Happiness is.....

reading/listening to a wonderful book that transports you into it's world and stays with you a while when you're done.
traveling to the moon with my kids.
playing Unlock! with my husband.
concerts and shows with my mom.
chocolate.... all the chocolate.
adventures big and small with my best friend.
therapy sessions with friends, both as the "therapist" and as the "patient".
finding something you thought was lost.
laughing until you cry.
group hugs and family dog piles.
goofing around with my sister.
hearing the kids say "I love you" and feeling it with all my heart.
cleaning and the house when it's all clean!
all 5 minutes that the house stays clean....
delicious food.
date nights (with delicious food).
memories of Dad.
snow, when I don't have some place to drive to.
traveling to places I haven't been or returning to those that I love.
the mountains and hiking in them.
the smell and taste of a glass of flavorful red wine.
lilacs.
extended family time in Grand Lake.
that feeling when you succeed at something that challenged you.
making someone else's day.
white beaches of the Florida panhandle.
finding the perfect gift for someone you care about.
doing the right thing.
runners high.
checking things off of the to-do list.
the first day you can breathe through your nose again after being sick.

What is your happiness?

Habit 3 Check-In

Oh man, time. 

It's always the catch. 

Trying to find the space in my day to exercise is ridiculously tricky. I've been doing my best to find time to take a "lunch" break at work. I'll grab my book and head down to the gym to walk for a bit on the treadmill. True, I'm not working up a sweat, but it has felt nice to get moving. 

The real breakthrough came this week after doing some research. I found a way to sneak in some movement and hang with the family, especially the kids. Last Monday, we purchased Ring Fit Adventure for the Wii Switch and it's caused some changes in the house. The kids are actually enjoying things like squats and lunges. Sure they're staring at a screen while an avatar is running gazelle like through fields, but they're still moving!

It's become a new family bonding. We are all vying to hold the record for the various solo exercises and mini-games. It has started to get down right competitive!

I don't know if it's the endorphin release, the goofy time with the kids, or the mandatory "Victory Pose" at the end of each round, but the fit game does make me feel pretty happy.

My middle munchkin's victory pose.

Habit 3: Happy People Get Exercise

"Exercise may very well be the most effective instant happiness booster of all activities."

 - Sonja Lyumbomirsky

There really is nothing like exercise to clear the head and relieve stress. Trouble for me, as with a lot of people I'm sure, is simple: time. 

There's only so many hours in the day. While I know that I should prioritize exercise at some point throughout the day, so many other things always bump it off of the schedule. Time with my kids, my husband, my friends, work, chores all take priority. 

What I think it comes down to is making the time to exercise feels like a selfish act. I'm guilty of not regularly putting my needs on the To-Do List; responsibilities and everyone else's needs come first.  We've all heard the analogy of the oxygen masks on airplanes, right? You are supposed to put your mask on first before assisting other passengers. If you don't take that first step, you'll be useless for anyone else. 

This week I'm going to try to make exercise a priority. I'm going to put on that oxygen mask and take some deep breaths. I think everyone can survive without me for 30-minutes :)     

Habit 2 Check In

"You never fail until you stop trying." 

- Albert Einstein

This week has gotten away from me a bit and I didn't put Habit #2 into practice as planned. I continued to complete the brain dumps in the morning, however, time was short and they weren't as complete as they should have been. Truth: the gratitude practice was forgotten...

There is a board game that we acquired as a family called Happy Little Accidents, based on Bob Ross and his happy trees and clouds. It is a fantastic family game night experience. All three of my kids could play and have fun, which is a big deal with the age gap between the  4 and 11-years-old. 

The premise of the game is to create a beautiful picture from a squiggle (AKA: a mistake). The morale being, of course, to not be deterred by mistakes, but to move on from them and keep trying to make something beautiful. 

Today's take away:

         #1: Happy Little Accidents is a fabulous board game you should go out and play for yourself!

         #2: I'll keep trying to apply Habit 2 into my day before we move on to Habit 3...