My 3 Keys to Happiness

Happiness. What a great word.

I perused the web to see what people had to say about the “Keys to Happiness.” It was an interesting experiment, because everyone had different opinions. People have their own ideas about what makes them happy, or what happiness even means.

That being said, I decided it would be fun to use my “H” words to express my keys to happiness (in less than 500 words). The disclaimer here is that these are ‘my own’ ideas, and I’m limiting it to words that begin with the letter “H.”

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1. Honesty

Honesty is huge. In recovery, for example, you need to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself. To take that one step further, you need to admit to God, yourself, and another human being, the exact nature of your wrongs. It’s not always easy, but it opens the door to honest self-reflection.

Personally, these steps were life changing. They opened my eyes to the fact that not only am I incredibly flawed, but that—and here is an honest key to my own happiness—other people’s flaws are not my business. For far too long I wanted to fix the people around me. Not because I was a selfless individual, but because I believed that “their flaws” were what stood between me and my own happiness.

Be honest with others and—by all means—with yourself.

 “Every lie is two lies, the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it.”

Robert Brault

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2. Humor

When I’m feeling really cruddy, one of the first things I notice is that my sense of humor is missing. I’m not really sure where it goes… but it hides out. I have to go digging through the muck to find it, yank it by its leash, and bring it back into the open.

I’ll never forget a poem I read, by Frank Solanki, called Repetition. My immediate thought was “Oh my God, that’s me!” In the blogging world, sometimes I worry that my posts are repetitious.

I’m saying the same things… over and over, and changing up the way in which I say them. It’s easy to get caught in that vortex of worry. Frank’s poem made me forget my worries, and just laugh. It reminded me not to take everything so seriously.

Say what you want, and do what feels right. If you’re not tearing someone else down, or being grossly negative, it’s all good. Just remember to laugh.

“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.”

Yiddish Proverb

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3. Hugs

They say that hugs have many health benefits; they can reduce stress, improve immunity, and lower your risk of heart disease, to name a few.

I haven’t done my own research, but I know for a fact that hugs boost my happiness. I’m a HUGE hugger. Being somewhat introverted, sometimes words fail me… but I’ve never hesitated to reach out and offer a hug.

“Hugging is a silent way of saying you matter to me.”

Anonymous

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So, there you have it. My three “H” keys to happiness: Honesty, Humor & Hugs.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found some enjoyment here, and that you’ve already discovered your own keys to happiness.

See you around soon for the letter “I.”

Peace & love!
—Janet