25 Ways To Be Happy.
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25 Ways To Be Happy – Unknown author.
At the age of 20, grandfather was given just a few years to live because he had extremely high blood pressure. But he has been fortunate. Over the years new medicines became available as he needed them. As a result, today at 70-plus he is alive and well and truly kicking. Despite the expectation that his life would be short, he married, had children and a successful career. Because of that same expectation, he travelled the world with a backpack, he painted, he played different sports, and he maintained strong ties with relatives and friends all over the world. He has lived a much fuller life than many of his peers. Life is full of ups and downs. In order to experience happiness you must experience other emotions, including sadness and anger, to some degree nearly every day. The ideal you should work towards is to be accepting of what you have and who you are, to enjoy life whenever possible and to feel happy most of the time. I say most of the time because nobody is going to be happy every moment. Life is just not like that. Happiness needs to be earned, worked at and appreciated. For those of you with no real reason to be unhappyÂ… those whose life is basically trouble-freeÂ… here are some thoughts to help you remember that life is good.
1. Change your thinking. Live every day as if it is your last. People who have survived a terminal illness or accident, witnessed a tragedy or lost a loved one are said to have a different perspective on life. Many will say that they no longer leave anything until later. They travel, learn a new skill, contact a friend now. They knowÂ… and we should all rememberÂ… that there might not be a later.
2. Keep a journal. Write an ongoing list of the good things that happen to you every day. What was that lovely thing your friend/sibling/child said to you the other day? You will not remember unless you write it down. Problems can be solved and bad things cleared from your thoughts by writing them down, too. Try itÂ… it works!
3. Get some perspective on things. Think about how you would like to be remembered and what you might tell your grandchildren about your life. Is it really that important that the linen is changed weekly and the floors are kept spotlessly clean? That work meeting last year that meant you missed your childÂ’s school concertÂ… does it matter now?
4. Do not let the small stuff bug you. Wasting your energy by getting upset about lifeÂ’s many minor irritations is not worth it. Smile and wave to the driver who would not let you merge into his lane. He is rude and aggressive, and it is his problem. You have missed the train? Fretting is pointlessÂ… the train is gone. Enjoy the view while you wait for the next one.
5. Do any unpleasant or difficult chores that need doing. Do them now. Procrastination drains your energy and burdens your mind. If you are thinking and worrying about something that needs to be done, you might as well be doing it.
6. Change your routine. Life can begin to seem like a bit of a chore if we do the same thing day after day, week after week. We need to create interest in our lives, and to do new things. If you normally sleep in on a Sunday, the sleep in is no longer a treat. Why not get up early and have breakfast in the park? YouÂ’ll beat the crowds and be heading home as they arrive. The day will seem much longer. (Or, for those who never sleep in, arrange it somehowÂ… what a luxury it is!)
7. DonÂ’t try to keep up with others. So, your neighbours have a larger home, the latest stereo system, a new carÂ… who cares? Look again. He works on the weekends, and they never seem to see friends. Who is better off, really?
8. Have a big clean out and divest ourselves of useless stuff. Clothes unworn for a year, the dinner service that you have always hated, kitchen utensils that are always in the way but never used, unused linen (you still have cot linen on the shelf and the baby is six!), toys, books, furnitureÂ… give it all to a charity and you will have helped the poor. The bonus is that your shelves and cupboards are clutter-free now. House-work is easier, your vision is clearer and the feng shui of your home is improved.
9. Learn to say no. You do not have to do it. Your life is already too busy and you are running from one thing to another. Give yourself some space to think and time to do something for yourself.
10. Remember to love your partner for who he or she is. Have they really changed so much? Or (think about it!) might he/she actually be the same person that you fell in love with? The relationship might need some workÂ… everything needs some repair work or maintenance after a few years of runningÂ… but the parts should still be in working order.
11. DonÂ’t let familiarity breed contempt. Your partner and family deserve at least the same consideration you give your friends. And you deserve the same from them.
12. Tell your partner, family and friends that you love them. Tell them what you love about them. Tell them when they do things well. A little praise never hurts and before you know it you might be told that youÂ’ve done things well too. You never knowÂ…
13. Are you always a shoulder to lean on for troubled friends? It may be hard, but if their problems are beginning to affect you, then you need to try not to be quite so available all the time. They need to address their problems and get on with their lives.
14. Phone, e-mail, even write to some old friends. You have lost touch, but it need not be forever. And how long is it since you spoke to your cousins? He/she would love to hear from you.
15. Enhance your mood with greenery. Cut some fresh flowers from your gardenÂ… or get up early, head to the markets and fill your home with loads of cheap flowers, fruit and vegetables. Everyone had potted plants in the 1970sÂ… bring them back! These fill the house with life and vitality.
16. Go to the beach. The long views, the wind, the waves, bare feet in the sand, sun on the backÂ… there is nothing so good for the soul. (A friend of mine is renewed and invigorated in the same way by a walk on a hill. To each his/her own.)
17. Create something. Paint, sculpt, sew, bake, gardenÂ… anything!
18. Breathe fresh air. Go outside or open the windows. Breathe deeply to the bottom of your lungs and feel the stale air leave you.
19. Go for a walk. This gentle exercise will renew and invigorate you physically and mentally on your first outing. Take it up regularly and you will feel better every day.
20. Rent a funny video and have a good laugh. Old television comedies always do it for me.
21. Move your furniture and ornaments around, change rooms, paint walls. It is true, a change is as good as a holiday.
22. Give yourself something to look forward to. Book a holiday, a night out, a massage.
23. Invite friends over for dinner. Get everyone to dress up, and decorate the room and the table. Greet everyone with cocktails or champagne, and have music playing. Spend time thinking about and planning the menu, enjoy the shopping and cooking. People cannot help but respond positively when you have gone to a lot of effort for them. The night will be good fun. And do not get stressed over cleaning the house beforehand... no one will even notice.
24. Smile. Smiling is contagiousÂ… try it and see.
25. Make someone elseÂ’s day happier. It may sound a bit corny, but why not? Start by suppressing the urge to blast your horn at the slow driver ahead. Or you could make a positive move by volunteering your time for a charity.
This is dedicated to the other half of my life... Yvonne Seah. -
Thank you my love.
I Love You.
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World events, except for those directly affected, donÂ’t have as much impact on people as the media leads one to believe. No matter what is happening in the world, if an individual is happy in five areas of their life, that individual will probably be happy. Those five areas are:
Health - DoesnÂ’t have to be prefect, but must be good.
Work - Must be interesting. Even a very wealthy person without some type of interesting work will not be happy.
Financial Situation - You certainly donÂ’t need to be rich to be happy, but it helps if youÂ’re out of debt, and reasonably secure and comfortable.
Romantic Life- If you’re married you must love and respect your spouse; if single, you must have a relationship that provides the kind of “spark” that can’t be found in work.
Family or Social Life - If you have children they have to give you more pleasure than pain. If you donÂ’t have children there must be someone else in your life, other than a spouse or lover, that you can care about, and that cares about you, in a personal and deep way. This might be a close, long-term friend, relatives, or even, for some people, pets.
You might ask yourself in how many of the above 5 areas are you satisfied?
One of the most interesting observations IÂ’ve made over time is that itÂ’s not where someone is at in regards to these five things that makes them happy - itÂ’s what direction they are moving that matters. For example, someone that made $50,000 last year and is making $60,000 this year will be happier, in respect to financial condition, than someone that made $100,000 last year and is making $90,000 this year, although the latter person is still making more money than the former. Life is a momentum game.
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WeÂ’ll be happy when...
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids arenÂ’t old enough and weÂ’ll be more content when they are. After that, weÂ’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.
The truth is thereÂ’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.
ItÂ’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with... and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting...
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer..
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you donÂ’t need money,
Love like youÂ’ve never been hurt,
And, dance like no oneÂ’s watching. -
Very true and practical way to look at life. I must admit that I follow some of the pointers listed too. -
wah....eye-opener....
