Tips from a happiness coach: Change your perception and let go of assumptions

Masterfile

Fear can be paralyzing – whether you're contemplating leaving an unfulfilling job for a riskier, yet more exciting venture or you’re on top of a bridge about to bungee jump off, fear can hinder us from action. And it can also be a hurdle in trying to achieve happiness believes Andrea Evans, a Boca Raton, Florida-based happiness coach with SpreadHappy and radio host of The Happy Hour. Here Evans shares more on how to move past fear to embrace happiness.

Q: Why is happiness such a popular topic these days?
A: We’ve been kicked in the butt as a culture and people don’t know where else to turn. They are losing the things that they thought brought them happiness, which they thought added value to their lives. Our culture puts a lot of definition on buying things: if I go on that trip or buy that car I’ll be happy. And when we lose those things, people have no other choice but to examine their spirituality and examine what really brings them happiness. Happiness is also ultimately what you want for your loved ones. What is it that you say you want for your kids, your parents, your friends? You want them to be happy.

Q: So what hinders or decreases our happiness?
A: Fear. From our past experiences, we assume what has happened in the past is our future. Let's say we had a bad experience with a past boss, and we move to a new job with a boss who reminds us of that person, we assume that we'll have similarly bad experiences. And that assumption that it's going to be a negative experience creates it. Your perception is your reality. So if you perceive the world as a negative place, the world will mirror that back to you. This especially resonates in our fear-based culture. We’ve got this fear looming in us; Will we lose our jobs? Will I get sick? Will our loved ones get sick? Will there be war? And that blocks our happiness.

Q: So what are some of the ways we can boost our happiness?
A: First, forgiveness. We hold ourselves back from the greatest gift in life by holding on to grudges.
We should also work on getting back our childlike enthusiasm and let go of assumptions – walk outside and say, "Amazing things will happen to me today if I let it." Happiness is the key to life. It's feeling joy and constantly living it.

Check out Andrea Evan’s blog for more tips on how to increase your happiness.

Want more happiness news? Follow me on Twitter @AstridVanDenB