Happiness

Psalm 118:24 NET
This is the day the LORD has brought about. We will be happy and rejoice in it.

Happiness is a choice we make, a decision that stems from our will and not from our emotions.

Last Saturday we heard from Jodie Cooper a local positive psychology coach about what constitutes happiness. Here's a snippet of what we learnt about happiness.

10% of happiness comes from our circumstances, but the happiness that is wrought by a change in our circumstances wears off after 3 months. Interesting given how often we think a change in circumstance will change how happy we are.

50% of happiness is genetically predisposed (inherited) but, because of epigenetics and the role of 'switches' to turn genetic expression on we now know that even if there is a genetic predisposition towards unhappiness that does not mean the 'switch' will automatically turn on. (We could talk about this for a long time but suffice to say that it's how we choose to react to things that causes the switch to flip).

40% of hapiness is about intention and the decision we make to choose happiness.

This is interesting because we often think that a change in our circumstance will change our happiness. We hear things like "If only I had a bigger car, more money, a new kitchen,..." but the change that they bring to our happiness is very small and fleeting.

As I see it, this means that lasting happiness is much more about the choice to be happy (and to live with an intentionally grateful attitude) than the circumstances I face. Happiness as a state of being is a choice I make not an emotion I feel.

The psalmist recognised that he'd been given the day to live to the full. For him, it was a day created by God, and he would choose by his words and actions ("I will be glad and rejoice") to live intentionally in gladness and rejoicing even when his circumstances were not always great.

Today I'm choosing happiness. What will you choose?

If you'd like to know more or have Jodie Cooper come and present a session she can be contacted through her website www.jodiecooper.com.au

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