Glee Formula

“Be your best friend yea I’ll love you forever, up in the clouds we’ll be higher than ever. Eh-eh, eh-eh, so happy I could die.”
-Lady Gaga

Sometimes I feel so happy that I don’t know how I’ve ever felt sad or could ever feel upset again. That state of mind is called euphoria – one that many drug addicts seek to discover through artificial means. Then, naturally, there are times when I feel so depressed that all I want to do is lie motionless and watch re-runs of Friends for hours while feeding myself cake.

But whereas these feelings of hopelessness used to drag on for several days at a time, they exist now only in fleeting moments. My frowny moments are only fleeting because I’ve learned how to make every day of my life euphoric.

Invigorating the ordinary has become simple for me because I’ve finally mastered a recipe that I have been seeking to refine for 20 years. I’ve been very fortunate that the ingredients for happiness have been readily accessible to me, because for many these ingredients are quite scarce (or might be just a lot harder to find). People ask why I’m so chipper all the time, and they wonder what it would be like to visit ‘Meghan La-La Land,’ which apparently is a happy paradise that exists only in my mind. While I understand that the ingredients of any individual’s happiness will be drastically different from another’s, I thought I’d share the secret behind my annoying smiley face in case maybe one of my ingredients could add a nice flavor to your own mixture of contentment.

Like any other edible creation, happiness tastes different to everyone. And like any other recipe, all the ingredients of this creation must be evenly distributed – if just one ingredient falls out of balance the whole product is screwed. That’s why I liked the idea of presenting my glee formula as a recipe.



Personal Recipe for Euphoria:

Mix the following ingredients into a 24-hour day, 7 days a week in moderation

1. Love
2. Gratitude
3. Others-regarding ethic
4. Laughter
5. Zen habits
6. Knowledge expansion
7. Healthy thoughts
8. Exercise
9. A vegetable-based diet
10. Positive Communication
11. Organized living space
12. Suffering
13. Sleep

Heat under sunlight, let cool under moonlight.
Always tastes delicious.



A brief explanation of each ingredient:

1. I will love myself, others, and God. Every single time I look in a
mirror, I will tell myself one thing I love about myself and one thing I am thankful for. Loving others makes the world a better place – but to love others I must first love myself and God. Loving God strengthens the
connection between human life and eternal bliss, which is the only
connection that we truly need.

2. I will thank everyone and be thankful for everything. Every morning
when I wake up I will feel intense gratitude for the pleasures in my
life. As I step out of my bed I will say “thank” as I put one foot
down, and “you” as I put my other foot down.

3. I will always help people and orbit around others instead of
asking others to orbit around me.

4. I will laugh, because laughter – even if forced – always improves a
person’s mood.

5. I will live in each moment as it comes. I will immerse my entire self
in the now.

6. I will read until my eyes bleed.

7. I will only harbor healthy thoughts. There is never value in a
negative thought.

8.I will make time for my body to release endorphins and get the attention
that it needs.

9. I will eat to fuel, and eat for pleasure only in moderation. I will
cut out useless bulk including meats and most dairy.

10. I will play the annoying child game with everyone I know (ask fifty
questions about every person, because everyone has a story).

11. I will maintain control of my environment and not let a messy
environment alter my stress levels.

12. I will work hard and allow sadness to penetrate me fully when I need
to experience it so that I can detach from these feelings once I recover.

13. I will give my mind and body as much sleep as it needs to incorporate all of these ingredients in my day.



What is your own personal recipe for euphoria? It was fun creating this one. Make your own list and spice up each day with some flavorful cheer.

Everything will be delicious.