How To Be Happy

Figuring out how to be happy with your job, your relatives, your kids, your boss, your spouse, and even yourself is something that a lot of people are always working towards. It is easy to think that authentic happiness will come once you are living the life of your dreams. The thinking goes that once you are married or once you have kids or once you retire, then you will be happy. The problem is that as soon as you achieve one goal, you immediately start thinking of your next goal. Hence, happiness is fleeting. Going from accomplishment to accomplishment is great for conscious growth, but it is not an effective way of how to be happy because it puts happiness always in the future, not in the present moment.

How Can You Be Happy Right Now?

First, accept what is. In this moment, your life is exactly what it is supposed to be - it can be no other way than how it is. Be at peace with where your life is in this moment. Furthermore, remember that your present was yesterday's future. Your day today is the result of yesterday's goals. The fastest way to of how to be happy is to recognize your achievements and give yourself a pat on the back.

Second, recognize the happiness that is all around you: when you see a stranger smiling, your cat curled up in the sun, a child eagerly licking an ice cream cone, and, best of all, the sound of laughter from the ones you love. A quote that I made up one day on Twitter fits well here, "Laugh often, it is your heart's way of singing."

Third, simply do things that make you happy. Learning that you have the self knowledge to know how to be happy is one of life's sweetest lessons. Knowing how to be happy is as easy as smiling at yourself in the mirror. It is virtually impossible to be sad when you have a smile on your face :)

Liikewise, it is easy to be happy while meditating or exercising. The mind-body connection is very strong and it is virtually impossible for your body to be doing positive and productive things (like meditation or exercise) and simultaneously have negative thoughts. Even if your schedule is tight, you can take 20 seconds to just close your eyes and concentrate on breathing in and out. It will help you to slow down, reduce stress, and re-focus your energy on being happy.

Schedule time during the week to do things that make you happy. If your favorite TV show is on Tuesday nights, then do more chores on either Monday or Wednesday and give yourself that precious 30 minutes to relax on Tuesdays. For me, I love to watch college football and every Thursday I check the football schedule for Saturday game times. I get everything done early Saturday morning so that I can enjoy all of the football games in the afternoon. Doing things that make you happy fuels more happiness, which in turn makes you want to do even more things that make you happy. It is a happy (not vicious) circle ;-)

If you don't know what makes you happy, start with doing things that don't feel bad. Having a neutral life is better than having a negative life, so this is a step in the right direction. Almost everyone has used this technique when trying out new things: if you are a smoker, you may not know if you will be happy as a non-smoker, but you do know that quitting will make your life less negative.

Reach out to the people that you love and ensure that you see them in person on a regular basis. Phone calls and emails are a fast, but poor, substitute for actual human interaction. We are all social beings and spending time "in-person" with your loved ones will make you authentically happy. When working from home, I can send or respond to many emails and it feels like I am being social. But, whenever I go outside and say hello to a neighbor, it feels dramatically better than all those emails. Real interaction trumps electronic interaction any day of the week.

Keep a gratitude journal. Every night, write down at least four things that you are grateful for. Four is a good number because it is pretty easy to come up with at least two things; then last two require you to really think. This was one of the most effective techniques that I did when learning how to be happy. The gratitude journal reminded me that life is full of kindness, joy, and every day miracles. With each line that I jotted down, I felt my mood lift higher and higher. Sometimes, after turning off my light, I would still be grinning in the dark.

I hope this post has helped you on your path to happiness :)