Rewire Your Brain to Be Happy

Happiness... It is one of the "unalienable rights" secured for us in the U.S. Declaration of Independence... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But what does happiness really mean? We've been conditioned to believe happiness is something to be pursued, says happiness expert Marci Shimoff. Like a dog chasing after a stick, we chase after happiness—or after the things we think will bring it to us. But the "pursuit" of happiness as we know it today is quite different from when our founding fathers drafted those words. As Stewart Emery, an early leader of the human potential movement, points out, the meaning and common usage of the word "pursuit" meant "practice." We had a right to practice happiness regularly, to make a habit of it. Psychologists say that at least 90 percent of behavior is habitual. Thus, if you practice the habits of happy people, you can become happier. Research reveals that the neurons in your brain can be rewired for happiness, just as they get rewired when you practice any other skill or activity, such as learning math or playing golf. One skill you can practice immediately is gratitude, one of 21 happiness habits Marci explores in our Happy for No Reason course. Gratitude can help nurture those thoughts and feelings which increase your happiness from the inside out. Here’s how:

• Spend a little time in grateful reflection every day, morning or night or moments in between, because according to the Law of Attraction what you appreciate appreciates.
• Keep a gratitude journal where you daily write down five things in your life that you are truly thankful for.
• Before you head off to work or school in the morning, spend a few minutes with another family member, each sharing three blessings in your lives.

Happiness is a state of well-being independent of the conditions of our day-to-day lives. It is a measurable physiological state with distinct brain activity, heart rhythms, and body chemistry. Happy people simply choose to focus on those experiences, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that expand this state. To help rewire yourself to develop habits that spontaneously bring you greater happiness and peace, I recommend you listen to the Happy for No Reason Paraliminal. Simply push play, close your eyes, relax, and listen. This closed-eye process activates your "whole mind" with a precise blend of music and words to help you get the most out of every minute. To learn more about Happy for No Reason and all our other Paraliminal programs, please click here.