{list friday} ♥ 12 habits for happiness

"it is not in doing what you like,

but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness."

~ James M Barrie

{photos from christmas tree hunting at lake of the woods,

hwy 140, with some of our greatest friends and their kiddos.}

1. smile at perfect strangers.

{don't wait for them to smile, show them how}

2. pretend today is going to be great.

{do so, and it will be. a great attitude always leads to great experiences.}

3. reflect on what's good.

{appreciate all the good things in your life. you already have some amazing things in your life,

whether you realize it or not.}

4. use personal strenghts to get things done.

{everyone possesses unique personal strengths. emotional happiness comes naturally to those who use their strengths to get things done}

5. use your imagination.

{try to imagine something that makes you smile at least once a day}

6. create something.

{if you haven't created something in a while, just for the sake of creating...try it,

you will not be disappointed}

7. help someone else for a couple minutes.

{love and kindness begets love and kindness. and so on and so forth}

8. share your lunch break with a close friend.

{Get out of the office, away from your work and spend 30 to 40 minutes eating and socializing

 with someone you care about. You’ll find that your mind will naturally start to unwind

and you’ll begin to feel a bit more like yourself again.}

9. get rid of one thing a day.

{choose one needless item each and every day and get rid of it.

It’s that simple. It might be difficult at first, so expect some resistance.

But after some time you will begin to learn to let go of your packrat tendencies,

 and your mind will thank you for your efforts}

 10. meditate.

{On a general level, meditation helps you slow down,

 accept the moment you are in and achieve a higher sense of presence}

 11. avoid negativity and negative people.

{don't belittle yourself and don't put up with people who try to belittle you}

12. Enjoy the moment.

{this moment is your life. enjoy it.}

happiness is found with steady awareness.

smile, and enjoy your life.