Strap in for 2012 With a Happiness Seatbelt from Dr. Aymee

Gratitude is the gateway to happiness so this 21-day challenge focuses on that gateway. You can read the full story here: http://www.happywivesclub.com/daily-blog-happy-wiv...

Step #1: Reclaim the Pollyanna Hat. http://bit.ly/wNY4Ld

I'm going to greet each day with a smile, no matter what. I am going to commit to taking each day, one at a time, and live it to the fullest, setting aside time each day for myself to reflect and to decompress. I tend to stretch myself thin, so taking a step back each day to do something for myself, be it just 15 minutes.

I am getting happy by first thinking and doing some processing about what really makes me happy, and I am learning something new that focuses more on me and less on what makes others happy.

Read the full post at:http://missybabble.blogspot.com/2012/01/getting-ha...

Trying hard to live in the moment is definitely something I'm going to work on more in 2012. I also want to find ways to serve others more often. In my experience, helping others or finding a way to bring a blessing, even a small one, to someone's life helps me be happy.

Read the full post here: http://cleaninguptheclutter.blogspot.com/2012/01/h...

HOW WILL I PURSUE HAPPINESS IN 2012? To approach life like you would a HOPE CHEST: The storage closet is already there, I just have to be willing to fill it with happiness, one gift at a time.

MY FULL POST ON THIS IS AT: http://www.crustybeef.blogspot.com/2012/01/hope-ch...

Drink more Vitamin Water.Just kidding...sort of. You can read my complete answer at http://bit.ly/zbmh3t.

I lost my brother unexpectedly in early December. He was only 49. His death has been a reminder to me how important it is to make sure I spend time doing the things I love and being with the people I love. Sometimes, especially during this time of loss, especially during the long dark of winter, it takes self-discipline to make sure those moments happen. I've expanded on this in my post at http://www.barnmaven.com/2012/01/where-happy-lives...

I think you're exactly right- the best way to create happiness is just to live in the moment. I think we could relieve so much stress if we would just cut out all the worrying we do about the future. Let's make 2012 about 2012!

It's funny that we have to work at being happy. You'd think that would be our natural state!

This is a big issue in my house. My daughter gets frustrated by little things very easily so I'm teaching her to be more flexible. I also try to model this behavior whenever I can. I tell her (and myself) repeatedly that why you're more flexible about frustrating situations, you're a much happier person. It's like that old saying goes: "Don't sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff!)."

This year, I'm really going to try to work on this attitude more because I think it really makes a difference between being an unhappy person and a happy one!

Wish me luck!

Ah, it's ironic because I literally JUST posted a very looong blog post about the theme or intention that I hope to build on and focus on in 2012. I used to be a very spiritual woman, but after I had children I really lost all connection I had to my spiritual side. I think I just didn't have time for it any more.

A friend of ours died right after Thanksgiving and her death really hit me hard. All through the Christmas holiday I grieved (very privately, as I didn't want to burden my young children with it) for her. As the new year dawned and opened up for us, I knew I needed to find a way out of my downer mode. I realized one of the reasons I was having such a hard time dealing with my friend's death was because I have totally lost all touch with my spiritual side, with the faith I used to have in a greater world outside of the here and now.

Anyhoo, I have made a pact with myself to do some soul searching and really try to open myself up again to a more spiritual life. I know that doesn't necessarily answer the specific question posed here, but that is one way I hope to create true happiness and depth in my life this coming year, and hopefully forever.

What an excellent idea, this Happiness Seatbelt! This resonates for me because:

(a) My dad said over and over again when I was growing up (borrowed from Abe Lincoln) that "People are about as happy as they decide to be." At this stage of my life I am finally able to see happiness as a choice.

(b) I encourage myself and others, through Perfect Moment Mondays (http://writemindopenheart.com/category/perfect-mom..., to make a moment perfect simply by noticing it. It makes me happy to notice and write about my own perfect moment, and then again to read perfect moments of others.

There is a third way I aim to bring about happiness. Rather than using laws of contraction (where I would draw what I want TO me), I now meditate regularly and use the laws of expansion to create my life: I remember that I already am all that I seek. Doing so keeps me in a place of abundance and connectedness.

Seeing happiness as a choice, being mindful of the present moment, and remembering that I already am all that I seek have helped me to manifest some amazing blessings. My husband and my two full-of-life children (who came to us after a devastating experience with infertility) are at the top of that list :-)

Thank you for reminding me to buckle up in 2012, whether I'm in a car or not.

I love what you have to say about living in the moment. It is so important to appreciate the here and now. I plan to create happiness in 2012 is by addressing my biggest happiness killer. Self Doubt! I have the capability in a very short time to turn the smallest of things into a major, scary, very bad thing. It is a talent! Try not to be jealous. At the end of 2011 I started to think about a word, or phrase, that would carry me through 2012. What would my theme of the year be? What mountain would climb? What could I learn? A few days ago after leaving my student teaching classroom it kind of hit me. Be Brave! Happiness is found in our challenges. Happiness is found in our ability to accomplish hard things. Happiness is knowing at the end of the day we did good. Happiness is created when we cheerfully challenge ourselves to be better!

I have given this question much thought over the past couple of days. How do I plan to create happiness for yourself in 2012? First of all I do not believe in New Year's Resolution, I believe in "lifetime resolutions". I am a pretty happy person generally speaking, and I believe that is because I have arrived at a place in my life where I am quite comfortable with who I am and what I stand for. Now don't get me wrong, of course I have things in my life that are difficult, and frustrating and sad, but I think that is what life is about. I would not want to be in a perpetual state of bliss. I think getting through a struggle in life can bring happiness when you reach the other side of the struggle. Accomplishment, relief, joy come with overcoming an obstacle. What I plan to do to increase my happiness for 2012 is to be more present in each moment. Rather than only halfway listening to something someone is telling me, I want to stop, give them my full attention and be present. I think being more present with each person I encounter and with each experience will heighten the experiences I have and make them more enjoyable. I also want to be more involved with my mother, children and my partner. After all, my family are at the core of my happiness. That is how I plane to create happiness for myself this year.

What a great, simple in-the-moment plan for practicing being present. I've built up some pretty bad habits of never being in the moment (like much of the rest of the world!), and the message that living in the moment requires practice keeps coming at me left and right! Guess the universe is trying to tell me something. :)

I actually had been giving this sort of question a lot of thought even before receiving it and even before the new year began.

Isn’t creating happiness what we all want?

Forget those new year resolutions we all make each and every year: Lose Weight; Workout Daily; Eat Healthier; Spend More Time Being Creative, etc.

Those are all good “lifetime” goals, but let’s make this year different. I know I want to live with more peace, joy and definitely more happiness right now!

Over the past few months I've been working with a mantra aimed at bringing myself more peace and happiness. I call it my loving kindness mantra. Basically, I try to reframe all those negative thoughts I can create about myself (if you’re like me, then you know we can be our own harshest critic) and instead, I work on creating an appreciation of what I am right now, in this moment not what I hope to be (or change into) "someday".

All it takes is catching yourself making a negative statement and then reframing it.

For example, I tend to complain a lot about never having enough time for "everything". Now, when I catch myself, I rephrase that thought to have an appreciation for how very full my life is.

You see, it's all in how we look at it or phrase it. Sometimes it's not that easy, but I find the more I do it, the better I get at it and the fewer times I have to reframe a negative thought I'm having.

And it seems to work because nothing has changed with me physically but emotionally I feel calmer and more present inside myself...and well, happier.

As Dr. Aymee has written about here, being happy has everything to do with being present and living in the moment for truly that’s the only moment we have to work with anyways.

So, why not try to reframe any of those negative moments and thoughts you have into something more joyous creating more happiness for yourself and those around you.

Good Luck and much happiness to you in 2012!