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any of us tend to live fast paced lives nowadays, chasing success which can often leave us wondering, “ When will I be truly Happy?” Many of us postpone our happiness with statements such as “I will be happy when I get the new car, the new job, meet my soul mate,” etcetera, etcetera the list goes on…..
However, true happiness starts on the inside, because no matter how many things you accumulate or achieve, if you are not happy and content with yourself on the inside, your happiness will be short lived and it won’t be long before you find yourself chasing the next dream in pursuit of the elusive happy feeling.
Because I have been there and I know how frustrating it can feel I wanted to share a few strategies that I have found to be very helpful for me in the past, and I hope that you will find that they do the same for you.
1. Positive Thoughts
That’s right make a real effort to think positively and believe that the glass is half full, not half empty. Make an effort to see the good in everything you do, even if you would rather be doing something else. Start by feeling happy on the inside.
Easier said than done I hear you say, however I started to improve things by focusing my mind on what made me happy. For me it’s my little boy, for you it might be a loved one, a pet, your car or an upcoming vacation. Whatever it is keep you mind focused on it and this will improve your mood. Once you have improved your mood, it is much easier for you to start to notice all the positive things in your life, I promise you will start to see them if you take the time to notice.
2. Appreciation/Gratitude
Appreciate all the good in your life and the world, and develop a healthy attitude of gratitude. Acknowledge the good things that people do for you every day. If a stranger holds the door open for you, make time to pause, smile and say a genuine thanks. If a colleague offers to make you a coffee show you appreciate it, and make sure you return the favour once in a while. Also make time to show those close to you that you are grateful for their love and support. Your genuine appreciation for those you love, will attract more good into your life and people want to do more for those who show them appreciation, it’s a win, win for everyone involved.
3. Follow Your Passion.
We all have a passion in life, however sometimes that passion is put on hold, because there simply isn’t enough time in our busy schedules. Well let me tell you people and I am speaking from experience here,“Some Day”, is just a code word for “Never!” So if you have a passion, make time for it, don’t make excuses, because your passion is the rocket fuel that will allow your happiness to expand and grow.
Take my advice, make time for your passion, you will be happier for it, believe me!!!
4. Take Care of You!
In your quest for a happier life, don’t forget to take care of you!! Many of us wrongly believe that we should take care of everyone else’s needs first, before our own. However, your needs are just as important as anyone else’s and paramount to your happiness.
So make sure that you are getting adequate rest and relaxation and that you have a healthy balanced diet, so that your body is getting all it needs to fulfil your routine. Also don’t forget to take time out to enjoy yourself, see a movie, meet with friends, enjoy life and live a little, you will feel happier because of it;-)
5. Love Yourself.
Part of our inner happiness, is to love and accept ourselves for who we are. This can be difficult, as many of us want to criticise ourselves for how we look, or for past mistakes etc. Remember the past is gone, so no use you beating yourself up about it. You need to find a way to love and accept yourself just as you are both your strengths and weaknesses.
I know how hard this can be, I found this very difficult, so I decided to see myself as a child that was just learning and growing with each new day. This made me more forgiving of my weaknesses and made me appreciate my strengths. With time and practice loving yourself will become second nature, and when this happens your happiness will be state of mind that is always present.
How to be happy in life is not rocket science; however it does require some time and practice on your part. If you follow these 5 simple steps, I feel confident that in just a short time you will develop your very own happiness habit, that will not only make you feel happier but will benefit those close to you. Soon people will begin to ask you, “ what’s your secret to happiness? “
Until next time,
To your success and happiness,
Roma Catherine:-)
PS; Please feel free to share your tips on how you develop happiness in the comments below;-)