How To Be Happy
- Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
- Keep learning. Learn more about crafts, gardening, nutrition, computers, whatever interests you. Get off the “watching TV every night” routine. Be discerning in your choice of TV shows — limit your TV watching to 10 hours per week total (or less). This opens up a lot of precious time for you to live your life yourself – not just sitting by watching others live life on a screen.
- Enjoy the simple things in life. Eat a peach in silence and really taste every bite. Take time to watch a sunset and contemplate the power in this universe. Look at a flower – really look at it – and appreciate its wonderful symmetry and delicate petals.
- Every day, find something you like about another person and tell them out loud – whether it’s the way they smile, their helpful attitude or a new shirt. People thrive on appreciation and kindness.
- Laugh often, long and loud. Find the humor in life. Tell only clean jokes.
- Tears happen. Endure, grieve and move on. The only person who is with you your entire life, is YOU. Be ALIVE while you are still alive.
- Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
- Do not repeat negative stories about other people or events – even if you know they are true. Each time something negative is repeated, it decreases your joy.
- Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is poor, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve by yourself, get expert help.
- Be a person of excellence. Even when it is not required or expected, go the extra mile to do an excellent job – your very best. Whether anyone else notices or not is irrelevant – because YOU know.
- Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip somewhere you really want to go. Let go of guilt – it only drags you down and stops your joy. Whatever you did in the past is ancient history. Let go and fully enjoy today.
- Tell your loved ones that you love them at any given opportunity – for any reason or no reason at all.
- The more you appreciate, the happier you feel. Take a small moment each day to give heartfelt thanks for all that you have been given in this lifetime — lungs that breathe, legs that can walk, hands that can move, a brain that can think, friends that can cheer and help you, parents that love you, your job, your pet cat, your car and more. Do not take anything for granted. Appreciate everything.
- Love yourself – as you are. When you talk to yourself, be kind and encouraging. Never say unkind words to yourself. Tell yourself how happy you are to be YOU.