Being happy is a choice we make for ourselves. The state of mind we choose to wake up with and sleep with goes a long way in creating our happiness quotient. Being happy can never go out of style but usually we let the small things impact us and most of the time this happens unknowingly which is the cause of all misery.
We love comparing ourselves and our lives with others around us, which is why we end up being hard on ourselves. This can be due to many reasons – you are not happy in your job, social media influence, stressful environment at home, and believe it or not, having good food and a good diet also impacts your mood and your happiness.
Have you ever thought why do we compare ourselves to others? The key reason is that we correlate happiness to materialistic things – getting a promotion is happiness, getting fame, a big title, a big increment is happiness. What does that lead to? Buying a new home or buying a new car. Yes all this does make a person happy but it’s RELATIVE. Today you have all these luxuries, you are happy but then you are not satisfied. You want more of this! Why? Because you have to be one up to someone. The day these luxuries are taken away, your happiness is also taken away along with it.
There is a renowned author Gretchen Rubin, who wrote the book “The Happiness Project”. Yes it is a project; it does not come automatically because there is a lot of conscious effort that goes into staying happy especially in difficult situations.
What we need in our life is ABSOLUTE happiness. No matter what situation you are in, you are happy and if you are happy, you make the environment positive and the people around you can feel that too. This happiness is not dependent on external factors.
But everyone’s version of absolute happiness is very different. Some people are happiest when they do things for others, while some find great joy in pursuing their interests. Basically, your happiness depends on how meaningful your life is and what are the things that bring you satisfaction.
Another very important thing for happiness is to be mentally and physically healthy. Positive social connections also bring happiness. The way you can spread your positivity to others, the same way, others can influence the same feeling in you. Appreciate people, appreciate your surroundings, experience the beauty around you, show gratitude for the little things in your life.
Humour is a very important ingredient for a happy life. Smile a lot, laugh a lot, it’s contagious. Humour is also a way to let go off your negative emotions caused by people or situations. Let go! Focus on the power of forgiveness – for yourself and for others.
Focus on the intangibles. I know earning money cannot be your only goal in life, but financial stability is important because the lack of it can lead to stress and anxiety.
Often the things that matter the most to us are the things money cannot buy. So while money is important, strike the right balance with the intangibles such as love, acceptance, trust, respect, humour, creativity, excitement, health, stable relationships, compassion, understanding, faith, loyalty, and safety which will surely lead you to a happy life.
Remember, a happy person creates a happy environment!
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