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Personal note

Autumn is indeed the time for quickening pulses and the sensation that something new and exciting is about to happen. Well, it is. In fact, many things are going to be happening in the next few weeks.

Next week I go to Toronto to meet with my coach, Pat Mussieux, and our Master Mind group of enthusiastic entrepreneurs.  There will be much sharing of joy, success, and skills, and I know I  will come back both exhilarated and refreshed.

The second is this: last Saturday I attended the book launch for Lori Campbell’s Awaken Your Age Potential,  for  which I have written a chapter. The launch was held in St. Paul’s big River Centre, amidst people of all ages (one was 84!) registering for a marathon. Read more below.

Build Your Happiness

The numbers of things going on in our world at any given time are too much for us to pay attention to, so we select – even if we aren’t aware of selecting.

The pattern by which you select what to attend to has been there in your mind for years; it may reach out to snag little snippets of joy or humor – or it may seek out any possible potential unpleasantness. You’ve been unwittingly setting up that pattern for years.

You can alter that selection pattern even if it s long-standing, and learn to experience more happiness and joy in your life. The mind will then actively seek that which matches the new pattern, but you have to invest in making that change, particularly if you have long held a pattern that draws negativity to it.

Christine Carter, Ph.D., of the Center for Greater Good at the University of California at Berkeley, says the following.

“The sheer number of positive emotions we experience relative to negative ones affects how happy we are generally; for that reason, excitement about future events can be a great source of positive emotions. Studies show that positive anticipation can bring us as much or more pleasure than the actual event itself.

Then, after that something fun is over, we can squeeze more happiness out of it by recalling, or savoring, our favorite parts. Simply telling a co-worker or friend about something you recently enjoyed can make you feel happier, as can expressing gratitude about it.

Take Action: Plan something fun for next week, and then do something to build excitement. For example, if you are going to a football game or play with a friend, send your friend an “I’m so excited!” email, or let yourself read a review or article about the team or event.

…. What is your favorite way to build excitement about a future event? How do you savor the good things in your life?”

You are not at the mercy of everything happens in your environment. Just make it a practice to be mindful of what you turn your thoughts to.

For more information from Christine, visit her Raising Happiness articles at http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/raising_happiness.