E35 - How to to be a Happy Dad and enjoy a Happy New Year

We greet each other with a Happy New Year on January 1st - we wear silly hats, fireworks fill the sky and a new year starts.  My question to Dad's this year, how can we be a Happy Dad this year?

The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of the hole!  We get stranded in a rut of what we think is happiness, but turns out, these things do not lead to happiness

Human beings are wired with an innate potential for happiness, but if you're like most people, you're not entirely sure what happiness is. 

Well, here are six things that happiness isn't:

• Happiness isn't about being wealthy. Money buys you comfort, support, and freedom of action, but it doesn't make you happy.
• Happiness isn't about being powerful. Power is about exerting your will on others; happiness comes from working together in mutually satisfying ways.
• Happiness isn't about achieving success. Some of the most successful people are very unhappy — and vice versa. The only exception: people who decide to succeed at being happy.
• Happiness isn't just about being excited. If you fall down a flight of stairs, there certainly is a great deal of excitement — but you're surely not happy! Sadly, excitement often creates an illusion of happiness — and that illusion doesn't last.
• Happiness isn't a life-transforming experience. Happiness is momentary — it comes and goes — but it doesn't change your life in any significant way. Enjoy happiness while you have it!
• Happiness isn't always an easy thing to achieve. Most people have to work at being happy. Life has its challenges, for sure, so how do you deal with them?

*source

So How can we be a Happy Dad?  Try these instead!

Be Present - It’s really simple. When you’re spending good quality time with your kids don’t think about what you didn’t do yesterday or what you have to do tomorrow or next week. LIVE. IN. THE. MOMENT

Let Your Kids Be Themselves - Your children are individuals. They need to be who they are so they can figure out this big world we live in. Enjoy their uniqueness and celebrate their differences.

Forgive and Ask Forgiveness - Whatever your kid does it’s important that you forgive them and make sure to let them know that you forgive them. If there is conflict make sure it is settled before bedtime. Parenting with guilt only leads to misery.

Be Consistent - Show up, be the constant in your family.  You being there brings safety and harmony which can fuel happiness!

Play With Your Kids - I know this isn’t always the easiest thing to do because you have a huge to-do list that is constantly running in your head (we all do). But at the end of the day I’m sure you when you look back at your day the best part will be the time you actually spent with your kids.

Don’t Compare - Stop chasing your tail - be content with what you have and model for your kids that the accumulation of things is not the source of happiness!

Take Care of Yourself - Make time for yourself and take care of you.

*source - https://goodmenproject.com/families/7-secrets-to-being-a-happy-dad-wat/

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