7 Steps to Happiness
What is it about yourself that makes you unhappy? If you just consider happiness to be a decision, the answer is less complicated than you may imagine. You must make the decision to be happy; here are a few suggestions on how to go about doing so.
#1: Gratitude. Individuals who are grateful are happy people. When your glass is only half full, it's much easy to feel depressed. When the glass is half full, it is much easier to be cheerful. Make the decision to put your attention on what you have rather than what you need, and you will notice that you will begin to feel better quite soon.
#2: Your thoughts are spiraling. Obsessing about the past is a convenient method to keep yourself down in the dumps. In the event that you are able to catch yourself spiraling into the dark whirlwind of should haves, you can just verbally declare that you do not want to think about it any more. Put your attention instead on the future, which leads me to my next point:
#3: You're worrying too much. If you're looking forward to the future with fear and a sense of uncertainty, the odds are that you're only making your situation worse. Consider making a conscious effort to see how the future may present beneficial chances for yourself, and you will find it simpler to smile.
#4: You're not smiling enough. To return to the topic of smiling, if you find yourself perpetually depressed, it's likely that your outward appearance is supporting your interior emotion. Increase your level of happiness to break the pattern. It may appear phony and insincere at first, but after a while, you will begin to feel genuine happiness.
#5: You're surrounded by negative people. Nothing has the power to make or break you quite like the environment you choose to live in. If you aren't pleased with your life, take some time to consider the types of people you are surrounded by at work and in your relationships. Do they whine and criticize others on a regular basis? If they do, there's a good chance it's rubbing off on you.
#6: You're not fulfilled. When you don't have a clear sense of direction in your life, it might be difficult to be content. Find some new activities to pursue, or rekindle old ones that you used to enjoy. Join a group or team that has a set of objectives for you to work toward. Put out some effort toward obtaining a promotion or finding a better position if you do not enjoy your current one.
Take on the task of being joyful
I don't think this is one of life's simplest tasks. There is a lot that we can't control, but the task to remain happy in the face of it all is a source of personal growth. Every time I find my mentality slipping, I see it as a chance to improve my capacity to make the most of the opportunities life presents and to gain control over how I experience the moment. I can't afford to dwell on the unfairness of my situation. Those thoughts have a way of disempowering me into a state of depression and self-doubt. Although it isn't free, joy will set you free. Learning to release myself from the shackles of negative emotions and thoughts, I'm now able to move on with my life without them. It's a daily battle to keep them out of my life, but it's also the greatest joy of my life. I'm unable to control the bad feelings that arise, but what I can choose is joy.
The wonderful thing about life is that we have the ability to choose whether or not to be happy. However, whatever your choice, make sure you don't allow anyone to tell you what you should be feeling. It is perfectly OK to be either. I understand that it is difficult to choose happiness when life is calling us to do the opposite, but by following these seven steps, I am at the very least on my way to learning how to make the most of whatever situation life may throw at me. So don't be concerned, instead, be pleased. That is all there is to it. As Bobby McFerrin once wrote "In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double so Don't worry, be happy."
