Do you believe that you cannot change your own happiness levels? We often get told that some people are just naturally happy. That it's almost a way you've been born or a gene in our body that we either have or lack, but this is simply untrue. We all have the ability to elevate our own happiness levels, and the more we work at this kind of practice the more we are resilient to negative events in our lives.
Is the happiest person in your life someone who "has it all", very well off, or someone who's life has never been touched by sadness? I'm going to bet they aren't. I've met happy people from all walks of life. Some of them even from lives that I would describe as quite difficult.
What is common amongst them is how they put in the time and effort to refill their happiness tanks; they engage socially, attend to their sleep, move their bodies/exercise, enjoy nature, or eat well. And you'll notice these activities are not tied to wealth or even a large time constraint. There are ways to do each of these things with little money and even little time, but the benefit is HUGE. Maintaining our wellness through these areas can increase our base happiness level by (approximately) 10%. And, even more amazing, it creates a reserve for us to lean on when times are tough. People who tend to their happiness in an active way are more resilient in the face of dark times.
If we think about it, having an empty happiness bucket means that when a fire starts there's nothing there to put it out. Take a moment today to consider what you could do to start filling your bucket and setting yourself on the path to greater happiness.