2025 Theme: Happiness in YOU
We made it!
Kick 2024 to the curb like a bad habit! At CYS we don’t do resolutions….we share a theme. A theme to start the year off right and carry it for twelve whole months.
Let’s get to it!
Years ago, I stumbled across this quote that said “happiness is a thing to be practiced”. I stared at it trying to comprehend its meaning. My thoughts were “Happiness is an emotion, you don’t practice that”. The quote has stayed with me through the years as this happened at the beginning of my twenties. The more I pondered it the more I thought of other emotions.
Anger. Sadness. Jealousy.
If you overhear a cruel statement about someone you love, you have a choice. You can walk away, stand up for them, or ignore the person. Standing up for yourself can be done in many ways, respectfully or with a fiery rage. You decide what emotions you are going to display.
In that sense….. yes, happiness is a thing to be practiced.
Do you choose happiness when you win a gift card from a giveaway you entered or do you roll your eyes and show annoyance because it is not for a higher amount?
Do you practice gratitude?
I hear it often, too often….
“I can wait on my happiness.”
“I don’t need ME time.”
“My career is important, it pays my happiness.”
“I am with my boyfriend/girlfriend because they take care of me. Happiness is for kids.”
What?? No!
Life is too short to sacrifice happiness for ANYONE.
YOU deserve that day off.
YOU deserve a spa day.
YOU deserve a slushy from Sonic.
YOU deserve 5 minutes of quiet to meditate.
Waiting for your turn is over. Your turn is now.
Tips for Happiness
- Discover what makes you happy. If you don’t know, grab a piece of paper and figure it out! When was the last time you smiled? When was your last day off from adulting? What did you do? Write it down! You will soon discover the happiness waiting to be unburied by deadlines and No’s.
- Schedule it! I am guilty of this. I enjoy meditating, but I have not meditated in months. I meditated yesterday, and it was the calm/peace/joy that I needed. That phone in your hand has a nifty calendar, set an alarm for your slice of happiness.
- Boundaries. Someone or something will pop up and before you sacrifice your joy….DON’T! My meditation takes 10 minutes. Whatever someone needs can wait. I promise. If it is an emergency once you fix it, guess what? It is your happiness time. Sacrificing your joy will not improve your life.
I am excitedly looking forward to this year’s theme and sharing this happiness journey with our sisterhood. What did you learn about yourself? Anything new?
