Making Happiness a Habit

Overlook Mountain, Woodstock 2026

We often view habits as something that need to be broken or changed...here’s a refreshing habit worth keeping

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I’ve noticed an increased pep in my step and a brighter outlook of late. I lean in curiously and ask myself, Is this a result of the longer, light-filled days, some bright sunshine and temperatures above zero degrees?

Surely these uplifting harbingers of spring have contributed. They whisper to me and make me smile even though, admittedly, I love winter. I even love the winter coat and scarf I splurged on this year for myself. I feel happy and so warm (and even a little stylish) when I wear them. I never used to buy myself such things (silly me).

March is a month that demonstrates contrasts — the push/pull of our conflicts emotionally and in the natural world. It can leave one feeling quite in-between. In between winter and spring. Hibernating and emerging. Layers of clothing and not so much. Letting go and holding on. Ruminating and new beginnings.

I’m currently in a season of ‘sacrifice’ — Ash Wednesday has arrived and we honor the 40 days of Lent culminating in Easter Sunday. And yes, traditionally we ‘give up’ something during this time, something that feels like a sacrifice, an offering of our commitment and self-discipline — for some that’s dessert, alcohol, and other assorted vices. For me...it’s mindless scrolling on social media...yes, guilty as charged (especially cat videos that pull me in every time)! [wink]

But it finally hit me why my ‘sacrifice’ doesn’t feel like a sacrifice this year. After recently listening to a series about happiness with Dr. Arthur Brooks, Harvard professor and author of Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, I was inspired to think about this differently. Brooks associated happiness with purpose. 

In that moment, light bulbs popped for me. There is purpose in my sacrifice therefore it feels uplifting to me as opposed to just trudging through because I must do something. This reframe excited me.

For those of you who know me, you know I’m truly a student of life. I’m always curious about what makes people tick, what excites and motivates them. I love to hear stories of their travel, their families, their interests, their successes. And I love to make discoveries about myself along this journey. 

I have grounded in the ritual of returning to church each Sunday morning. It feels both comforting, like putting on an old sweater that feels like home and curiously provocative. As I reach for deeper meanings, I challenge constructs and create capacity for the difference of opinions. Most of all it has become my time with God. And prayer is my love language.

I recently heard someone say something that made me take pause, “Well, it’s a hard time of year.” Clearly, there are those who are experiencing challenging circumstances like illness or loss — and here in upstate New York, winter can drag on seemingly endlessly pulling us behind it. However, like the promise of spring, I hold onto hope and am anchored by my faith. The flowers will bloom and so will I after this season of quiet contemplation and germination.

Life and its challenges reflect the reconciling of our inner and external worlds whether we welcome them or not.

Life is busy. The world is noisy — and I don’t think seeking more externally feeds the internal thirst for contentment. No, this is an inside job. It’s also why this season of impending spring stirs such excitement within us. It grows forth from seeds of hope no matter how fragile or neglected.

What’s stirring within you? This is such a beautiful time of rumination.

What do you need?

What’s calling to you?

What wants to take flight?

Breaking free from old narratives and stepping into new paradigms, I no longer have to beat myself up or judge my life in comparison to another’s.

I get to shift the story and embrace new perspective. It’s honestly like cleaning off all the smudges on my glasses and seeing clearly with an unobstructed view.

I’m not viewing my sacrifice this season through the lens of harsh repentance or sin but rather with purpose, focus and dedication. So many of our beautiful traditions have been hijacked with negative connotations that doesn’t mean we have to subscribe to them.

I recently learned the meaning of a new word, metanoia. While believed to be more commonly associated negatively with repentance, the Greek origins of the word tell us we are doing it a disservice. This term is meant to shift perspective and represent transformation. And transformation sings of hope, possibility and happiness. That resonates with me so much more.

Yes, spring is so close we can almost touch her. Soon we will change the clocks and ‘spring forward’. We know the shift is upon us. It’s a time to take inventory of our lives and move mindfully with purpose.

For me, I’m ditching the self-criticism. I’m invoking curiosity not condemnation. I’m taking pleasure in all the little things in my life that are really big things...lazy afternoon naps lounging with my cats, reading, resting, restoring. Soon our windows will be open and we will be bustling about, lamenting these moments passed. So why not sink in and enjoy them now.

It is all serving its purpose in my life. It is all nurturing my internal happiness. And happiness is the purpose. How can we each sprinkle more of that about? Let’s make happiness habitual. It starts with each and everyone of us.

“We’re in a happiness crisis. But here’s the good news: it’s reversible.”

~Dr. Arthur Brooks

—Lea Haas, Owner, The Garden Cafe Woodstock