Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! On the 20th of each month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more who join the #HappyActs movement, the more positive impact we'll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters!
September’s theme is resilience. The ability to bounce back after a setback through grit and determination can help us achieve our goals. This sense of accomplishment can increase joy, connection and well-being.
It’s important to understand the “why” of goal setting for it to be successful, says strategist Jan Stanley. “The thing that encourages us to set goals is that we see some gap in our lives,” Jan says. The first key is making sure your goals and values align and then to make step-by-step implementation of that goal part of your daily routine.
Following that advice, our September 20 Happy Act is to set a positive goal for yourself, whether it’s preparing for a 5K race or half-marathon, taking on a new challenge at work or finishing that house project that’s been dragging on for months.
Meet our Happy Activist of the month, Chris Libby, Live Happy’s magazine and digital editor. “Realizing that the power to achieve is within my control is empowering, something I hope you will realize as well as you set out on your own goal-setting journey,” Chris says.
3 Habits to Boost Resilience
According to authors Michaela Haas (Bouncing Forward: Transforming Bad Breaks into Breakthroughs) and Jim Rendon (Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth), these three daily habits can help you cultivate courage and resilience in the face of adversity.
Meditate
Spend 12 minutes every morning and every evening meditating. Meditation, Michaela says, trains us in regulating stress and calming fear, the very skills we need to confront and recover from adversity.
Appreciate
Cultivate a practice of gratitude and appreciation. Every day, write down three things you are grateful for; jot down the first three things that come to mind. If your default position is to focus on the gifts in your life, you’ll find it easier to keep your spirits uplifted and move on to what needs to be done.
Connect
Research shows that connection with other people is a key predictor of growth after a traumatic event, Jim says. Even online communities help trauma survivors of all kinds feel more optimistic, confident and empowered.
