“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”–John Lennon

This March, our little dojo turns five years old, and we are celebrating our rebirth as Red Lotus Hawaii. The journey has been filled with challenges, but whenever I think about the studio and all it’s students, I am filled with amazement, pride, gratitude, and quiet joy.

In honor of our anniversary and to define our new Red Lotus life, I have decided to start the Red Lotus Happiness Project, inspired by Gretchen Rubin and her fabulous book.

This month, we are going to focus on creating our happiness and increasing it tenfold. Yay us!

First, we all need to create our personal manifesto –our Happiness tenets. Here’s mine:
1. Be passionate– work hard, play hard, do what you love, be with the people you love
2. Take time to enjoy the moment and laugh
3. Hug Cade and enjoy him as much as possible, childhood is fleeting
4. Embrace mistakes and imperfections as opportunities for growth
5. Give and receive in equal measures
6. Say “no” or create a boundary sometimes, so that there’s space for the important stuff
7. Be mindful, present, and truthful in the moment
8. Practice listening and being still in order to hear more clearly
9. Try something new everyday
10. Eat well, rest well, and eat chocolate once in a while

What are your 10 commandments of Happiness? Take a moment to define your personal happiness manifesto. And please share them in the comments below or on our Happiness wall at the dojo. Your manifesto may inspire others!