When I thought what would be of most benefit to Moms & Dads (and the rest of the Family), the thought came to mind…knowing how to be happy. We all have good days and bad days. We all have ups and downs. We all have to deal with things that we really don’t wish to deal with and experience great joy in special events such as births and graduations. So perhaps, a better title would be – how to be consistently happy.
I could give you a list of things to do like…
- Take a power nap (20 minutes).
- Get rid of 3 things you never use.
- Don’t use Facebook for the rest of the day. (go on…try it!)
- Stop watching/reading the news for a week.
- Watch a romantic comedy.
- Grab a book at the library.
- Join a book club.
- Clean your bathroom. Just do it. There are surprising benefits to a clean space.
- Sit on a park bench.
- Talk to the stranger next to you.
and the list could go on and on. While these are great ideas (and a great list) at the end of the day, happiness is a choice. Now, there are people experiencing a great amount of pain and anguish and I do not wish to take anything from that and I won’t but for those of us that have a relatively normal day on a regular basis we need to choose to be happy.
Choose to be happy? Crazy concept but it’s true. Choose to ‘look on the bright side of life’. Choose to love your life. Choose to be grateful. Choose to love and be loved.
A Few Tips
Now I don’t have a list, as what makes you happy is different from me (Do make a list and try to do things on your list regularly) but I do have a few tips:
- Surround yourself with Happy People. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by negative people. Conversely, if you are around people who are happy their emotional state will be infectious.
- Be Grateful. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy. These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continued happiness.
- Stay Healthy. We often take our health for granted until we get ill. Exercise and eat well – this will also lift your mood!
- Value Work. Find ways to enjoy work and be grateful for the ability to work.
- Serve. Take an old lady to the shops, make someone laugh, say ‘Thank you’ or do a chore someone else would not have time or energy to do. Are you making the world a better place?
- Make Goals. Plan, prepare and work towards them. You will be happier and grow and develop as a person.
- Budget. Are you financially secure? Are you living within your means? Financial burdens can bring much sorrow. Budget and live within your means. If you are in a bad place financially, choose to do your best and be happy anyway.
- Friends and Family. Allow yourself to love and be loved by friends and family. We are all in this together and often you will find someone who has been through what you have (or worse).
References: www.lifehack.org
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