Happiness is a Choice
Happiness is a choice, but one that’s not as easy to make as it may seem on the surface. True happiness is not a mood or emotion, but a state of mind. It’s a mental framework that guides how you perceive and respond to the ups and downs of daily life.
Achieving true happiness is about facilitating the right patterns and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Why does happiness even matter?
Happier people experience less stress and stronger immune systems. They’re less susceptible to heart problems and chronic disease. Ultimately, they’re more likely to live long, enjoyable lives.
If you’re looking to live a happier, more fulfilling life, then you just need some GRAPES!
While eating more grapes certainly wouldn’t hurt, the GRAPES acronym mnemonic from the book, GRAPES for Your Happiness, offers a 6-step actionable guide for uplifting your life.
It’s a powerful, yet simple, method that anyone can use to uplift their life and facilitate happiness on a daily basis.
What is “GRAPES?”
GRAPES acronym mnemonic stands for:
- Gratitude
- Resilience
- Attitude
- Purpose
- Experience
- Self-Care
The acronym mnemonic includes the mindset and character that you can use to elevate the happiness and meaning of your life. Putting this formula into action is one of the best ways to guide yourself to happiness.
The GRAPES acronym mnemonic and strategy align heavily with the teaching and tips of Dr. Weil. His article, Optimism & Gratitude: The Power of Positive Thinking, offers actionable tips to feel more optimistic. The tips focus on several of the same principles as GRAPES. For example, the tip about eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep aligns with the “Self-Care” portion of GRAPES.
GRAPES for Your Happiness
How can you best implement GRAPES into your life? Ellie Nazemoff’s new book, GRAPES for Your Happiness, offers a deeper look at this process and even the symbolic structure of grapes. It is packed with all of the information you need to understand the GRAPES principles and benefits, which is an important part of leveraging this strategy.
Furthermore, her guided journal, GRAPES: Journal for My Happiness, can help you put this 6-step formula into action! The journal includes morning and evening pages dedicated to each component of GRAPES. Working through it helps you boost your daily “happy hormones,” including Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins).
Together, both the book and journal are your complete guide to living a happier life. They can help you make the choice to live with happiness by facilitating important mental and behavioral patterns.
