By Joel Marks
Every month, according to the Jewish Calendar, has a uniqueness. Nissan is the month of freedom and Elul is the month of introspection. In the month of Adar, we are commanded to increase our levels of happiness and joy. We continuously sing “Mishenichnas adar marbin b'simcha” meaning “When Adar arrives we increase our joy.”
Although being happy is a fairly simple commandment, it is extremely difficult to actualise when one takes into account that our daily routine and social interactions remain almost identical to the previous months.
If one is conscious of the commandment, they might go out for a luxurious meal or buy some new clothes which would temporarily provide an increase in Simcha (happiness). However, from personal experience, physical pleasures such as these are extremely short lived and our overall happiness levels remain static throughout the month.
As a result, the month often flies by, with our Simcha only increasing on the festival day of Purim itself. What a waste of a month! The problem is, how does one increase their level of Simcha, especially when one is working in a busy environment or studying hard at university or high school?
One of the easiest ways to increase your levels of happiness, on a constant basis, is to directly express gratitude. Check out this video by Soul Pancake.
Psychologists have scientifically proven (Seligman et al, "Positive psychology progress") that “one of the greatest contributing factors to the overall happiness in your life is how much gratitude you show.”
So go ahead, pick up the phone and call the person who has impacted your life the most! Express your gratitude towards them. Whether it be your parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, mentors, or anyone else, by directly expressing your gratitude, your happiness levels will increase by as much as 19%.
Expressing your gratitude will make you a happier person, thus helping you fulfilling the words “Mishenichnas adar marbin b'simcha”
Have an incredible month :)
