Did happiness come easier as a child?

Dear Friends,

As I sit at the lake and contemplate life (in addition to reading lots of novels — I’ve listed a few favorites below), I notice how much more I need to practice happiness now compared to when I was young.

I remember feeling good about so many things when I was a kid. My mom’s french toast (equal parts eggs and sour cream in the blender then soak the french bread and fry on the electric griddle), Saturday morning cartoons, the shapes of clouds, and so much more. Over time, it’s like our happiness receptors get dulled and we have to remember to be happy. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this the practice of generating joy.

That fresh and delightful joy of childhood is still available to us, but we need to practice reminding ourselves how lucky we are, how wonderful this moment is, how delicious this cup of Oolong tea. Much of our life can rush by without any moments of remembering.

Thich Nhat Hanh offers five practices for generating joy that I’ve condensed here. I hope you find them helpful.

1. Let go of our ideas of happiness in order to be open to happiness however it shows up.

2. Invite in positive moments by noticing and highlighting them in our awareness.

3. Practice being mindful by noticing our breathing while we walk or sit, or in any moment.

4. Practice concentration, paying attention to one pleasant thing (like our breathing or our favorite tree) for longer periods.

5. Remind ourselves how differently things could have been in this moment, and that we are lucky to have whatever we have. As my mom always said, “It could be worse.”

Let me know how your generating joy practice goes. And look for a new 4-week class I am offering at Circle Yoga this fall.