Have you ever looked at a person who is just extraordinarily happy and said to yourself, “I want that!”? There’s something about happy people that just makes them glow, and when we see these people, we often ask ourselves what we have to do to get that kind of happiness. It’s a delicate state of being that can be easily tampered with depending on circumstances. But happiness is also something that must be practiced every single day. It is something that we have to actively seek and it can only truly come from within. To be happy, follow these 15 habits that happy people practice daily:
- Seize the moment. As the ancient saying goes, “Carpe Diem!” If a good opportunity comes knocking, don’t ignore it. Go with your gut and trust that it will take you somewhere great.
- Go with the flow. Have you ever noticed that the minute you try to control a situation is usually when things start falling apart? Things don’t always go as planned and that’s life. You just have put your expectations aside and roll with the punches.
- Make the best out of every situation. It’s tough to make the best out of a bad situation, especially when things seem hopeless, but you have to keep your head up and see the silver lining in every situation. Otherwise, you’ll just be miserable in a miserable situation. Might as well smile and hope for the best.
- See the glass as half full. Instead of focusing on the negatives, try to focus on the positives. Positive people are happy people.
- Don’t take things so personally. One of the most difficult things to practice is not being so easily offended by others. Try not to misinterpret one’s words or actions. Keep short accounts on things that other people say or do and don’t hold any grudges.
- Repeat daily affirmations. Self-affirmation is extremely helpful and can be a sense of therapy. Wake up each day and tell yourself, “Today is going to be a good day.” Even if your morning started a little rough, just remember that it can always get better.
- Appreciate what you have. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, try to focus on what you do have. Things could always be worse, so be thankful of the fact that you’re even alive.
- Don’t compare. Stop comparing yourself to other people. It doesn’t do anything for you and it doesn’t do anything for them. It doesn’t change the fact that you are you and the other person is still the other person.
- Don’t envy. We can only work with the cards that we are dealt with. Don’t envy others or what others have. Focus on what you’ve been given and see how it can make a difference in the world
- Don’t pass judgment. We’re all have a story and we all make mistakes because we’re human. Remember that the next time you try to judge a book by its cover
- Don’t complain. Life isn’t always a walk in the park, so understand that pain and struggle happens. Complaining only makes a situation worse. As author Haruki Murakami once said, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
- Don’t over-analyze. Mind over matter. Stop overthinking every situation. Take things for as they are and don’t let your imagination run wild with the could have, would have, or should haves.
- Be kind to everyone. Just because someone is unkind to you doesn’t mean you should be unkind to them. Give others the benefit of the doubt, because you don’t know what they may be going through. As Plato once said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
- Do what you love. You only get one life in this world and you should live it to the fullest. Live with passion and do what you love and good things will come to you.
- Love yourself. The most important thing in life is to love yourself. You can’t love others until you love yourself. And you can’t be happy with others until you are happy with yourself. Be the person that people want to be around. Be happy for who you are.
