Grateful, such a beautiful word! I am grateful for the fact that it’s a new day. And it’s International Day of Happiness! When I woke up this morning my cat jumped on my bed and gave me a cuddle. Besides this rather small gesture there are numerous things in my life for which I am grateful for. For what are you grateful today?
It’s all about the small things and gestures
International Day of Happiness, once initiated in 2013 to promote the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. The UN recognizes that this day is very important, especially this year. Around the world the global health crisis continues and we still have to adapt to the situation. Therefore, the theme for this year’s International Day of Happiness is ‘Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind’. Every year the UN outlines steps towards global happiness. This year they developed a 10 step guide to find more happiness in your life. They outline that happiness is not found when you focus on the things you didn’t achieve (yet), but it is about the things and the state of mind of what you have, right now.
Our strategy towards Happiness
At Local Charities Worldwide we have our own strategy towards happiness. It all starts with the reason why our platform is created. It is set up with one core aspect in mind: giving without getting anything in return. For us, happiness is found in small gestures, which is reflected in our slogan: everbody has something to give, let’s start with a smile! We are very proud and happy with our community of remarkable hard working organizations who all have a loving heart for the cause they are working for.
To celebrate this day we distributed flower bulbs around some cities in the Netherlands to raise awareness for giving and happiness. Our message is to find happiness in small gestures like spotting a nicely wrapped flower bulb as a gift for you to take home. For today, I would like to remind you of the importance of having a positive mindset for everything and everyone in the world and to help others to find ways to create their own happiness. Start today by giving your smile to others and expect happiness to come back to you.
Have a beautiful day, and don’t forget: everybody has something to give, let’s start with a smile!
PS. I can definitely recommend a book that about happiness: the book of joy. In this book the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu explain their view on happiness and joy. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the small things in life 🙂