How long did I actually feel happy today?

I find myself overwhelmed with happiness every single time I look at my baby boy... honestly, nothing else in my life has ever quite compared to that feeling of pure, unadulterated joy. There’s just something about looking into his eyes or hearing that little laugh when he wakes up in the morning that makes everything else fade away. 😍

mistybison said:Kids certainly have less developed minds than us adults, but we originated from those same children. In a child’s behavior—provided they are growing up in a healthy, normal environment—joy is the dominant emotion, while fear or sadness only appears rarely and for specific reasons before quickly passing. Children are mostly positive, curious, and enchanted by the world they are discovering, staying completely occupied with play. They also frequently experience massive bursts of energy that drive them to jump, run, and laugh...

If our minds have evolved to become aware of a wide spectrum of experiences and feelings and have "matured," we don't necessarily have to lose that fundamental zest for life that actually keeps us going. I believe an adult can reconnect with that source of energy too. If we have fallen into the habit of taking ourselves and everything around us too seriously—constantly seeking reasons and explanations for every thought, feeling, or event—we can just as easily train ourselves to be a bit more lighthearted, to play more, and to simply enjoy the sensation of being alive. Humans are creatures of habit. We clutter our minds with negative ideas and images, keeping ourselves in a state of anxiety and fear, and then wonder why we are constantly nervous or moody, viewing life as a valley of sorrow that we just have to endure.

Of course, one cannot burst with joy all the time; it is perfectly natural to experience opposite emotional states. After all, every emotion we feel serves a purpose. However, we can do our best to let positive states of mind dominate. If we go to sleep every night with beautiful thoughts and make those the first things we think of when we wake up, we eventually train ourselves to think positively and feel good. This state begins to repeat throughout the day—initially through effort, but later becoming increasingly spontaneous.

For instance, this morning, I was hit by such a surge of joy that I spent about ten seconds jumping in place, waving my arms, and laughing just like a kid would. 😁 I simply didn't know what to do with all that energy. I can imagine what any given adult might think of my behavior. 😁 They would probably be taken aback, telling me I am acting silly or immature and that something must be wrong with me. They might even try to lecture me on all my problems and why I should be worrying instead of acting foolish. 😁 Yet, that same person would consider it perfectly normal to spend those ten seconds crying and wailing over a sad fate or listing various disappointments and worries. That would be seen as mature and acceptable behavior. That is how we all program ourselves for unhappiness, and since we are surrounded by people with similar attitudes, we eventually become unhappy ourselves, making outbursts of joyful energy seem strange and rare.

I really wish I could've been there to see you caught up in all that happiness😁 in your room 😍you seem like such a fascinating person😉

My daughter actually recorded some of our favorite songs onto my iPod for me. Between that and getting the house all tidied up and dinner on the table, I’ve just been sitting here with a huge smile on my face. There’s something about working on our little nest together—just me and my girl—that really hits home. It honestly made my day, especially knowing I’ll have our music playing in my ears while I'm waiting for the bus to head into work tomorrow. 🙂