Are you ready?

Close your eyes.

Count to 3.  One….two….three…..

There is no such thing as happiness! Wait? What? 

Surprise!

You have happy days and sad days.  Happy moments and sad moments.  There’s no: 

Happiness forever spot.  

It is all relative and it’s also, all up to you.

We make ourselves feel sad because we think we are doing something wrong if we don’t always feel happy.  And then we hide so others won’t know, which only makes it worse.

Feeling happiness is the emotional expression of your current experience of your life.  When you recognize you aren’t expressing or experiencing happiness, it can show you that you aren’t feeding your soul, your spirit, and your joy.  And we all need to.  But remember, you also GET to!

Sometimes it’s waaaaaaay easier than others.  And sometimes it’s much harder.  Remember, we don’t get to choose everything that happens to us.  But we can decide what we will do.  And in those tougher times it’s extra important to ask yourself: 

What used to bring me joy?

What used to make me smile?

What did you love as a little child?

Painting? Swinging? Baking? Running? Playing Dress up? Riding your bike?  Making a fort?

Do it now.  Let it feel silly, goofy, childish because a huge part of feeling happiness and feeling joy is when we tap into our little child who’s bored, ignored, or just plain sad.  You know it when you feel it.  And maybe someone will come and help you cheer up.  But you can help yourself right now too!

So give yourself a hug.  A high five. And Play.

Let yourself play!  And after a few times, a few dress ups or swing pumps, or maybe even immediately, you will start to feel a little different.  You will start to feel something other than what has recently been feeling bad, once again.  And that’s the key.  Let yourself change.  Keep letting yourself DAILY cultivate hope, fun, and joy.

Let little you play.

You get to decide!  You get to help yourself feel better.

Will you let yourself enjoy life a little bit more right now?

Oh please share with me!  How did you play?

Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT

Dr. Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT helps people recognize the power of communication.  It is one of our most important skills that we have, and yet we don’t consider our understanding, approach, belief, and therefore, miss our possibilities.  Living with a paranoid schizophrenic mother gave Dr. Heather a unique and powerful awareness that no one has the same reality, though we believe we do.  Utilizing this revolutionary awareness has allowed her to transform communication within self and within all other types of relationship.  This is the hidden key to acceptance.  And this is her mission to share.

As a relationship expert, Dr. Heather Browne has worked with thousands of individuals and couples in psychotherapy.  She is a TedX Speaker and Keynote Speaker. Her couple’s communication book will be out 1/24. She is published in hundreds of journals, has an active YouTube channel, has been featured on ABC-7 news, was the relationship expert on KDOC Daybreak OC, and is published in Inc., Toronto Sun, Thriving Family Magazine,  Light + Life, BRAINZ, Scary Mommy, and Psychology Today.  She is a regular guest blogger for both Links for Shrinks and for Marriage Friendly Therapists. She offers a weekly newsletter packed with tips and techniques to improve relationships and has monthly workshops! Simply go to her website!
https://www.drheatherbrowne.com/