Here is your recap of what we have learned in our 12- part happiness audit so you can check in and see where you are. Where are you feeling great, and where can you make more change and reflect a little further? I would love to know which of the 10 has been an eye-opener for you, made the biggest impact or made you think. Find me on Facebook: Louise Thompson - life, happiness and energy coach, and talk to me!
To complete your own happiness audit have a check back through the 10 principles below. Give yourself a score out of 5 for each one. As I said at the beginning, happiness is individual, rather than a rigid formula. Do you have your perfect blend coming together to make 2013 your best year yet?
1. Honour your own health and energy levels as if you life depends on it. Oh! It does! How about that? Happy people take full responsibility for their health and wellbeing and treat self care as the priority it is.
2. Be with the right person. Do not settle when it comes to your partner. Forever is a reeeeeeeeeeeeally long time, so, you know, get it right. Are you happily single or with the right person for you at this time in your life?
3. Make your own choices. Do what feels right for your soul (especially in terms of career choice), not what "everybody" says would be a good/stable/respectable choice for you. No-one knows this truth for you better than you do.
4. The thing about life is it's not about things. Invest in experiences, memories, good times, silly times. Travel more, buy less. Experience more, buy less. Laugh more. Try more. Play more. Friends, Family, fun.
5. Get out of your comfort zone regularly. The best discoveries in life are usually found there. You are braver, better, smarter, more creative, than you give yourself credit for. Be brave and push the boundaries. Do some new stuff, take a few risks.
6. Know that no one is perfect. Also that you are "good enough". Whatever that means! Interesting. Almost all of us beat ourselves up for not being "good enough" in some way but then cannot define what that magical benchmark actually is. It's a ludicrous struggle. Happy people drop this struggle and accept themselves as fabulous imperfect beings who are absolutely good enough.
7. Play to your strengths. Life is way too short to be mitigating and working on your weaknesses. Happy people know their own strengths, in a very deep way, and love and accept them and play to them, big them up. They don't apologise for who and what they are, they maximise it.
8. They take personal responsibility for their emotional health. Happy people own their own emotional health. They know that someone else can't "make me feel guilty/upset/angry".
9. Live in the moment. It's a skill, it can be learned. Being more present, experiencing more joy inherent in the present moment is a sure-fire route to happiness. Happy people know being present is a skill and they apply it daily for maximum joy.
10. Practise emotional honesty. Oh this is a biggie. Happy people feel their feelings. Which sounds simple but then, so many of us don't do it, so clearly this is where unhappy people need help. Happy people own their feelings, whatever they might be. They don't cover it up with booze, obsessive exercise, overeating, overworking and any other kind of "over" activity.
Next week, a brand new series for you to build on the progress you have made. We are going to be looking at Habits of Happiness. The essential building blocks you need to step forward each day as you create the life you know you deserve. Thanks so
much for your feedback on the "Happiness Audit" series - your emails and comments on the column have been nothing short of inspirational!
I'd love to know what's on your mind, and what you would like me to help you with and write about: please come find me on Facebook and join the discussion! I hope 2013 is shaping up to be your happiest year yet!
Louise Thompson is a life coach, yoga teacher and corporate escapee. For more from Louise visit www.positivebalance.co.nz.
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