Oh, Joy! It’s Monday and there’s a lot to be HAPPY about! Each day this week we will spotlight one of the characters from Disney’s Pixar film, Inside Out.  There are 5 core emotions that are portrayed in the movie:  Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust.   

Joy is the first emotion introduced in the movie. She is portrayed as being upbeat, hopeful, full of energy, and the dominant emotion that is reflected in the life of 11 year old Riley. She is a happy child, surrounded by loving parents and friends, and is very creative and active and finds Joy in everyday things.

 

What are some things that make you HAPPY and how do you share your happiness with others?

Here is a fun activity to do:

Print out the image below and have your child draw inside the head what makes them feel joy. Or have your child look through a magazine and cut out images that make them feel joy and glue them inside the head. I love this activity because not only does it engage our children in discovering their emotions but it also starts a conversation between child and parent about those things that make us smile. 

If you Google ‘happiness’, you’ll find a wide range of information on how to lead a happy life and a lot of top ten lists of habits that happy people practice. These habits range from eating healthy and getting plenty of sleep to dreaming big and stepping out of your comfort zone. 

What’s my take away and the common thread in all this Happy business? 

  For me it is simple – choose HAPPINESS and choose it all the time. 

Find your passion in life and do it, immerse yourself in it and become an expert in your own happiness. 

Truly, don’t sweat the small stuff!  If something won’t be relevant in a week, a month or a year from now, then let it go. 

There is a solution to every problem.

And lastly, be kind.  Smile genuinely and smile often.  Not only will you make someone else feel good, it will release those feel good hormones  and neurotransmitters like serotonin which will  make you feel good too!