Happiness is not a given. Happiness is a choice.

As a continuation of our topic about the skills of a prosperous life, another skill highlighted by Professor Richard Davidson is the ability to maintain a positive attitude. It is no secret that the sources of our positive and negative emotions are endless. The ability to focus our attention on countless events that create positive emotions, as well as actively planning events that bring positivity into our lives, are valuable skills for a happy life. What can be a source of positive emotions for us? Anything! From a cup of delicious morning coffee to your favorite hobby or an intimate conversation with a close friend. We all have our own unique recipe. It is important to be proactive in our intention to have more positive things in your life. This means consciously choosing and planning events that will be a source of positive for you. Of course, you can simply relax on the couch in front of the TV, and yet, if you buy tickets in advance and go to a concert of your favorite band or invite friends to your place, it will be more likely that you will experience fun, joy, pleasure, inspiration, etc.
Giving priority to the positivity in life has a number of positive consequences. First of all, thanks to this skill there will be more positive emotions. This, in turn, entails an increase in the overall level of satisfaction with one’s life, as well as resilience, an important skill that we will talk about later. In addition, opening the door to your life with positive emotions, you contribute to the creation of stronger social ties, whether with your family or friends. This skill also helps to reduce depression. How to develop this skill? By giving preference to the positivity through planned repetition. Make a list of what can bring you positive emotions and plan it for the whole week.
It should be noted that expectations can be a major obstacle for positive emotions. For example, when I planned my vacation in India, I had only one expectation of enjoying morning runs along the ocean. This was one of the major reasons why I choose my holiday destinations on the beach. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out upon arrival that due to the heavy storm 2 weeks before that the beach was literally washed off along the 3 villages in this area. The secret is to plan a vacation, but not to expect. The topic of expectations is very extensive. We will talk about this some other time. In the meantime, you can create a list of all the things that you do on a regular basis and mark those that usually give you positive vibes. And then plan more of these things in your life, as well as explore others that, you think, can also be resourceful for you.