Want To Be Happy?

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health.  Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life.  Stress is linked to the top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Growing up, my Dad used to tell my sisters and I,  "The only thing in life that stays the same is change, so get used to it."  My mom had a gentler way of saying it, "This too shall pass."
Making peace with the mindset of those two phrases from my parents has gone a long way in helping me find peace of mind and joy through the years.  Especially when everything seemed to be going the wrong direction.

You can make a conscious decision to look at the bright side of things and decide to be happy.
Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be.  The choice is simple , choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this:
 
Have an attitude of gratitude.  When we approach life with a grateful heart, it is difficult to focus on all that is wrong in our world.  We have so much for which to be thankful.

Expressing gratitude is another happiness generator for you and for the person who hears the "Thank You."  Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the person who cleans your windows.  Showing gratitude is a wonderful way to connect to others.  

News is stressful.  Get less of it.  Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news.  Think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news.  Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.  Read something positive first thing in the day or listen to uplifting messages or music.

Nurture your spirit every day.  Feed your soul.  It needs nourishment just as your body does.
 
Manage your time.  Time is invaluable and too important to waste.  Time management involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing.  These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient life.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday.  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it.  Share funny stories.  Laughter is healing.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you.  They will appreciate it and most likely reciprocate.  Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations to yourself as this is bad for your health.  Instead, find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more harm to you or others.
 
Working with passion brings tremendous personal satisfaction.  It gives a feeling of purpose and success.  Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value.
Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.
 
Learning is a joyful exercise.  Try and learn something new everyday.   Learning makes us broaden our horizons.  This may provide even greater opportunities for us and at the least, makes us more interesting.

Jog, walk and do other activities that your body was made to enjoy.  Feel alive.
 
Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are just a few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

Always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

So, with that said, mindfully choose to be happy.