When you do this yourself, you can talk for 10 minutes into a tape recorder, or you can call in to a voice mailbox (here), or you can just go for a nice walk and just talk out loud for 10 minutes about happiness. After you've done this exercise, ask yourself, or share with your partner, "How did that feel?" "What was that like for you?" You may be surprised at what you discover. I just completed my happiness monologue, and you can listen to it below.
Whether you do this with someone, or by yourself, Robert Holden recommends three questions to be sure to ask.
- What is the main lesson you learned about yourself and your relationship to happiness by doing "The Happiness Monologue?"
- What was the most truthful thing you said?
- Is there anything else you wish you had said?
"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." ~Dalai Lama.