Embarking on the quest for happiness? Discover eight transformative strategies that can elevate your mood and enrich your life. Let's delve into the art of cultivating joy, and learn how to embrace happiness today.
Happiness is a state of mind
A state of well-being and contentment
- The definition can be tricky and assumptions about the word can cause confusion.
- Some people, when they hear the word ‘happiness,’ assume it is speaking of an emotion such as pleasure or joy, but this short-term definition is not how everyone understands the word
- Long-term happiness is a quality of living, a much longer-term view of the word
Develop healthy habits
Pursue healthy habits that add value to your hours, days, and lifetime
Choose happiness
Happiness is a choice. It is not an outcome of current circumstances.
- If you get caught in the trap of thinking your circumstances need to change before you can be happy, you’ll never, ever get to the happiness that is just around the corner.
Don’t Pursue Physical Possessions
Consumerism is not synonymous with happiness
- These excess possessions add stress, worry, and burden to our lives
- Declutter your closet or drawer to make room for the things you really need, but are not in desperate need of
Focus on the good
If you’re looking for reasons to be happy, you’ll probably find them.
- Happy people focus on positive thoughts
- Jonny Joseph Jones, a Marine who lost both of his legs in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan, said this: “People ask how I stay so positive…”
Be present in your relationships
Close relationships hold the key to happiness
- We don’t get to control every aspect of our relationships (we didn’t choose our family, for example). But we can all take steps to be a good friend
- And good friends tend to attract a healthy community
Look outside yourself
The most efficient pathway to lasting happiness and fulfillment is not to look only at your own interests but also to the interests of others.
- When we shift our focus off of ourselves, we live lives of greater meaning and greater contribution. When we serve others without concern over what we might receive in return, we experience the beauty of selfless love.
Stop comparing
No matter how you choose to define happiness, comparing yourself to others will rob you of it.
Practice gratitude and generosity
Gratitude and generosity can only be understood correctly when we see them as disciplines rather than responses
- A discipline is something we practice regardless of our circumstances
- Making them both a discipline in your life will result in a happier today… and tomorrow
