Action for Happiness

[fidgiegirl]

I am finding this site to be really interesting. I think the best part on there is the Happiness Action Pack download.

http://www.actionforhappiness.org/

[Juds]

It looks really interesting, but with a dial-up connection there is not any way I can use the stuff they have on PDF, which is most of their stuff. Does not make me particularly unhappy, though. :)

[Stella]

I liked this! I love the GREAT DREAM thing. I am a pretty happy person and all of those things greatly contribute. Actually this really drove home what a full and fabulous life I have. I think I'll print off that poster for the homeschool bulletin board.

One thing I love about my family and friends is that there is a high level of gratitude. I know a lot of people feel that marriage and parenting in particular are thankless gigs, but my family tells me all the time, "That was the best meal I ever had! You are so great!" or "Thanks for everything you do for me, I don't know what I'd do without you!" We have a practice of going around the table and telling something we are grateful for during prayer time.

I think, too, that our really strong community ties and shared vision play a big part in our happiness. Most of the people in my neighborhood and circle of friends have a similar vision to me and my family has a lot of goals we work towards together, from our travels to our volunteering. We all want to be a force for good in the world.

We've had some really good examples in positivity. Zach's living grandmothers are both in their 90s, one is 90 one is 99. The 90 year old just went on a zipline hike last week in the Smoky Mountains. The 99 year old traveled to Denmark last year to visit her granddaughter. Both have strong communities and get plenty of exercise. They are fabulous role models.

[fidgiegirl]

Yes, gratitude really seems to beget gratitude. I always remember a comment you once made, Stella, on a thread about domestic chores within marriage, and how you view the roles you play as akin to giving a gift. I also liked how they broke out things like physical activity and standing up to tough times as part of happiness. I guess I had never stopped to think of all 10 facets before.

[cdttmm]

I am finding this site to be really interesting. I think the best part on there is the Happiness Action Pack download.

http://www.actionforhappiness.org/

Kelli, thanks for posting about this - I love it! I actually lead workshops in corporate as well as educational settings about how to use this stuff (aka Positive Psychology) to improve your personal and professional life.

You might also be interested in checking out this project http://www.hapacus.com/Home.html.

And as a teacher, you might also like this site, which is the work of one of my dear friends: http://www.positiveedu.com/

Oh and for anyone who is really interested in positive psychology I would be happy to make recommendations of books to read or other resources. Positive psych is a rapidly growing field and the research is uncovering some really amazing things about how positive emotions work and how we can harness the power of positive emotion and meaning/purpose in our lives every day. It is truly fascinating, IMHO, and how amazing potential for dramatically changing people's lives.

[Mer05]

Interesting! I'm reading all the websites now... And will throw out another recommendation: Gretchen Rubin's "Happiness Project", a book about the author's experience following various pieces of happiness advice for a year. Also a website/blog at http://www.happiness-project.com . I liked it because it's personal and specific - a real human being actually tried this! Also, she talks about why things worked (or didn't) for her specifically, which is useful for comparison.

[Gardenarian]

How fun! Thank you for this!
This will be great for homeschooling.

I love the pledge when you join :)

[Stella]

I was thinking of this yesterday at our neighborhood pumpkin parade because of the "Relate" piece. It really is amazing how just gathering a bunch of neighbors in costumes for a simple event and a little chocolate cake and apple juice made so many people happy. It really inspired me to do more of that kind of thing. People are hungry for real, person-to-person connection.