I have a short two part happiness challenge you can take if you want to? It will take about two minutes, and no one will know the results except for you. Sound like something you want to try?

Ready?

Find a piece of paper and something to write with, or open up notepad or whatever you use to write notes with on your computer.

Without thinking about it, start writing or typing words and short phrases you think describe happiness in your life that have meaning to you.

Pause for a few seconds when you are done. Use the backside of your piece of paper, or open a new notepad while leaving your first notepad open. If you do not know how to do that, hit return seven or eight times so you have a new space to type on.

Now think of the happiest person or people you know. Start writing or typing words or phrases to describe them, pretend you are telling someone else about them.

When you are done, compare your phrases and words. How do the words and phrases you use to describe yourself compare to the words and phrases you use to describe your happy person?

Are they the same type of words, or are they distinct and different? Can you tell what words describe you and what words are describing your happy person?

Did you use words and phrases such as: content, happy, filled with joy, peaceful, or friendly to describe those really happy people you know?

Did you use words, such as: worried, bored, anxious, lost, empty, or wondering, to describe yourself?

Perhaps you used a mix of words that move back and forth across an imaginary happiness line?

If the words you use to describe yourself are not similar to the words you used to describe the happy person(s), how are they different?

Happiness does not happen on its own. Happiness needs help to take root and thrive in your life. You can make happiness happen if you want to.

Pause and reflect and decide if you want to make a happiness change in your life? Some people really do not want to make changes in their lives even though they talk about it.

If you want to make a change to bring more happiness in your life, start using those words and phrases you used to describe the happiest person you know to describe you.

Tell yourself at every opportunity, how happy you are. Using the happiness defining words you used to describe your happy person to validate yourself.

You should do this many times a day, at least every hour for the first days, until you start to believe it. It is very important to do this when you first wake up, and before you go to sleep.

When you meet someone new, or see someone you have not seen in a while, let them know you are a happy person, and you like people. Use some of your new words on them when you talk about yourself. It will feel funny at first, but you will get over it quickly and it will start to be a conversation ice breaker before you realize it.

Change does not happen over night, but if you keep at it you will wake one morning and you will be the happiest person you know!