Find Your Happy

Everybody wants to be happy yet so many of us struggle with finding the happiness that we're after. Too often we turn to materialistic goods, alcohol, drugs, and similar activities thinking that these will bring us happiness only to realize that the pleasure we gain from such shallow things is only temporary. True happiness comes from within, when we feel that we are realizing the potentials of our inner self. Check out these seven tips for a happier you and try to apply them to your life. You'll be surprised how big of an impact these simple tips can have in your own life.

1. Enjoy the moment.

Too many times we allow our minds to consume itself with events from the past that may have hurt us, caused us feelings of regret, or even left us feeling disappointed. Our minds also love to fascinate itself with ideas of the future, which lead us to consistently having feelings of stress, anxiety, or fear. Take the time to breathe, take in the beauty that constantly surrounds you, and just enjoy the moment. When you begin to enjoy the moment and release your mind of thoughts from the past and future, you’ll quickly realize how much happier your life will become.

2. Smile more.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase; “A smile can go a long way,” many times throughout your life and it’s for good reason. The theory that a smile, or frown, can affect your mood date back to the days of Charles Darwin. When we smile, it triggers a reduction in stress-enhancing hormones while also increasing the production of mood-enhancing hormones.

3. Follow your passion/desire.

A passion gives you a reason to keep learning and to work toward mastery. It can often give you a reason to travel, and therefore to have the new experiences so key to happiness. It gives you something in common with other people, and so fosters social bonds. It gives you purpose. It often has a satisfying physical aspect—rock-climbing, fly-fishing, knitting. It gives meaningful structure to your time. It makes the world a richer place. When you’re in pain, it can be a refuge, a distraction, a solace.

4. Let go of fear.

Fear may be the number one controller in our lives. Too many of us let fear rule over almost every aspect of our lives; we fear rejection, which stops us from applying from that job we really want or talking to the cute girl at the bar. We fear to disappoint our parents so we go to school to get a degree we have no interest in so we can get the job that will make our parents happy. We fear being hurt so we distance ourselves from letting down our emotional ways and building a lasting relationship. And there are so many other ways that I didn’t even mention that we allow fear to prevent us from taking a risk and experiencing a happy life. Besides, 90 percent of the fears that we come up with in our minds never come true so why would you want to let those small odds run your life? Let go of fear, go get that job, form those relationships, and take that plunge out of an airplane like you’ve wanted to do since you were 15.

5. Learn to forgive.

Forgiving others may be one of the hardest tasks in life, especially those who have caused you great emotional pain. The problem with not forgiving is that we tend to carry that hurt around with us, either consciously or subconsciously, allowing that pain to prevent us from taking steps forward in life. Reflect back on the painful moment one last time, acknowledge the pain, regret, or hurt that it caused you, decide that you aren’t going to let it affect you anymore, and forgive the person that brought about that pain. When you do this you’ll no longer be weighed down by the burden of your past and you’ll have a clearer mind to focus on the present and the beauty that surrounds you.

6. Believe in yourself.

I’m going to tell you something that you need to hear, the world doesn’t believe in you. It may sound harsh but it’s true, people in this world are quick to shoot you down, especially when it comes to following your dreams and finding your happiness. Too many of those around us have fallen victim to the ‘rat race’ and giving up on their own dreams. Yes, it’s great to have a support system around you but you can’t rely on outside supporters to achieve your dreams, it has to start with yourself. When you begin to believe in yourself, wholeheartedly you’ll start to notice yourself doing all the things that you enjoy and bring happiness to your life, all the things that society told you weren’t possible to achieve. Believe in yourself and your vision no matter what anyone tells you, that’s the only way towards achieving happiness.

7. Build lasting relationships.

As human beings, we have certain emotional needs that must be met in order for us to find fulfillment and true happiness. We need to surround ourselves with people who support us, love us through our highest highs and our lowest lows, and challenges us to be the best version of ourselves, while also being able to reciprocate the feelings. Strong relationships are always an equal two-way street that are centered on great communication and love. Don’t allow yourself to get caught in a one-sided relationship where you’re doing all the work or into one that can turn abusive, either physically or emotionally. It has been said that we are the average of the five people we spend time with most, so surround yourself with happy people and your life will begin to become happier.