Friday, December 11, 2009

Be the real you...

December is here, another new year is coming. What will be your next resolution? Have you accomplished your 2009 resolutions? Don't worry if you haven't, you can always re-new you resolutions. I love making resolutions, those things can always keep me on track and do what I have to do. It's like a to-do list for a year ahead. What do you think about happiness? Is it a purpose of life or can be considered as a resolution? I think it's more into a long term life's meaning. In other words, it's the way you live your life. All of us want to be happy, that's for sure, but there are different meaning of happiness for different people. Here is an article from Jonathan Haidt I found from The Happiness-Project. I am aware that happiness might seem to be an abstract terms that often we don't really know how to do it. The article shows us how we can turn those abstract meaning into more concrete action. Here are some of those things that can enrich your soul.

1. Curiosity and Interest in the World
a.Discover new places
b. Eat something new that you never otherwise would have tried

2. Judgment, Critical Thinking and Open-Mindedness
a. Go to a multi-cultural group or event.
b. Play devil's advocate and discuss an issue from the side opposite to your personal views
c. Every day, pick something you believe strongly, and think about how you might be wrong.

3. Creativity, ingenuity and originality
a. Keep a journal, work on a picture or poem
b. Submit a piece to a literary magazine or newspaper
c. Decorate a notebook or your room

4. Social Intelligence
a. Meet one new person each day by approaching them
b. Go into a social situation in which you would normally feel uncomfortable and try to fit in
c. Whenever you talk with someone, try to figure out what his or her motives and concerns are.
d. Encounter someone by themselves and by being friendly, include them in your group
5. Perspective (Wisdom)
a. Get a quote a day online
b. Give advice to an upset friend
c. Think of the wisest person you know. Try to live each day as that person would live.
d. Look up prominent people in history and learn their views on important issues of their day and/or find a significant quotation that they said.

6. Honesty, Authenticity and Genuineness
a. Refrain from telling small, white lies, to friends (including insincere compliments). If you do tell one, admit it and apologize right away.
b. Monitor yourself and make a list of every time you tell a lie, even if it is a small one. Try to make your daily list shorter every day.
c. At the end of each day, identify something you did that was attempting to impress people, or put on a show. Resolve not to do it again.

7. Kindness and generosity
a. Leave a huge tip for a small check.
b. Do a random act of kindness every day (a simple, small favor). Make it anonymous if possible.
c. Be a listening ear to a friend. Ask them how their day was and actually listen to the answer before telling them about your own day.
d. Send an e-card to a different friend each day.
e. Pay the whole tab when you are out with friends.

8. Capacity to Love and be Loved
a. Tell boyfriend/girlfriend/sibling/parent that you love them
b. Send a loved one a card or e-card to say that you were thinking about him/her.
c. Give loved ones a big hug and a kiss
d. Write a nice note where someone you love will find it sometime during the day. Do this in a new place, or for a new person, every day.

(source from huffingtonpost - images from google, flickr and deviantart)

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