I have recently read an excellent book, Positive Psychology Coaching: Putting the Science of Happiness to Work for Your Clients, Robert Biswas- Diener, Ben Dean 2007, John Wiley & Sons. Whilst it is directed to coaching, the book talks about the value in life of being happy and how this leads to the development of well rounded individuals, who can form healthy relationships with people and who demonstrate emotional and social maturity. It is all about thinking healthily.

I then thought about family well being and the ability of families to be generally happy. There is much to be grateful for in our family life. Seeing the glass half full is also another way of looking at it.

A happy, healthy family does value laughter and general happiness. There are so many positive things upon which to contemplate with regard to family happiness. Consider the simple ones that sometimes we take for granted.

I actually have a family.
There is love in the family.
My daughter smiles at me and say she loves me.
My son is so funny when he talks.
We all get together on Saturday night and watch a movie.
My three year old just gave me a flower from the garden.

These are simple examples of how we should be happy for all the joys, simple and complex we have as a family.

It is certainly easy to feel the negative, weighing us down. Many of the troublesome issues of family will pass and what will remain is the memories of how we enjoyed the moment. Sadly, when a family goes through extreme trauma they sometimes come to realise the preciousness of what they have had in their life and this gives them greater sensitivity to the joys of life.

I have very positive memories of working with anxious children by including at some point, when possible, a sense of happiness into the conversation. It is amazing how the tone changes when the focus is on happy thoughts.

It eases tension and releases pleasant feelings into our body.

It also is an excellent enabler to talk more comfortably.

We are also teaching our children that we value being happy as a human condition that enables us to live well both mentally and physically. Happiness is contagious, people gravitate around the warmth of positive, happy people. Children will soon see that in your family happiness is a requirement.

Your disposition in seeing the happy moment and finding laughter as a cure for solving problems, will resonate for life with your child.

“For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are so many positive things upon which to contemplate with regard to family happiness.