{"id":287,"date":"2018-04-25T21:17:38","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T21:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.collaborativemn.com\/blog\/?p=287"},"modified":"2018-06-08T19:38:37","modified_gmt":"2018-06-08T19:38:37","slug":"seeking-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collaborativemn.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/25\/seeking-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeking Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Perception of Happiness<\/h3>\n

So happy! That\u2019s what one of my Facebook friends posted one day. I couldn\u2019t help but wonder\u2026okay, what? She never elaborated.<\/p>\n

Have you ever had moments of complete happiness? I have. It is so elusive, fleeting and simple. Just as quickly, our mood can change, the happiness gone.<\/p>\n

It seems that oftentimes it isn\u2019t connected to an event. That would be just too simple. But instead it\u2019s a feeling of peace, contentment, and the joy of being alive.<\/p>\n

What Is Happiness To You?<\/h3>\n

Clients are asked to state their counseling goals in writing when entering therapy<\/a>. Just to be happy, is frequently a goal. It\u2019s our job to operationally define that for them, clarify their expectations for themselves, for others and for the universe. Sometimes it\u2019s figuring out what is in our control and what isn\u2019t, how to take better care of ourselves, or how to recover from a devastating experience. Some of us have chronic conditions and problems that make it hard to be optimistic about life.<\/p>\n

In \u201cThe Happiness Project\u201d Gretchen Rubin reports that current research shows that \u201cgenetics account for 50 percent of the tendency toward happiness; life circumstances such as age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, income, health, occupation and religious affiliation account for 10-20 percent; and the remainder is a product of how a person thinks and acts.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a therapist, this research reinforces for me the idea that people can boost their own happiness just by how they think about themselves and their life. Counseling is an opportunity for guidance and support through those critical decisions that determine your experience in life.<\/p>\n

So the comment \u201cSo happy!\u201d may have more to do with my friend\u2019s perception of reality than an actual event\u2026might be worth thinking about!<\/p>\n

Learn how our therapists can help you uncover your optimism and find what makes you truly happy at:\u00a0https:\/\/www.collaborativemn.com\/meet-our-team<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Perception of Happiness So happy! That\u2019s what one of my Facebook friends posted one day. I couldn\u2019t help but wonder\u2026okay, what? She never elaborated. Have you ever had moments of complete happiness? I have. It is so elusive, fleeting and simple. Just as quickly, our mood can change, the happiness gone. It seems that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":428,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,70,17,69,11,7,8,1],"tags":[203,202,199,204,137,198,168,165,200,201],"class_list":["post-287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adult-counseling","category-counseling-in-eau-claire-wi","category-counseling-in-hudson-wi","category-counseling-in-lakeville-mn","category-counseling-in-maple-grove-mn","category-mental-health-help","category-teen-counseling","category-uncategorized","tag-contentment","tag-goals","tag-how-to-be-happy","tag-joy","tag-life-experiences","tag-looking-for-happiness","tag-optimism","tag-peace","tag-perception","tag-positive-outlook"],"yoast_head":"\nSeeking Happiness - Collaborative Counseling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Other peoples perception of happiness may differ than that of yours. 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