Are you happy?

Knowing your purpose

Are you happy? If not, are you trying to make everybody else happy?

This is not your purpose. You were not born to please everybody; it is not your responsibility. If you are trying to make everybody happy – stop it – you are attempting the impossible. You will end up miserable and sad.

Controlled by others

You have been thinking about that business idea for a while now. However, you are afraid to make that move because you know that he will get upset.

Week after week, you have been working long hours just to keep your boss happy. Stop sacrificing your happiness for theirs. Life is too short and your time is too precious to spend it being controlled by others.

Evaluating your relationships

In order for you to soar high like an eagle, you need to surround yourself with the right kind of people. People fall into one of four categories:

1. lift,
2. thrust,
3. weight, or
4. drag.

Pay attention to who you are spending your time with. Ensure that you are spending the majority of your time with lifts and thrusts.

Lift – these are the people who brighten your day. They make you feel good about yourself. Your spirits are high when you are around them.

Thrust – these people will motivate and inspire you to take action. They make you think and dream big. They are your cheerleaders and they make you believe in yourself. With these people around, you know that you can achieve anything.

Weight – these people pull you down. When you leave their presence, you feel heavy, discouraged, and depressed. No matter how hard you try to rise to the surface, they are like a tonne of bricks tied to your ankles pulling you down.

Drag – these are the people who always have a sad story. Everyone is out to get them. Their view is that life is unfair. They are always in the pits and they expect you to cheer them up and to solve their problems.

3 tips for dealing with weights and drags

The truth is you can not avoid weights and drags. You will find theses types of people everywhere – in your workplace and even in your home. You should recognize and love them for who they are and stop putting off your happiness because of them.

You can:

1. listen to something that inspires you such as music and motivational talks;
2. keep your guard up by always having a grateful and thankful attitude; and
3. decide not to let them steal your joy. If they want to be unhappy, that is their choice.

21 things that happy people do

There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They maintain a positive outlook on life and remain at peace with themselves.

The question is: how do they do that? By having good habits that enhance their lives. They:

1. Do not hold grudges. It is better to forgive and forget than to let negative feelings crowd out positive feelings.
2. Treat everyone with kindness. It has been proven scientifically being kind makes you happier.
3. See problems as challenges. A problem is seen as a drawback. A challenge is seen as an opportunity.
4. Express gratitude for what they already have. Counting your blessings gives a deeper sense of content.
5. Dream big. Dreaming big puts your mind in a positive and focused state.
6. Do not sweat the small stuff. Letting the simply things roll off your back, puts you at ease.
7. Speak well of others. Being nice is always better than being mean. If you have nothing good to say, then keep quiet.
8. Never make excuses. It is always best to own up to your mistakes, deal with the consequences, and move on.
9. Get absorbed into the present. There is no merit dwelling on the past and worrying about the future.
10. Avoid social comparison. Staying your lane and working at your own pace wins the race.
11. Choose friends wisely. Misery is always looking for company. So avoid miserable and ungrateful people as best as you can.
12. Never seek approval from others. Happy people march to the beat of their own drums.
13. Take the time to listen. Happy people talk less and listen more.
14. Nurture social relationships. Strong and healthy relationships are good for your well-being and mental health.
15. Meditate. Meditating silences the mind and gives inner peace.
16. Eat well. Junk food makes you lethargic and it is difficult to function in a lethargic state.
17. Exercise. Exercise boosts self-esteem and self-confidence.
18. Live minimally. Clutter can be overwhelming.
19. Tell the truth. It is less stressful to remember the truth than to remember all the lies.
20. Establish personal control. Happy people do not allow others to dictate to them how they should live.
21. Accept what cannot be changed. Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you will be more at peace with yourself.