Course Syllabus: Pursuing Happiness: Successful Strategies

There are hundreds of thousands of self-help books out there – how can one tell which one is the best to read? There are so many good theories and techniques; it doesn't seem possible to read everything!

If you've ever wanted a comprehensive overview of strategies for living a happy life, this course is for you. Using a variety of information sources, Strategies for How to be Happy will teach you strategies for eradicating self-doubt, increasing self-worth, finding your passion, tapping into your creativity, and maximizing your emotional energy.The course will also provide you with tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as well as strategies for practicing good "self-talk" and eliminating toxic individuals and relationships from your life. You'll learn tools for positive influence, such as basic body language cues, effective speaking, and utilizing vocal inflections and word choices to maximize your influence. These tools can also be used to identify and avoid toxic or "dramatic" people who wish to invade your life and sap your energy – even if the "drama queen" is you!

Also discussed are strategies for pushing past fear, getting out of your comfort zone, and celebrating your accomplishments. The importance of supportive human connections is explored as well, as is the concept of living with an attitude of gratitude and finding meaning in serving others.

This comprehensive course provides solid suggestions and references for true life improvement. Not just a list of empty mantras, Strategies for How to be Happy is a source for useable life concepts anyone can learn.

This course will not require you to have previous experience in any particular area but you should have a high school reading level. No books will be required.

Strategies for Happiness - Outline

1. Loving Yourself (Self-motivation, Self-worth, Self-respect, Self-care, and Self-purpose)
   1. Forgiveness – the key to loving yourself
   2. R-e-s-p-e-c-t, how to get it for you and me (hint: it starts with self)
   3. The destroyers of happiness (jealousy and regret)
   4. Purpose (will include spiritual, religious, practical, and humorous anecdotes regarding purpose)
   5. Self-care (how to say no)
2. Appreciate Your Life
   1. Counting your blessings
   2. Looking on the bright side – and what to do when there is no bright side
   3. Serving others to feed your spirit
   4. When “being positive” is the last thing you want to do
3. Finding Your Passion (a Vision Board, and an Inspirational Toolkit)
   1. Any other ideas/tools I come across
4. Practicing Your Creativity
   1. Tips and techniques for being creative in little ways every day
   2. Whatever else I come up with/come across
5. A Healthy Life-style
   1. Physical activity for mental health
   2. Mental self-talk (will probably mention this in lesson 1, then elaborate here)
   3. Tools to maintain mental health (addiction/recovery, etc.)
6. The Power of Resilience
   1. Dealing with Grief
   2. Using Your Alone Time
   3. Depression, anxiety, and panic disorders
7. Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
   1. Pushing through feelings of fear
   2. “What’s the worst that can happen?” (Seriously – an exercise in imagining the worst-case scenario for asserting yourself. I do this regularly to combat personal fear. It works!)
   3. Dealing with failure – and learning from it
   4. Getting up and trying again – or cutting your losses. How to decide
8. Creating More Time and Capacity Your Life to Increase Productivity
   1. “Triage” your life – putting things in order of importance and/or urgency
   2. More on the art of saying “no”
   3. Being protective of your time
   4. Saving your energy for the important things
      1. How to avoid getting wrapped up in other people’s drama
      2. How to avoid drawing drama to you
      3. How to dissipate drama
      4. What to do if YOU are the drama
9. Practicing Gratitude, Giving and Celebrating your Successes and Achievements
   1. The attitude of gratitude
   2. Being a “good winner”
   3. Giving back
   4. Achieving more (quote Jim Rohn)
10. The importance of Human Connections, Selective Relationships and a Supportive Network
    1. Seeking supportive associates
    2. Identifying and avoiding toxic relationships
       1. Extricating yourself from harmful relationships
       2. What if you can’t avoid the person?
11. The Art of Influence, Persuasion and Negotiation
    1. Your Communication Style and Body Language
12. Saying Goodbye to Stress and Anxiety and Hello to a Happy Life
    1. Revisit concepts,
    2. When all this isn’t enough – remarks on professional psychological help and suggestions for further work

All course materials is provided in this class. There is no need to buy additional resources.

Several lessons will be accompanied by a written assignment and a brief quiz  . Students will successfully complete this course by mastering all learning outcomes with 70% or higher overall grade.