Everyone has different wants and desires. But while the specific things that make us happy are different, at the end of the day we are all seeking for the same thing – and that is happiness in life.
Happiness is a state of mind, which originates internally. While external possessions do provide temporary pleasure and distraction away from the unhappy aspects of life, it does not bring true lasting happiness.
After some time, these external possessions lose their appeal, and we will go back to square one. Unfortunately, many people deal with this by seeking more new things, and this becomes a never-ending cycle.
Don’t seek for these brief pleasures. Instead of constantly chasing toys and things to be happy, focus on having true lasting happiness that comes from within. Live a lifestyle that cultivates true lasting happiness.
HAPPINESS IS WITHIN US ALL
The main reason why some people are happy is because they have a different mindset. They look at the world differently, they think differently and they interpret experiences differently.
Happy people choose to focus on the positive while still remaining realistic. They seldom blame things outside of their control. Whenever they face setbacks they view it as valuable experiences, not failures. They don’t take life too seriously. They know that life is short and every moment alive is a gift.
Change your attitude and the way you view your life and you’ll experience more happiness.
To help you do that, here are some tips for more happiness in your life.
Before you start seeking and looking for ways to gain happiness, you must understand what does happiness mean.
7 Key Tips for Happiness
1.Practice gratitude and always remember what you have
Always remember to be grateful for what you already have. If you don’t usually take time to remember and be grateful for what you already have, what is the point of striving for future achievements, experiences and possessions?
You’ll just most likely forget about it after it has been achieved.
Everyday, take some time out to remind yourself of all the good things that you have been blessed with.
Always remember being blessed with most important things in life that we usually take for granted, such as health, family, friends, the wonderful experiences you had, possessions, money etc.
Make it a daily habit to do this. It will certainly brighten up your day.
2.Use uplifting music
There is a somewhat mystical and magical property in music that allows it to influence and impact our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state.
Happy, uplifting music communicates directly to the heart of our being and brings out joy and happiness. This is a very quick and effective tip for experiencing happiness.
There are plenty of beautiful and happy music created by the geniuses of the past and present. Make use of it at various times during the day to bring some delight to your day.
It is a really simple way to experience happiness. Not only do certain songs and music have uplifting qualities, it also reminds us of the joy of life.
The use of music is not only effective, but it’s impact is almost instantaneous as well. Search and come up with a list of happy songs, make a playlist of songs and keep it close by and easily accessible.
Some of my personal favorite happy songs are Hakuna Matata (soundtrack from The Lion King), I Feel Good and Don’t Worry Be Happy.
3. Inspirational stories, happiness quotes and poems
Another tip for more happiness is to surround yourself with inspirational stories, quotes on happiness and poems about happiness.
Just like music, great works of literature speaks directly to the heart of our being. A touching story, quote or poem is able to affect millions to appreciate life and experience joy.
To experience more happiness just head over to the library or bookstore. There are numerous books and literature of this kind.
Buy or make posters with quotes or poems that remind us of the joy and happiness of life. Place these stories or quotes around us, like it your house or office so that you’ll be reminded and affected by it constantly.
4. Smile and laugh
Smiles and laughter are the expressions of joy and happiness. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t just laugh and smile when you feel happy inside, it also works the other way round.
This means that by smiling and laughing, you can make yourself happy too. The connection of the internal state happiness and the physical act of laughter is a two way road.
In fact, in an experiment of a new treatment method for clinically depressed people, the patients involved in the experiment reported feeling much happier as a result of the method than they ever did in many years of traditional treatment and medication.
What was this new treatment method? Simple, the patients were asked to keep smiling for a certain period of time for consecutive days.
Don’t underestimate the power of smiling and laughter. For those who think that happiness is just about being happy on the inside, just remember that there’s a big difference between being happy inside and being happy inside AND telling your face about it.
If you don’t smile or laugh much, here’s your assignment.
For the next 7 days, I want you to look in a mirror and for 2 minutes, give yourself the biggest, brightest and craziest smile.
Do it just before going to sleep, and early in the morning after waking up. Just spare 4 minutes a day and see what this can do for your life.
5.Do something you love, a hobby or activity that you enjoy and allocate time for it
Everyone has a natural interest, passion and inclination. You may be born with it, or you may discover and develop it throughout the course of your life.
Regardless of how it came about, one thing is for sure – indulging in this interest brings you joy and happiness.
It can be anything. Everyone has different interests and passion. However in the busy lives of people nowadays, many people never put time aside for them to enjoy their hobbies.
This is due to the pressures and demands of work, family, social commitments and various other distractions.
So the only way to spend time on your interests is just to put it higher up on your priority list.
For many, hobbies and interest are at the bottom of the list. It’s only after they have done everything else and have spare time then they start thinking about their hobbies.
However, if you are serious about having more happiness in life, you’ve got to give your interests and hobbies a higher priority.
Apart from that, as time passes our interests change as well. What you used to enjoy may not be so now. So occasionally try new things and seek new hobbies to keep things fresh and exciting.
6. Surround yourself with beauty. Learn to appreciate nature, art, music, theatre
Many famous works of poetry states that beauty is truth. Great beauty has a distinctive quality which calms the observer and brings peace and happiness.
As human beings we become naturally awed and inspired by objects and works of great beauty. The human spirit responds to it.
Thus, let this be a source of happiness for you as well. Occasionally explore and enjoy the natural wonders that Mother Nature has to offer. It can be the majestic mountains and oceans, or even the smallest flower.
Enjoy the harmony of great musical works, the visual and auditory splendour of a great theatre show, the detail and colors of a piece of artwork, the creativity of a dance, etc.
And while you’re doing it don’t just observe it on the surface level. Learn to appreciate objects of beauty by contemplating and going deeper into it. Taking up art appreciation classes is a good idea too.
7. Helping others
Giving and helping one another is central to all religious and moral teachings, and there is a reason why this is so.
If you have had the experience of genuinely helping someone, without any motives other than to see them get through their problems, you would understand why many great men has said that living is giving.
Nothing gives greater satisfaction, meaning and happiness than to sincerely help another human being and seeing their appreciation as well as the impact it has on their lives.
It is just how we human beings are made. We are naturally geared this way. It doesn’t matter how big or small the contribution is. Look for opportunities to sincerely help others and contribute to society whenever you can and you will have more happiness in life.
Having said that, be careful not to strive towards martyrdom. Don’t make your life just about giving and sacrificing yourself. Be an excellent giver, but also an excellent receiver.
Allow others to help you, in the same way that you want others to allow you to help them. If no one is willing to receive, how can anyone give?
Final thoughts
If you look at it closely, the majority of the happiness tips are actions that actually help to remind and bring out the happiness within us.
This shows that happiness has and is always within us, it is just that often times we are so busy with things in life (of which many are not that important) that we forget all about happiness.
So make it a point to make use of these tips for happiness, and try to cultivate more joy in your life. Wishing you a happy life ahead!