Think Happy to Stay Happy. Becca Anderson

to Do in This Life?

       The Virtues of Kindness, Generosity, Patience, and Hope

       Just Say Yes

       Don’t Just Go Through It, Grow Through It

       Rewire Your Brain to Be More Positive

       Remember to Be Kind to Yourself, Too

       Be of Good Cheer

       Be Happy For Others (and Let Them Know It!)

       Simply Reframe Your Perceptions

       Find Joy in Gratitude

       Actions Really Are Louder Than Words

       Weed Negativity Out of Your Mind (and Out of Your Life)

       Love Notes

       Make New Happy Memories

       Reach Out

       The Happiness Plan

       When Was the Last Time You Were a Good Samaritan?

       Make a Difference in the World

       Say My Name

       Self-Care Is a Divine Responsibility

       Check In with Your Friends

       Seek Out the Shy

       Think Globally

       Shower the People You Love with Love

       Naps Make Us Happy

       Share the Positive

       Teach What You Know

       The Little Things in Life

       Make Furry Friends

       Be a Kid for a Day

       Pass On the Pleasure of Reading

       Go Ahead and Make Someone’s Day

       Offer Unconditional Positive Regard

       Conclusion: Your Guide to Glad Days

       DIY Affirmation Journaling Pages

       About the Author

       Foreword

      Choose happiness. This is your life: only you can truly control your choices, and choosing happiness is the best way to achieve being the best you that you can be. Here are some suggestions for how you can ensure happiness in your life:

       Be the best you can be by your own standards.

       Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make you feel good.

       Focus on what you have, not on what you lack.

       Remember: optimism trumps pessimism.

       Smile often and genuinely.

       Be honest…to yourself and to others.

       Help others.

       Embrace your past, live in the present, and look forward to what is yet to come.

       Introduction: Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life

      We all need reminders now and then. You don’t leap out of bed every day, knowing you are amazing and about to have an incredible day. All of us have a lot of demands, pressures, to-do lists, and responsibilities, so we find ourselves rushing around and working hard to please others. Most of the time, you find yourself at the back of your own bus, having made everyone else happy but your own darn self. Then you go and beat yourself up about it.

      Let’s stop that, shall we?

      I’m here to remind you that you are pretty darn great. I had to learn to remind myself of that, but you know what? It feels pretty darn good. It is even kind of addictive, in the best possible way. While this might seem like a fluffy little exercise, it actually runs quite deep and will serve you the rest of your life. There are reasons we need esteem boosters here and there: we pick up scars along the way and get bumps and bruises in the wake of daily life. If you had a bad childhood, you have these old “tapes” from poor parenting that loop around in your brain on an unconscious level, saying: “You’ll never amount to anything. You’re not good at sports. Your sister has a much better singing voice than you, so we’re sending her to music camp and you can stay behind and babysit.” Even really nice moms and dads perpetrate parenting errors that leave marks on the souls of their children.

      If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and drained by the busyness of life and its oh-so-many demands, you need to stop in your tracks and do an attitude adjustment—or more specifically, a “gratitude adjustment.” Whenever you have gotten to this point, you need some “me-TLC” and a dose of radical self-care. Chances are, your very wonderfulness might have led you to give and give and give some more. Now,