How do you get happy?

Happy New Year everyone!

And now, for the money-making question: How do you get happy

Here at S.A.G.E., we follow our four tenants to be happy:

Stillness: Taking a moment to do nothing but be still and quiet, appreciate all our bodies do for us and giving ourselves a moment to breathe.

Awareness: Being aware of how we are feeling every day, do we need to it easy that day, or do we feel we can tackle more.

Guidance: Asking for help. Sometimes this can be the hardest to do because we don’t want to admit we need help, but often the strongest people are those who seek the guidance they need.

Education: Becoming more informed on what works for us and what doesn’t, learning how to let go of negative things and embrace the positive ones.

Happy! We often see this word everywhere, on stickers, clothing, media. It gets talked about a lot, but it seems to have a slightly different meaning for everyone. These days, it seems everyone has perfected idea for being happy: workout, journal, nap, use, XYZ app, etc. The interesting thing is what may work for one, may not work for another person. Happiness can be a long journey to discover what works for every individual. 

For some, the warm sunshine covers them in a sense of happiness; for others, the chilly mountain air can make them tingly and elated. Perhaps for you, it is hearing a baby giggle or the smell of a new book. Whatever it is, we should strive for that feeling everyday by doing our favorite things. 

With the New Year just begun, people are setting goals and resolutions for 2020. Some of the goals or resolutions may include get healthier, be more organized, travel more, etc. An equally important goal we should make for the new year, and for the new decade, is be happy. There have been several trials and tribulations for many of us but look at us now. We have persevered and will keep on doing so through the small things that bring us happiness. 

Making resolutions plays a vital role in being happy because it gives us something to work towards and feel the amazing sense of triumph when we have accomplished said goals. However, it is just as important for us to set and embrace attainable goals, so we do not set ourselves up for failure. Say we set a goal of, by the end of the year, I will be able to build a house with my own bare hands. Without having the proper training or background for it, we would be setting ourselves up for a hard failure because we wouldn’t even know where to begin. Similarly, we must first set a foundation for a goal and work towards in small, achievable tasks. We could begin by learning what tools are needed for said goal, as well as how much time and energy it would take to get there.

Completing those tasks would motivate us to keep moving forward because we will feel good about completing them. 

Energy is a key part of being happy. Take a moment every day to check in with yourself: how are you feeling, how are your energy levels? Are you feeling overwhelmed, overworked, underappreciated, unmotivated, restless? Listen to your body and it will tell you what it needs for you to be well and happy. Let go of negative energy and welcome in the positive energy instead. Accept you may not be able to change the world or how others around you feel BUT you can notice how you feel in the moment and every moment after and that is good enough. It is tempting to want to give so much of our energy, our time, our happiness to others. In order to do so, we must first take care of ourselves. This year, we ask you to focus primarily on your mental and physical health and let yourself be happy because we believe that this opens the door to lots more caring for others in the end.

People can provide endless amounts of recommendations for ways to be happy but at the end of the day, it comes down to you exploring what works best for you. We are here to help you do JUST that. Come on by!

With love and happiness, 

S.A.G.E. 

Stillness|Awareness|Guidance|Education

“True happiness consists in making happy.”

Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya, Hindu