~ how to ~
I always find happiness studies incredibly interesting. There are so many theories out there regarding what you should or should not do to ensure you are satisfied with your life, and I think it can be dangerous to define happiness in definitive terms. I worry that some readers of those studies take things too literally. For example, one of the studies I read this morning while researching today's post said happy people tend to not watch TV. This, of course, does not mean happy people never watch TV. I consider myself a very happy person, but sometimes I just want to veg out in front of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I mean, let's be honest.
The beauty of happiness studies, though, is that they reinforce many things we already believe to be true about happiness -- things like knowing who you are, surrounding yourself with positive people, and taking care of your body. I collected 10 of them to share with you today. This list is filled with things that will make you better understand and respect yourself, which, in turn, will make you happier and more satisfied with your life. It's not a do or do not do list. It's a collection of small things you can start doing today to improve your outlook on life. Your beautiful, unique, daring, unpredictable, completely inspirational life.
1. Dedicate yourself to establishing happy relationships. The people you surround yourself with --you family and friends, especially -- directly influence your happiness. Choose to invite positive, fun people into your life. Get out and socialize to expand your circle of friends. And remember to give love and spread happiness into others' lives. Be the type of person you want to be around.
2. Define your values and be true to them. Live with integrity. Be honest and sincere. Make decisions based on what you know is right. Never turn your back on what you believe.
3. Recognize and appreciate your blessings. Know that life is good today. You don't need to wait for anything to make you happy. You are surrounded by beauty, love, and blessings right this minute. Also, avoid obsessing about material things.
4. Live a healthy life. Learn to appreciate your amazing body. Feed it good food. Exercise. Get plenty of sleep.
5. Be excited about the little things. Wake up each morning excited to face another day. Learn that it's okay to be excited about little things -- like a free cup of coffee or the fact that the sun is out. In fact, make it a goal to look for those little things.
6. Practice optimism. Choose to focus on the positive, even when it's much easier to look at the negative.
7. Live your passion. Chase after what makes you happy and make it part of your life. Get creative. Give time to others. Have fun.
8. Educate yourself. Dedicate yourself to learning something new every day. Read. Study. Investigate. Enjoy the fact that education will change and grow you as a human being.
9. Get spiritual, whether or not that involves religion. A well-balanced life includes an appreciation toward something bigger than we are -- a focus on the divine, the unexplainable. Understand your spiritual self and feed it.
10. Forget the past. Obsessing about what has been is unhealthy and stops you from living today to its fullest. Besides, my favorite thinking is this: If you're happy and satisfied with where you are today, it's silly to worry about past choices. They got you where you are. Learn to be grateful for what you've learned and how you've matured. Oh, how we've matured.