JumpStart into Happiness

Hello,

Let's get a jump start to this amazing week!

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WEEK #2:  HAPPINESS

"Happiness cannot be pursued.  It must ensue."  -Viktor Frankl

Happiness is what happens when you are in a space without desire for anything new or different.  You are content with everything just the way it is in that particular moment.  Unfortunately, these moments are fleeting, and new desires continually emerge - from something simple like, "I'm hungry," to more complicated like, "I wish I were 20 years old again." 

Dr. Bono, professor at Wash U. in St. Louis wrote of the Happiness Equation in his book, "When Likes Aren't Enough."  Happiness = What We Have / What We Want.  As long as we can keep that equation greater than 1 with our wants fewer than what we have, we are content.  We are happy.

Try this thought experiment this week: What wants and desires can you let go of in order to increase your happiness?  Try cleaning out just one drawer.

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RESOURCE:  CASEL's The SEL 3 Signature Practices

Many teachers fear that incorporating SEL is just 'one more thing'.  The good news is that many are probably already doing it because it's just good teaching.  CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) advocates for 3 practices for each day or period:

1. Start with a welcoming inclusion activity, routine, or ritual.
2. Embed engaging strategies
3. Close with an optimistic closure

Check out page 4 on the link above for a quick overview, with the rest of the resources giving a lot of details.

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JOKE:  

Q:  Why did Adele cross the road?
A:  To sing, "Hello from the other side!"

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Have a fantastic week!