23.7.13

6 Habits of Perpetually Happy People


Habits are the behaviors we do repeatedly, that shape our entire lives. General happiness is highly correlated to the habits that we do every day, and yes...people who seem to be perpetually in a great mood tend to have certain habits that contribute to that. Each one of these alone wold make anyone a happier person, but all of them together are powerful steps to leading a very happy life.

1. Gratitude and Appreciation

Gratitude is such an amazing emotion. When you are feeling truly grateful for something, it's impossible to be in a bad mood. Go ahead, try it. Gratitude is a deep, powerful positive emotion that is exercised naturally every day by happy people. There are SO MANY things to be grateful for, no matter who you are. The happiest people are the ones who genuinely appreciate all things - small and large - that they have. Family, friends, health, being able to walk, pets, nature, sunsets, having a home...I could go on forever.

Life is so amazing and so multifaceted, and there's over 7 billion life stories on this planet right now (not even including the animals)...there are so many things to appreciate...and that is enough to make anyone instantly happier. The happiest people don't have the most, they just MAKE the most out of what they have. If you are reading this, you have a million reasons to be happy...you're here! Enjoy it! It doesn't last forever, and time waits for no one...so enjoy the little time on this planet that you do have. The Earth really is a beautiful place. Live like you are dying...because you are.

2. Self discipline

Self discipline doesn't seem fun or happy sometimes when you're doing things to better yourself while you'd rather be watching TV, or eating junk food...but it is a huge factor is being happy. Self discipline is about not sacrificing what you want most for what you want NOW. This leads to happiness because it breeds self esteem, just as little or no self discipline breeds low self esteem. You can't lie to yourself, and you know whether you've been slacking on what you should be doing or not.

If you are acting in a way that you would lose respect for others should you see them acting like that, then guess what? You will lose self-respect too should you continue to act like that. This is why people with higher levels of self discipline have higher levels of self esteem. Same thing applies to the opposite...if you do things that you would gain respect for others if you saw them doing them...you will naturally respect yourself much more when you do them. So self discipline = higher self esteem = being happier.

3. Being Mindful (living in the moment)

   “ If you are depressed you are living in the past.
    If you are anxious you are living in the future.
    If you are at peace you are living in the present. ” - Lao Tzu

Being mindful is taking everything and each moment as it comes. Using all five of your senses (or at least four if you aren't eating) to completely savor the moment and what is going on around you. How many times can you say that you honestly do this? For most people, it's not many. Most people always have something, some kind of distraction. Just taking time to appreciate the fact that you are here, alive, the universe experiencing itself right now...all the sounds, textures, sights, smells around you..it's such a peaceful and happy way to be. Sometimes when I start to get upset about anything I take a minute to be mindful and ask myself what are 5 things about this moment that I love? The peace and quiet? Feel of the wind of my face? There is always something to love, when you pay attention.

4. Flexibility

Life is easiest when you are able to adapt. On an evolutionary level, only those who could adapt, survived. This is also important for satisfaction in life, and requires a certain level of zen.

Those who go with the flow when you can't always get your way, or when things change, are infinitely happier than those who resist any kind of change. Also, this is the only way to grow. Staying stagnant does nothing for you as a person, except make your mood suffer. The most zen, calm people are like water...they flow around obstacles and things standing in their way....they go with the flow when plans change, the weather sucks, whatever happens that was not expected. Part of this is letting go of expectations outside of your control, part of this is just being mature. Stubborn little kids get upset when they can't get exactly what they wanted. After a while, it's just better to grow up, work with change, and adapt accordingly. Staying calm is a much happier disposition than getting worked up.

5. Smile every chance you get

Laughing should also be included, but we naturally smile when we laugh. there is a TED talk about body language and how it effects our minds. Funny enough, the "Fake it until you make it" actually holds scientific weight when it comes to body language. If we have a dominant position, more testosterone gets released, and as a result we feel more dominant. If we smile, more dopamine gets released and other feel good hormones, leading us to feel better. So whether you are smiling because you're happy or happy because you;re smiling, happy people simply smile more.

I have always been a smiley person for as long as I can remember. My friends even gave me the nickname Smiley McGee (lol). I'm just one of those people who is easily amused, or sees humor or happiness in a lot of situations. Even when my mood isn't the best, I find myself smiling at something inevitably...and start to feel better. Happiness is infectious, should you choose it to be.

6. Taking Control


Realize that your life doesn't happen TO you it happens because of you. You get in what you put in, nothing will be handed to you on a silver platter...good things come to those who work for them. Taking control of your own happiness instead of waiting for someone else to come along and do it, or doing nothing at all, is the quickest way to be happy.

The victim mindset is one I have touched on a lot, because it is such an easy way of thinking to fall into...and it will do nothing but suck the happiness out of your life. Fast. I've been there, done that, never going back. Taking control of your own destiny is not only empowering, it's the only way anything will ever get done. Being happy is a choice, and it's not always easy. Happy people choose to look at the positive side of any situation, and learn from the negative ones. If you play the victim life with give you many things to be hurt about, it WILL beat you into submission...because it isn't fair and never will be. Happy people are too busy looking on the bright side and being determined to stay there to let negativity completely take over.

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