When the NiceLife.ca website was launched, we decided to provide the most relevant and interesting content. So we ask people what they thought a Nice Life should include.

The one topic that they all agreed on was ... HAPPINESS. If you think about it, it’s true. How can you enjoy relationships, travel, health, retirement or even wealth, if you are not happy? Contrary to popular belief, money or the things you buy with it do not bring you happiness. Perhaps momentary joy, but not real happiness.

As was mentioned in the previous blog, happiness is a feeling of contentment and satisfaction in life. A choice one can make at any moment of the day to feel good about their situation. Sure bad things happen. Some moments of the day may feel sad or lonely or tiring or frustrating. Some moments may be full of fear or anxiety or shame. All of these are real, and sometimes harsh, vivid emotions – emotions that may be valid and have a purpose.

There is no sense in denying our emotions. That is not the route to true happiness. Emotions show up to tell us about ourselves. We need to recognize them, be grateful that we have feelings and then let go.

Try this out. Next time you become aware of a negative emotion surfacing, try to identify it, give it a name. Is it anger, frustration, loss, etc. Recognize it for what it is – just a feeling. In the past, perhaps you ‘owed’ that feeling, created drama around it or even made it part of ‘who you are’. For example saying, “I’m a jealous person” just because you felt jealous.

Simply validate the feelings yourself. Say, “Thank you ‘fear’ or ‘anger’ or ‘jealousy’. I hear you and understand your purpose is to protect me.” Then choose to say goodbye to the feeling and move on.

I’ll guarantee those feelings will come back time and time again. That’s just what emotions do. That’s what makes us human. You may have to repeat this exercise a lot at first to really get the hang of it. If you make this a daily practice, you will notice that your emotions become less intense, less disruptive and subside quicker.

It increases your Emotional Resilience. I share more about that in this other article. It's basically the ability to react and recover from normal human emotions in a more effective and efficient manner. So we can continue on with our day in a happier way.

Happiness is a mindset not as a state of mind. It’s a choice you make every day and in every moment while dealing with emotional reaction to life.

To help you maintain a happy mindset, I'm offering all of our NiceLife followers a FREE Happy T-shirt. Just follow this link to order yours NOW!