Happy Monday! 

I have a question for you. Have you been Owning your Happy lately? If you read my first book, Happy ANYWAY, you will know that each chapter ends with “Own your happy” section. I decided today to grab all of those sections and put them in one place for you. 

I double-dog-dare you to use this blog as a filter as you go about this week and sort of do a check up from the neck up to ensure that you own your Happy this week when life comes flailing at a hundred miles an hour!

How about we commit to each other that this coming Saturday we will look back over this blog and use it as a pop quiz to see how we did this week Owning our Happy? And if you’re really hungry to find your Happy and own it even if it keeps seeming to slip away, DM me on Instagram @addiecooley and let me know if you give yourself an A, B, or C as a grade and I will let you know how I did as well. 

I don’t write these Happy Monday blogs just for the heck of it! I would love to think that they’re actually helping you in your real, day-to-day life. All this happy is serious business to me and has changed me from the inside out and I would love to know if the same is true for you.

So here goes… Decide, determined, and do. Let’s Own our Happy this week and then spread it to everyone we coming in contact with.

DECIDE to cast your cares onto Him, even the whole of your anxiety. Realize that He really will show you His salvation every time. DETERMINE to find your go-to verse that you can hold onto like a security blanket, completely trusting that God will bring that promise to pass in your life. DO IT! Sing that song loud and proud like you mean it, no matter what your situation looks like. Don’t worry; be happy now! But don’t just sing it. Actually do what it says. Trust God. Don’t worry. Be happy

DECIDE to fear God more than the person or situation you are facing right now. DETERMINE that you will endeavor to line up your perspective with God’s. DO IT! Spend time with Jesus by looking into the mirror of His Word so you can begin to see things more clearly and have a happy perspective.

DECIDE that it is not healthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually for our bodies to run on anger, stress, unforgiveness, gossip, or hurt. Decide that you will never love others well until you love you. DETERMINE to put off anger, wrath, and malice. Do the hard work emotionally to forgive, let go, and slow down. DO IT! Love you enough to slow down. Take some me-time. Be good to you. All those people you are “doing for” to the point of driving yourself into an early grave will sure miss you, so pace yourself. Find margin. Save yourself first, and be happy and healthy. 

DECIDE who you need to help more and who you need to say no to more. DETERMINE to ask for help without guilt when you legitimately need it, and to only help others with their burdens, not the loads that are their responsibilities. DO IT! Watch God bless you beyond your wildest dreams as you aim your serving to the target where God has called you to be happy to help.

DECIDE to take responsibility for the culture and atmosphere of your home as much as it is up to you. DETERMINE to set the tone of happiness, love, and contentment in your home rather than nagging and whining. DO IT! Laugh. Joke. Be fun, and your family will want to be with you. Lighten up. Do the right thing. Be patient. You got this happy wife ~ happy life thang.

DECIDE to be happy independently to ensure that one day, if you so desire, you will be happy in love. DETERMINE to focus on developing vibrant, healthy relationships you already have in place with God, family, and friends. Consider removing or restructuring unhealthy relationships. DO IT! Point your relational longings towards Jesus, and fall in love with Him like never before. Take this time to become the best version of you that one day can be presented to some lucky man out there. Until then, happy and available is the only way to confidently be. 

DECIDE to get real with where you are. Be honest with yourself about which habits you need to work on most. DETERMINE to get feedback from others you trust. Be teachable and humble to admit where you need help. Have self-awareness, please. DO IT! Practice makes perfect. Pick one habit per week. Write about it. Periscope™ it. Instagram™ it. But most of all, make it second nature in your life, and live it. Cultivate these happy habits, and you will have the life you always dreamed of. 

Idea… consider printing out one or two of these challenges to decide, determine, do in owning your happy or even take a moment and write out the one that’s most needed for you and put it in your mirror or in your purse as a reminder until it become second nature. I’ve done that in each one of this over the years and I think I will join you and do this again myself.

XOXO, 

Adrienne