Giving youth pastors the tools they need to make and shape disciples.

What Does Happiness Look Like?

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I attended the TRIBE conference a few months ago and one of the speakers, Alli Worthington I believe, spoke about happiness and defining what happiness looks like to us. I would say that I’m, generally, a happy person, but traditionally unhappy when thinking about where I am in life. This is a running theme though out my life.

Some of this unhappiness comes from lingering bouts of depression, but even when things seem good, I’m not happy about it. I have a habit of sabotaging my now happiness. Why? Good question. So, to mitigate some of this unhappiness, I’m on a journey to define what happiness looks like to me so I can make the things that make me happy more of a priority in my life.

I’m going to share with you my lists that range from daily to yearly. I’m trying to create an actionable list of things that make me happy so I can plan them into my life. If I do not intentionally plan happiness into my life, it’s not just going to happen and no one is going to do it for me.

Moving forward, these lists can be changed and will probably change in the years to come. Happiness looks differently to everyone, so you be you.

Daily

Read a chapter of a book, article, etc.

Good conversation with my wife

Do worthwhile work

Create beneficial content on either my blog, on my Youtube channel or podcast.

Eat a good breakfast.

Write down good ideas

Create think time.

Listen to good music.

Weekly

Walk/Exercise

Sit down dinner with my wife and or kids (if they are around, they’re grown)

Youtube Q and A on Thursdays

Text my kids and check on them. Be available.

Participate in the Body of Christ through service and worship

Catch up on at least one good show/series on Netflix.

Support my family financially through various opportunities.

Go out for a game night with friends

Monthly

Date night with my wife

Coaching calls with youth pastors wanting to succeed in ministry and life.

Go to the movies

Catch up with my kids though calls.

Flip items from thrift stores (hobby)

Cook a meal for Kim.

Speak at a youth group.

Speak at a church.

Quarterly

Get out of town with my wife.

Have a youth ministry workshop in town.

Learn something new (a game, a craft like calligraphy, etc.)

Self-publish a book through my local printers.

Yearly

Go to a concert

Go to a comic book/sci-fi convention

speak at several camps

speak at a youth ministry conference

Family vacation

Every five years

Serve internationally

This is just the start of my list, it will fluctuate and change as the seasons go by, but there will always be core things that will make me happy and I’m going to try to keep them high on my list.

How about you? What makes you happy? Have you made a Happiness List? Let me know, in the comments, if this helped you clarify what you need to be happy.

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