A couple of weeks ago, I shared some tips for doing a Happiness Jar, which I usually do at the end of the day. It’s an evening ritual that’s brought me so much joy, so I wanted to share.

I also have a morning ritual, and the title of this post is not mere clickbait. It is factually, objectively, cheesy, and I’m sharing it anyway.

But first, some real talk.

 

[AdSense-B]

 

I’m a happy person, and it hasn’t always been that way. In the past, I’ve had struggles with depression that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, if I had any enemies.

I don’t talk a lot about that now, because I’ve changed so much. For years now, happiness has been my baseline. When I feel “meh” rather than happy, I stop myself and ask what that’s all about. That’s how normal happiness is to me.

But the fact that I’ve been doing so well for so long is exactly why I should talk about my past struggles with depression once in a while.

When you struggle with depression, it’s easy to believe that it’s an immutable fact about you, like your adult height or the color of your eyes. For me, it was important to say, No. This is what I’m going through right now, but it’s not my identity, and it’s not my destiny.

People manage or recover from depression in different ways. Sometimes, it’s the right medication. I have not taken any drugs for a long time, but I absolutely would if I needed them again. When you take action to keep yourself healthy, through medication, therapy, asking for help from friends, or whatever, that is a sign of strength. That’s putting up a fight.

 

[AdSense-B]

 

And sometimes, people can manage or recover from depression through an array of things that seem absolutely ridiculous but happen to work. Welcome to my world!

So here’s my morning ritual.

I start off by lighting a candle, and then there are basically three parts.

 

1. I say all of the things I am grateful for.

I usually do this in my head. This is directed to the Divine as I conceive it, but you absolutely could do this as a religious-but-not-spiritual person (just thanking the universe, maybe), or as an atheist (just saying “I am grateful for…”)

Now here’s the twist — and I’ve talked about this principle before. I also say thank you for the good things that haven’t happened yet. I express gratitude for all the blessings in my future.

 

2. I do my affirmations.

In my Franklin planner, I have written out a bunch of positive affirmations about myself.

 

I’ve written down so many affirmations that they have separate categories: happiness and luck, love and friendship, health and beauty, work, and writing. They are positive statements like:

I turn to happy thoughts like a sunflower turns to the sun.

I am kind.

I honor my wedding vows every day.

I am strong.

I have healthy habits.

I am endlessly creative.

Those aren’t even some of the most embarrassing ones! I say all of them out loud. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Look at the title of the post. You were warned.

 

[AdSense-B]

 

There’s a solid principle behind this, even if it sounds like nonsense.

All day, every day, we say all kinds of awful things to ourselves. I’m so stupid. I’m ugly. No one loves me. I have terrible luck.

It’s hard to be happy when you have a voice like that in your head bullying you nonstop. So I’m replacing the mean voice with a friendly one.

 

3. I review my goals.

These are my New Year’s resolutions. I read each one, and then briefly imagine attaining it. And then, I’m ready to run the day.

So that’s my sentimental, feel-good morning ritual. I can tell you that it works wonders for me, and when I don’t do it, my day doesn’t go as well.

I also know that different things work for different people. But who knows — maybe you’ll want to try part of it, or maybe it will inspire you to come up with one of your own.

At any rate, I hope you’re feeling awesome about yourself today, and I hope the future brings you even more to be grateful for. If you like reading about positivity, or you like making fun of it :D, you should be following my blog — you can subscribe below. Thanks for reading!