you are. According to researchers, a person’s set point is responsible for about 40% of a person’s experience of happiness. There is not much we can do about this set point, some folks were just born with  a smile on their face(you know who you are!).  FYI, I wasn’t.  If your parents interpreted situations as problems rather than as opportunities, you have a greater chance of seeing life the same way. If your parents were ‘the glass half full’ type of people – well lucky you!

The second factor is the ‘C,’ conditions of living, this factor only seems to contribute 7-12% of the total happiness experience.  Studies show that if something incredible happens to you, you will indeed be ecstatic but by the end of the year you will most likely be back to where you started – likewise if something horrific happens – you won’t be miserable as long as you think you will be.

The GREAT news is that almost 50% of the happiness formula depends on factor number three –‘V’ – voluntary activities, the things we choose to do every day, including the way we choose to feel.