Happiness Is a Choice by Karen Little

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Perhaps you've heard of virtual reality—a technology that, with the help of a headset, immerses you in a different time, place, or emotional state.

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What you might not realize is that your real reality, at any given moment, is shaped entirely by your thoughts. Why? Because your thoughts are the only mechanisms that “drive” or “steer” your body.

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Change your thoughts, and your reality changes too.

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Happiness shows up in your body as joy, hope, elation, or a feeling of positive anticipation. But to feel happy, you must actively notice the things that bring you joy.

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When we passively absorb our environment without reflection, our thoughts become background noise—easily dominated by boredom or distress. If we primarily notice what’s wrong, we end up locking ourselves into negativity. But when we deliberately focus on what’s right, we can lift ourselves into a more joyful state.

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Whether in a virtual simulation or actual life, your experience is always mediated by thoughts. Those thoughts can be handed to you—like via a headset—or they can be selected, shaped, and cultivated by you.

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To shift into happiness, regardless of your circumstances:

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• Acknowledge everything that is currently right or beautiful.
   

• Make lists of things that give you joy and choose to pursue them.
   

• Express appreciation—whether silently or aloud—for what you love. (Yes, “count your blessings.”)
   

In virtual reality, someone else writes the code. But outside of that world, your thoughts are the code—and you are the programmer.

If you want to feel joy, start by thinking about what brings you joy. Then, when you find it, savor it.

 

Suggested Links:

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• How Do You Trigger Positive? Find Your Pathways to Happiness – YouHaveACalling.com

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• Stuck In A Rut? Sometimes Joy Takes A Little Practice – Michaeleen Doucleff for NPR

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• Feel-good hormones: How they affect your mind, mood, and body – By  Stephanie Watson for www.health.harvard.edu

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