04 Feb A great reminder…17 simple ways to be happier now!
via the Huffington Post by R L Adams
We all just want to be happy, don't we? So why is that we tend to live our lives steeped in worry, anxiety, and fear rather than just being happy? Is happiness just a temporary state of mind, or is something real and long-lasting?
No doubt you've heard the expression before that if you want to be happy right now, all you have to do is decide to be so. But if you ask any ordinary person, they might either tell you that it's absolutely out of the question or downright impossible.
But is it really?
The fact is that happiness is something that's attainable, and we all have it within ourselves to be happy right now. Winning the lottery won't do it. Or being handed a million-dollar inheritance or the perfect job won't do it either. We will always just find something else to chase after.
So, the question that begs us is this: How can we be happy right now, in this very moment
While there are likely dozens of ways to increase your state of happiness, 17 incredibly-simple methods exist that can help you attain happiness in this very moment.
#1 — Be Grateful
While most of us can riddle off a list of gripes we have with our lives, we often don't claim what we're grateful for. In fact, we take it as the status quo. But, if we were to look around at the current state of affairs with the world's population, we would have much more to be grateful for.
When we're grateful for the things we have rather than complaining about the things that we don't, we move away from a state of lack and towards a state of abundance. Happiness is rooted in that state of abundance. And we have far more to be grateful for than we could possibly ever imagine.
If we stopped to think about it, there are, in fact, a number of things that we could be grateful for right now. We could be grateful for the fact that we're 6 feet above ground in this very moment. We could be grateful for the fact that we can read and write, or use reason and logic.
We can also be grateful for our families, our homes, our communities, our friends, our schools, our jobs, and a number of other things. All it takes is a shift in focus. If those things were stricken from our lives, we would instantly long for them. Why shouldn't we be grateful to have what we have today?
#2 — Be Present
Being present means living in the moment. It means appreciating everything happening in the here and now, no matter how bad or good it might be. Without having to worry about the past or fret over the future, being present is one of the most incredibly-simple ways to be happy right now.
All you need to do is live in this very moment — to train your mind to be highly acute and aware of what's happening right now. It's about feeling the air rushing in and out of your lungs, the blood pulsating through your heart, the wind as it whips nearby or the sound of birds singing.
There is so much happening at any given moment, and the beauty and miracle of life is unfolding all around us that we must stop to just appreciate it. When we do, we remove ourselves from fear and anxiety, decreasing our stress and worries.
This doesn't mean you have to pretend like problems don't exist. All of us have problems. In fact, problems are a sign of life. But it's also a method for transcendence of our problems. It's a way to rise above and move past them, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
#3 — Get Inspired
One incredibly-simple way to be happy right now is to get inspired. Find something that inspires you, whether it's a television show, a book, an article, or an online video, and take the time to engage yourself in it.
Find something that aligns with your hopes and your aspirations. Find other people who've been through tough times and have succeeded. Who are the people that inspire you most? Today, it's easy to source inspirational material online.
Use TED Talks, YouTube, and other resources to find something that will help fill your heart with inspiration.
#4 — Be Generous
Often, when we can shift the focus from us to other people by being generous in whatever way we can, we can find a sense of happiness. Most of us will do more for others than we will do for ourselves. The problem is, we usually just get so caught up or busy that we simply forget to help others.
Be generous. What can you do for someone else? Who needs your help right now? You don't have to donate money if you don't have it. Donate your time. Help someone figure something out or solve a problem. You'll feel far more happier once you do…
…keep reading the full list HERE