How to find happiness with one step

How many times have you heard yourself say… “I just want to be happy” when a loved one asks you what you want?

How often do you feel as if you’re chasing happiness yet coming up empty-handed?

What if instead of chasing happiness, you could embody happiness?

In the past when I chased happiness I always found myself working towards it as if it were a goal or reward I could grab off a shelf. But, when happiness became a state of BEING for me I no longer had to chase the feeling! Instead, I can put it on much like a jacket or sweater and always take it with me.

What helped me find happiness?

Practicing gratitude and connecting to WHY. Finding just one thing to be grateful for, and asking WHY, even during dark times, can completely shift your perspective. A 2017 study found that “practicing gratitude may help train the brain” and “could contribute to improved mental health over time.”

You may be thinking… “Yeah right, Wendy. Finding happiness can’t be as simple as finding one thing to be grateful for.”

But it really is!

For example, what is one thing you’re grateful your body does for you? For me it’s my feet. WHY? Because they help me walk, every day, in my life.

Even when you’re in a dark place in your life, find one thing you’re grateful for in one area of your life–and CONNECT to the WHY. WHY are you grateful for this person, place, or stage in your life? Once you find the first thing to be grateful for you’ll find even more! This is because when you find that first seed of gratitude, it’ll take root in your heart and then expand and grow. With each and every reason you find to be grateful, you’ll feel your happiness grow and grow. If you stay connected to that feeling of gratitude, even in the dark times, you’ll even see happiness begin to chase you everywhere you go!

Try it! Write down one thing you’re grateful for today. Then create a list of reasons WHY you’re grateful for it.