The Art of Happiness (part 2)

I was lucky enough to go to the Bloggers Brunch, hosted by Kids Business, and by good fortune, it was on the theme of the Art of Happiness...I was very excited about tracking down a few of the bloggers who I regularly visit on the web, and put some faces to the names (3 dimensional faces, at least).

The formal part of the event, the talks were on the Art of Happiness. They opened with the question: when did you last have a belly laugh? Followed up with another question: are we too busy to be happy?

It's worth thinking about that. Young children laugh about 400 times a day. Adults, if they're lucky, a couple of times a day. That is sad and something to lament. It is also something we can do something about, if we put our mind to it.

OMO had a game, where you had to dig in the dirt for 'worms'. I was reluctant to do it, even the prize, a voucher, wasn't really alluring enough to interest me in participating. I eventually agreed to do it, only to look like a good sport. Unexpectedly, it altered my mood. A simple 60 second game. The pressure of the clock ticking down releases adrenaline, in a good way. The silliness of it all made me giggle. I admit, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

As adults, we are automatically accustomed to saying no. At the start of 2013, I decided I would make that the Year of Yes. It's funny how quickly we fall back into that habit of saying no, and shutting ourselves off from fun and frivolity.

So with the New Year Resolutions pending, I am making 2015 the year of yes again, and seeking out mirth.

Next time you say no to something, pause and reconsider. You never know what it might bring. Next time you take your kids out to do something fun, don't just sit and supervise, join in. They have the secret to happiness, apparently, so surely it makes sense to do as they do?

Linking with #ThankfulThursday cos I'm thankful of this little reminder & Things I Know because I know I say No automatically too often.