I want to start this episode with a quote from author Margaret Lee Runbeck: “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.”
We often go through life believing that happiness is a destination. We think of it as crossing a finish line of a long race — all the hard work will be over, and it’s just celebration from there on out.
But I think it’s safe to say that we all know that true happiness isn’t like this. It’s not a place like Margaret Runbeck says. It’s a “manner of traveling.” If we live life believing that happiness is a place somewhere in the future, then we’ll never live in the moment. We’ll live in a constant state of waiting and waiting when we could actually learn how to be happy right now.
On this 5-Minute Friday, I want to help you focus on the present and give you six keys of happiness you can start implementing to find joy in every moment.
A couple of months ago, I interviewed Dr. Laurie Santos, a Psychology Professor at Yale and an expert on happiness. I’ve been spending lots of time researching and reflecting on the keys to feeling content, but Dr. Santos really gave me a life-changing prescription. If you haven’t listened to that interview yet, definitely check it out. It’s what gave me the inspiration for this 5-Minute Friday!
These six keys to happiness are simple but extremely effective. Let’s walk through each of them:
- Number 1: Spend time and energy in the right way. Get off social media. Stop worrying about perfect grades or that bigtime job. Make real connections and enjoy leisure time.
- Number 2: Express gratitude for the good things in your life (big and small). You’ll find that focusing on the positive instantly makes your day better.
- Number 3: Perform random acts of kindness. Do something special for someone else. It could be as simple as paying for someone’s drive-thru order behind you or bringing your mom flowers. Donating money to charity is also proven to improve your happiness.
- Number 4: Be mindful and practice self-awareness. Meditating for just 5-10 minutes a day makes a huge difference. Visualize your perfect day and let go of stress in the process
- Number 5: Exercise and sleep. Moving your body is essential for physical, mental, and emotional performance. And so is rest.
- Number 6: Keep a routine. Do these things every day, not just once every now and then. If you’re consistent, then happiness will become a habit and not just an occurrence.
Friends, I hope these keys empower you to find happiness in your daily life. Remember that joy is not a destination — it’s found in the process of living.
Join me on Episode 990 to learn more about the six keys of happiness!
