The Happ-Y-ness Factor News — 1
The Happ-Y-ness Factor News brings lifestyle tips on how to increase the happiness factor in our lives with joy and fun.
Be sure to subscribe, share and enjoy! The Y in Happ-Y-ness represents You!
From an early age, we are told that our personal goals (however we might define them) begins with our mindset. This is a complex area we will explore in each issue. Since the Happ-Y-ness Factor News focuses on how to increase happiness within our lives, I want to briefly look at the psychology of happiness. As we explore this, I will provide resources for you to read, view and absorb.
I love what was shared in the attached link, ‘Happiness is not the result of bouncing from one joy to the next; researchers find that achieving happiness typically involves times of considerable discomfort. Genetic makeup, life circumstances, achievements, marital status, social relationships, even your neighbors — all influence how happy you are.”
So, if that is the case, how do we do find happiness???
Each edition of this newsletter will look at happiness from the perspective of the globe to individual countries to communities to individuals….
Even the United Nation is looking at happiness and its existence around the globe. The United Nation’s publishes a World Happiness Report to look at how happy people are within different countries around the globe.
The 10th edition of the World Happiness Report 2022 was released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The report placed a total of 146 countries on its list. For the fifth year in a row, Finland has been ranked highest in the 2022 World Happiness Report. Afghanistan is the unhappiest country in the world, coming in at number 146.
The World Happiness Report, which has been published since 2012, is founded on two main principles:
- Identifying key elements that determine well-being and life evaluation across countries.
- Happiness or life evaluation measured through opinion surveys.
We will look at more details within this report in a later edition…
What about individual countries? Are they looking at happiness of their citizens and incorporating happiness into a political equation??? The first country we will explore is… Bhutan….
As a traveler, I have heard about Bhutan. I have not yet visited. I was intrigued when I learned that Bhutan focuses on the concept of the Gross National Happiness of its citizens.
Shared by the Bhutan’s website…The concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) was promulgated by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan in the early 1970s. When His Majesty spoke about GNH at the time, he questioned the prevailing measurement system that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone could deliver happiness and well-being to society. He was still a teenage monarch... His Majesty firmly believed that happiness is an indicator, and a sign of progressive development for the Bhutanese people. He also believed in the legitimacy of public discussion in defining Bhutan’s development goals.
In addition, Bhutan’s ancient legal code of 1629 stated that, “if the government cannot create happiness for its people, then there is no purpose for government to exist”. The code stressed that Bhutanese laws must promote happiness for all sentient beings — as a Buddhist nation, it is clear that the cultivation of compassion stemmed from this ancient wisdom. That the focus was not just the economic progress of Bhutan, but of a flourishing human society living in harmony with nature. Today there is a lot of research that shows that wealth alone does not contribute to life satisfaction or happiness. GNH measures the quality of its development in a more holistic way and believes that the beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occurs side by side. Bhutan has been considered a living example by many for sparking the debate on what is real human development
Four decades later, Bhutan embraced democracy in 2008, wherein the Constitution of Bhutan, Article 9 further ensured the inclusion and continuity of GNH values by defining duties such as: “The State shall strive to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross National Happiness.” Therefore, Bhutan ensures enabling conditions for happiness to be the sole purpose of its development. Over the years, GNH has evolved from a noble aspiration into a more quantifiable tool, partly in response to the unexpected global attention it has garnered.
Today, it is technically defined as a “multidimensional development approach seeking to achieve a harmonious balance between material well-being and the spiritual, emotional and cultural needs of society.” The keywords being harmonious balance — that may be achieved by balancing the needs of the body with those of the mind.
If you decide to visit Bhutan, please connect with me so I can help you with your travel plans by emailing me at jcooperstravels@gmail.com. If you would like to enjoy photographs about Bhutan visit the following links:
As I researched the definition of happiness to share with you, I found different categorizations from the stages of happiness to the keys of happiness to what contributes to happiness to the elements of happiness to the strategies of happiness.
According to Aristotle, there are 4 levels of happiness from happiness from material objects to being admired to doing good for others to connecting to the larger universe.
One article I read shared there are 5 stages of happiness that change based on our age…. from Discovery to Pursuit to Balance to Meaning to Savoring .. Jennifer Aakar’s video on The Happiness Narrative shares how happiness can change based on your age. Don’t leave the blog entirely but enjoy watching for 5 minutes to see how her thoughts can help your journey.
Another article spoke about the daily habits we can all incorporate to support our daily happiness. Some of the 27 habits shared include smiling more, exercising more, getting enough sleep, eating with mood in mind, practicing gratitude, giving a compliments, breathing deeply, to include acknowledging the unhappy moments (since they contribute to our appreciation of our being happy).
So now what….
Positive Mindset Affirmation #1- Let’s….
Let’s be as delicate as a butterfly.
Let’s fly as lightly as air carries us.
Let’s gently touch everywhere we land.
Let’s understand the power within us to create our own happiness.
We all know we need to exercise more… I am not alone in this area… I have decided in 2023 to trick myself into exercising more… These are the ways I will be doing this… I will keep you posted on my successes and failures… let me know if you have tips as well…
Trick #1: My Lunch Break
I will use my lunch break to do a 15- or 20-minute workout routine. This routine can include walking for 1 mile (inside if the weather is not comfortable), bodyweight exercises, burpees, squats, lunges, or crunches. I saw this tip and others at this article on quick exercise tips.
Trick #2: Incorporate Desk Exercises
Although I walk daily, I am also at my desk for about half of my work day. I researched ways to incorporate exercise at my desk and found 25 different ways. My goal is to add at least one of these to my daily routines each week so I can change my routine. Which exercise will you incorporate into your desk exercises?
Trick #3: Drink More Water
I know I don’t drink enough water. I found another article that had daily tips and this was the tip I decided to take away and incorporate. Hydration helps reduce aging and helps with detox.
Trick #4: Create A Sleep Routine
I know I function better when I get a certain number of hours of sleep. I don’t always achieve my goal. However this year I decided I would be consistent with my sleep. Each one of you has a different individual and family need. Look at your calendar and see how you can add 30 more minutes of sleep daily. As you find that you have achieved this goal, you can add 15 more minutes until you have achieved what you think you might need. I find doing goals in bite size amounts is more achievable than just jumping in feet first.
This link shares tips from successful business people on how to create a sleep routine.
JCooperTravels Talk Show Episodes…
A few years ago I decided to incorporate more wellness products into my daily diet. On JCooperTravels Talk Show, I interviewed individuals about diet, nutrition, meditation, exercise and more.
In this episode I speak with an expert on how sugar can impact your health:
In case you would like information on how I have maintained my energy and incorporate more wellness products into my daily routine, click on this link or email me at jcoopertravels@gmail.com so I can share other tips not posted here.
I have so many topics I wanted to chat about under this category. It was difficult to select…
I decided we should chat about staycations… During the pandemic we became familiar with this term… I think we need to revisit…. Our homes create the safe space we need to navigate our life outside. Sometimes we need to find a special place even within our home if we are living with many people to help with maintaining and finding our inner balance and energy.
For those who know me, they will laugh at the two areas I decided to do this year to help with my staycations… 1) De-clutter and 2) De-List.
Let me explain…
- De-clutter…. Because I believe in the philosophy of re-use, re-cycle and re-duce, I have kept many items in my basement for YEARS. I am also a fan of the Antique Road Show and I am always thinking…what if I throw something away that will be worth something later…LOL — Not this year!!! I have decided that once a week, I will reorganize a small area of my home (closet, drawer, room) and either gift items, donate items, or recycle items I am not using. Many of the tips I just shared can also be found here for you to explore… This tip helps with my physical environment.
- De-List — As an entrepreneur, I make lists. I love lists. Lists help me remember things I cannot remember in my head, events I need to attend, people I need to call, and places I want to travel. My lists go on forever! However, I am finding I keep remaking my lists. So this year I am using my Rocketbook tools to help me with my lists since I can electronically save, upload, erase and incorporate into every aspect of my life. I share with you to explore so you can see if this will help your personal and professional life. This tip helps with my internal environment (my mind). If I can keep my mind de-cluttered I can find more peace and calm.
How Do We Give To Others?
In addition to where we live, let’s chat briefly about how we live and who we help. I have found by giving back in the community I personally have benefited.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, helping others actually can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and live a longer life span. According to the article, when you help someone or give a gift, your brain secretes “feel good” chemicals such as:
- Serotonin (which regulates your mood).
- Dopamine (which gives you a sense of pleasure).
- Oxytocin (which creates a sense of connection with others).
If you are not sure how to get started volunteering, the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday is an official day of service and celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Visit the Americorp link to find a charity or organization in your area who might be seeking volunteers on this day of service as well as throughout the year. I have volunteered for a number of charities as well as being a former Americorp service alum, so I can appreciate how much our charities need support and the fun it is to help others.
Another Way To Give To Others…
- Personalized Individual Gifts…
If you want to give a truly personalized gifts, listen to my chat with Pamela Tomlin. I recently went to the Annapolis Boating Show, met Pamela and discovered this one of a kind gift for family and friends. If you know of a way to personalize a gift, message me so I can share here as well.
2. Personalized Family Gifts…
What better gift to give your family (and yourself) is to organize your personal paperwork to include financial paperwork, wills and estate information. We often want to ignore this until we cannot. Each time I travel, I always make sure that my finance box is up to date and my designated house watcher knows where the important papers and information can be found.
Is your will up to date?
Each January, I look at my will to make sure all the information is current. You no longer need to pay an hourly rate to create a will. Within this flat rate monthly legal consulting package, your annual update is always included. The benefits also include access to a national network of recognized law firms for consulting, ongoing legal consultations, contract review, traffic violation support, and so much more. As many of you know, I am an attorney. Despite my being an attorney, I also use this legal service since I personally dislike paying legal hourly rates and the national network of law firms are excellent!
If you are dabbling on the blockchain, with Bitcoin, Altcoins, NFTs, or any other digital products, please message me (jcoopersolutions@gmail.com) since the organization of your information for your attorney, accountant and family can be even more intricate for your will and estate.
If you are thinking about donating your cryptocurrency, digital assets, or NFTs, to a charity and are not sure if your charity can accept your gift, please also message me and refer to the book I co-wrote with Patrina Pelton-Smith, How To Use Digital Assets To Fundraise For Your Non-Profit.
There is so much more I would like to share… I will save for our next newsletter…Continue to message me with your questions and comments..
Happy travels… As I always share at the end of my talk shows… Be kind to yourself…Be kind to others.. We are all connected… We are all in one world..
Much love & support.. Until our next month..
Jacqui (Aka CryptoMom2)
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