I’ve always been practical about these things. Sometimes a little too practical I think. But the rational side of me has taught me a lot about choosing to be happy. It has made it easy for me to get rid of the unhealthy habits that plague the unhappy. That being said, along the way, I have learnt and found other ‘touchy-feely’ habits that I want to adopt because I see the value in them.
These are the top 8 things that I have personally tested and proven to work in encouraging happiness.
1. If you are unhappy about something, it’s okay to be sad about it for a while. Then, ask yourself, is that something I can change to make this better? If there is, change it. If not, accept what you cannot change. Either you take the steps to improve your own situation, or accept the things you cannot control.
2. Avoid thoughts of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what could have beens’. It has passed and is over, there is no point in wasting your energy on such thoughts. Plus it is depressing and will stress you out mentally and emotionally. And even after all thinking, nothing changes, you can’t turn back the clock. Let it go and move on.
3. Stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Sit and wish all day, but things will not happen for you if you don’t act on it. Instead of saying, ‘I wish I had more time to do what I like’, say ‘I will set aside 2 hours every Saturday morning to do it’.
4. Do all you can to avoid having regrets. Give importance to every decision you make and consider the reasons for every choice. This way, when you look back at any point in your life, you have the peace of mind that you made the best decision for yourself or your loved ones at the given time.
5. Make time for something you love doing. I had major problems with this because I always wanted to make sure every minute of my day was productive. Activities like relaxing or reading was considered ‘not productive’. You may not realise it at that moment, but all the times you choose not to do what you love, you lose that little bit of joy. And it adds up over time.
6. Which also leads me to the next point, which is to slow down. You may have heard that in this fast-paced generation, people grow less observant about the things around them. They are present physically but not necessarily in mind. Stop. Slow down and feel the things around you. When the world stops whizzing by, you will start to feel more like you’re living.
7. Be thankful. Yes, you’ve heard this countless times. But I mean, be thankful consciously, even for the smallest things. I was guilty of ‘being thankful for my food and my health’ but not really feeling the gratitude. Take the time to really feel the gratitude for things you have. If you believe in God, thank God for all that He has blessed you with and realise that you could have been the one without.
8. Love the people around you and allow them to love you back. Try not to fight, and surround yourself with good feelings. Don’t turn down acts of love because you think it is unnecessary or that you are troubling someone else (which is what I’m guilty of). Let them do it for you, accept it and enjoy it. And then do something for them in return.
These are my 8. I would love to hear about other ways to be happy. Do share them with me.
“People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said. “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose.”
Juxxtapose 