I often talk about following your joy and finding ways to reconnect with your happiest self. I love the book  Be Happy by Robert Holden because it is chock-full of wonderful ideas to train yourself to live a happier life starting right now.

One of the jewels in the book is Holden’s exercise called the “Well-Being Pledge, which is an invitation to let your well-being flourish and prosper. It harnesses all of your good intentions in making a personal investment in yourself that will pay great dividends in optimal health and vitality.” Holden suggests giving yourself eight weeks to “recommit to following your joy.”

The Well-Being Pledge is not about “something you should,  must or ought to do. It is about the joy of doing it and the joy you experience because you have done it. It is all about self-care and self-love.”

Holden recommends that your goal is to make five positive commitments to your personal well-being, including your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

An extra commitment is to your “blind spot.” Holden suggests you can diagnose your own blind spot. However he recommends that you ask your partner, a friend, or your children to give your their assessment.

Another happiness tool that can’t be overlooked is finding gratitude. In the chapter called One Hundred Gratitudes, Holden suggests thinking about what gratitude really means and also the potential power of gratitude. Having the intention to be grateful at the beginning of the day also works wonders.

So actually saying, “I intend to appreciate and give thanks for today, no matter what happens,” begins your day on such a positive note, you can’t go wrong.

In the exercise One Hundred Gratitudes, you are invited to reflect on your life and write down 100 entries of things you are grateful for. Holden suggests you “compile a list of 100 experiences, relationships, places, people, books, songs, pieces of arts, events, adventures and other ‘moments’ that you are truly grateful for. [This list of] One Hundred Gratitudes is like a thank you letter to God.”

But probably one of my favourite parts of the book is the chapter on the joy of forgiveness. Holden says, “Some people demonstrate a consistent capacity to be very happy. What is clear is that these people don’t necessarily enjoy better circumstances than you, but they do exhibit certain happiness traits that help them to be happy

“For me, the one standout happiness trait is forgiveness. Over and over again, I find that people who are good at happiness are also good at forgiveness. For example, if you are hurt, you choose personal happiness over a lesser goal like revenge or righteousness.

“Here is the question: do you want to be happy or right?  The more you hold on to a grievance, the less good you feel about yourself. Through forgiveness, you can be happy again. Forgiveness is restoration. It returns you to yourself.”

Happiness challenges you to make peace with yourself, and the happiest people are less caught up in the their own personal stories than they are in giving to others. Happiness is also about being authentic and true. When you are at peace and when you are a loving presence in the world, you will be on “a genuine fast-track to happiness.”

As Holden says,  “When you wish happiness for another, you wish happiness for all, and you wish it for yourself.”