Episode 001: The Philosophy Behind The Happiness Forecast Video + Blog Series
Welcome, dear one! Here is the first episode of the Happiness Forecast. The article and your free resource follow below the video.
Download here your free PDF Resource
which is now part of the Happiness Forecast Workbook.
The Philosophy Behind The Happiness Forecast Video + Blog Series
Hello Beautiful! Welcome to the Happiness Forecast, a place for you to be inspired and uplifted with mind-expanding new ideas, practical action steps & personal stories from my own journey and of others to help you live a life of peace & happiness now and tomorrow.
Before I move on:
I have a free resource for you later in this post so look out for it.
Brand New Video & Blog Series: Happiness Forecast
I am so very excited to begin this brand new weekly Video + Blog called the Happiness Forecast designed to bring actionable tips and practices for experiencing greater happiness. In this article, I will walk you through a first step on the path of happiness which is setting an intention for it. But before we get into that, I would like to share with you what you can expect from these videos + blogs as well as the philosophy that it's based on - kinda like foundational principles to guide this work. It will give you an idea of what benefits you can expect to receive on this video+blog series, ultimately, so that you can truly benefit from every episode and every article.
The Philosophy Behind The Happiness Forecast Video + Blog Series
I decided to make the Happiness Forecast so that each week you can receive something tangible, something actionable to do in order to create a life that you want to create. There are three foundations that this is based on:
Philosophy #1. We can live a happy & peaceful life regardless of our outer circumstances.
First, we can live a happy and peaceful life no matter what is happening in our outer circumstances. This is because real peace and real happiness come from within us. It is we who generate happiness - ourselves; we don't receive it from the outside world as one may think! It is not dependent on people, places, events, or any other outer situation. And there are simple practices that we can do that generate happiness. Yes, we are our own ninja-happiness-generators! :-)
(Just imagining a caricature of a ninja-happiness- generator makes me happy...any artists reading this?)
Philosophy #2. Our civilization already has the answers.
The second foundation for this series is the understanding that our civilization already has the answers we are looking for. Yes, there are a lot of mysteries about our world that we are constantly unravelling like how big is the universe or what causes a sneeze! But the question of how to create inner-peace has already been discovered by many cultures around the globe. So, when we combine ancient wisdom literature, modern science particularly positive psychology and neuroscience we receive many clues to solve the question, "How can we be happy?"
The human civilization over thousands of years has already figured out the path to inner-peace, happiness and enlightenment. All we need is for each of us to put together the clues for our own liberation.
“The human civilization over thousands of years has already figured out the path to inner-peace, happiness and enlightenment. All we need is for each of us to put together the clues for our own liberation.”
Besides all of this, I will also bring you stories, anecdotes and insights that I gain from my own life as well as inspiring experiences of others because we can more easily relate to people's experiences than broad ideas. The goal will be to discover how we can generate our own happiness and take clues from our human civilization as a whole that has identified for us many paths and practices. All of this along with new age literature and we have a powerful mix to uplift you and inspire you to live a life you design ⎯ one of happiness.
Philosophy #3. We make happiness-wisdom actionable.
The third foundation is that we can make happiness wisdom practical and actionable. My job then is to bring this all to you and make it actionable. Wisdom is knowledge implemented. So I will bring you this knowledge and show you how you can implement it in your life. This means you will get action steps, practices, processes, meditations and strategies along with quotes from many sources and stories from my own personal journey. So that you are inspired and uplifted, so that you can bring more lightness & initiative and power into your life; making it super easy for you to take what I call happiness actions.
And that really is the key, my dear friend. Taking action is really really important. Why?
You see, one can read a new idea and even embrace a new thought, a new perspective. But it becomes real for you - when you take action, when you do something that shows you really believe it. Taking action sends a powerful message to your subconscious mind that you mean business. You are putting money where your mouth is, so to speak. You are walking the talk, as they say.
So, I invite you to watch these videos each week and read this blog, make a habit of it and then let yourself be inspired to take action.
Alright, now it is your turn.
Actionable: Set An Intention
Here's the first action step for you:
Part of creating a happy life is creating a positive mind-set. An important aspect of a positive mind-set is positive intention. Intention-making has come into the mainstream thought intensely in the last few years both in the spiritual growth realm as well as personal development arenas.
So, what is positive intention in short? Basically expressed, with a positive intention is an intention set with a positive mind-set. We set this intention for our life which is comes from completely trusting the higher forces. But more importantly, it is about completely trusting the deep wisdom and peace within you. It is about having full faith that things are working out beautifully. When you have this frame of mind, you let go of the worries and the anxiety of your ego-mind. You are at ease; with yourself and with the world.
Isn't that a beautiful "side-effect"? In fact, it is an absolutely beautiful main-event.
How To Craft An Intention Statement?
So how do you do craft an intention statement? Very simple: Keep the intention statement simple, positive, in the present tense and add "I am" at the front.
First, state your intention in a simple sentence. Let's not make this complicated. Choose a simple sentence that's to the point. Short and sweet!
Second, state your intention in the positive. Leave out "don'ts" and "nots". This is because the universe picks up the energy behind the words and "don't" and "not" and "no" carry an energy that is opposite of creating what you do want. Also, drop the "wants" because then you are intending to "want" and in this way creating a perpetual state of wanting.
But when you begin brainstorming your intentions just write down whatever flows, even the "don'ts" and "nots", because we can then in the next step change them. If your intentions do come out with the above words, look at these ideas on how to turn them around:
Instead of this:
I intend to not get angry.
I want harmony today.
I don't create stress for myself today.
My intention is to not feel rushed today.
May our planet not suffer anymore.
Say this:
I am calm and peaceful.
I am harmonious today.
I am at ease and relaxed today.
I am at ease with my schedule today.
May our planet be in peace.
You see how you can just begin with whatever comes up, even with "wants" and then you can tweak the sentences slightly to make them into positive statements. And then work to step into that positive frame of mind created by the intention as it relieves your mind from anxiety and worry while shifting into greater ease.
Third, make sure your intention statement is in the simple present tense as if the event has already come to pass today, for example "I am relaxed today". This helps us to step into the present moment. It is as if we are "wearing" the intention. Like putting on a pair of shorts, we put on the intention!
Fourth, Start the sentence with "I am". I find that saying, "I am" is more powerful and direct than "My intention is..." or "I intend to..." because it is more personal. But in some instances you can vary it a bit. "I experience...", "I feel...", "I create...", "I choose...", "May all beings be..." are some examples.
So, you see the formula for setting an intention is straightforward. In short, it needs to be stated in a simple sentence; in the positive; in the present tense; and preferably starts off with "I am" or "May all beings be".
Okay, so that's it on the formula of creating an intention statement.
Do Set A Daily Intention
I suggest to take time each day to set an intention for the day. It can be something like this, "I experience a joyful and fulfilling day". Start off with one thing that you would like to happen, something related to your desired effect. It may be something like this: "My intention is for an effective, harmonious and successful meeting for all people involved." It may be an intention for the world, "May all living beings be in peace". It can be anything you want to happen or create in your life that is for your highest good.
The idea is to intend positively. You may soon find that your intentions are indeed materialized, as I have found and become aware of in the last five years and ever more each day. It is a beautiful, powerful exercise that sets an upbeat, positive tone and mood to your day and your life. And before you go to sleep at night, you look back at the day and realize that your day has indeed turned out just like your intentions set in the morning or even exceeded what you intended for!!!
3 Steps To Activate An Intention
But we cannot just stop with knowing how to create an intention statement. We have to create one and then activate it! And I have a process of setting an intention that activates it and this involves our own engagement: Just say it in the positive, write it down and say it out loud.
You will know what I mean - just follow these steps below:
1. Say it in the positive
Craft your intention statement in the positive (refer to the four steps for crafting an intention statement listed above).
2. Write it out on paper
You can write down any intention you craft but for starters you can use, "I choose to be happy now". Write this boldly on any piece of paper with a pen or sharpie. There is magic in the art of writing down an intention. You can go deeper into this topic by reading Write it down and Make it Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser* which is an awesome book that explains in detail how to play with this "magic".
*The link is listed under Resources Mentioned In This Article Section at the bottom of this post.
3. Read it out loud.
Read the intention aloud. There! You just set your intention and activated the flow of manifestation. By reading it out loud, you engage with your intention on a different vibrational level. And this is what I meant earlier about engaging with your intention.
Now put this paper up somewhere where you can see it easily. It can be on the mirror, on the fridge, on the bedroom wardrobe or the kitchen cabinet. Or put it all over the place! Read it upon waking up. Read it whenever you see it. Every time you see it, your job is to read it out loud!
Do this everyday a few times for the next one week. If you are traveling or not in your regular place of work or home, put this note into your wallet.
“To Activate An Intention:
Say it in the positive.
Write it down.
Say it out loud.”
4. Now go to you calendar and write down to come back to the Happiness Forecast Blog next Sunday at 8 am for a brand new episode!
Well this is not really part of the intention setting process, but I added it so it would be easy for you to remember the next Happiness Forecast Epsiode + Article! haha :-)
Also, you can subscribe to my youtube channel and pick up the free PDF resource below, which will sign you up to receive my email updates when the next episode is out. Plus, you can put a reminder in your phone. Do whatever you have to to help yourself come back next week! We will be talking about how to create your own definition of happiness. I am excited to share with you this one!
Free PDF Resource: 13 Affirmations
"I choose to be happy" is a powerful intention as well as an affirmation. So to keep this positive train of thought going forward, I created a beautiful PDF with a set of 13 such affirmations for you. It is inside the Happiness Forecast Workbook. You can download it here and then print it. You may pin it to your wall or even frame it if you want.
“Remember:
Your Happiness Forecast is looking bright and sunny because you are taking happiness actions today!”
So I hope in this article you got a little introduction on the philosophy that the Happiness Forecast video blog is based on and got to know what you can expect to benefit from the series. I hope you found it all beneficial. Thank you for joining me on this first episode + article. I'll see you next week! May you be happy & have a calm, peaceful mind!
What is your experience with setting intentions? Do you have your own unique way you would like to share with us? Write to me in the comments below....let's hear your voice!
With love,
Sophia
Resources Mentioned In This Video Episode + Article
1. Free download of Powerful Affirmations: click the pink button above. reflectionpond.com/blog/happiness-philosophy
2. To subscribe to the Happiness Forecast on YouTube, go here: https://www.youtube.com/reflectionpond
3. Book on making intentions manifest: Write it down and make it happen by Henriette Anne Klauser.
Photo Credit for the beautiful mountain and Lake image used in the banner of this post and thumbnail for the video goes to Jacob Chen. Thank you for your amazing work!
Free Happiness Forecast Workbook
Download your copy of the Happiness Forecast Workbook!
This workbook is the companion support material for the Happiness Forecast Video Series. For each of the 10 episodes, there’s an exercise and supporting content found inside this workbook. Get your digital copy free by signing up below.
About Sophia Ojha
Hey there! I am so happy you found us and welcome! So, that's me in the photo and I blog and make videos on the topic of individual happiness and inner-peace. Click here to read more about me. Enjoy your stay here at reflectionpond.com!
Love, Sophia
