“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Out of all the goals people strive for, happiness is somewhere at the top of the list. Without a doubt. Without a second thought, always. I mean – lets be honest. You could have all the cars, possessions, and money in the world, but If you lack happiness, everything else falls apart.
It’s no good having luxuries, or doing anything If happiness isn’t part of the equation, right? Life shouldn’t be lived unhappy, sad, depressed, or unexcited.
If you’ve been feeling this way, believe me I can relate to you. I’m a human being just like you, and I’m no alien when it comes to experiencing that feeling of unhappiness.
So I’m going give you 7 steps you can start taking today to create happiness in your life. Regardless of your situation.
1. Face Your Fears
“Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
As simple as that quote sounds, It’s the absolute truth. And not only is it a true statement, but it’s essential to creating happiness.
My younger years, mainly as a teenager (I’m in my 20’s now), my unhappiest times were caused by 1 major fact. I never faced my fears. I always backed down the moment fear rose to the surface. I always ran away from my fears as if they were dangerous, or harmful to my health.
And Ironically, each time I refused to face my fears, I felt a strong sense of regret and unhappiness. Now I’m happier than I’ve ever been, because I face my fears without hesitation.
You’re probably in the same situation right now, or have been. If you expect to create any sort of happiness, you better start facing your fears, whatever those fears are.
Whether it’s the fear of singing, public speaking, publishing videos on YouTube, starting a business, quitting a job you hate, asking that person you like out on a date, or getting away from a toxic relationship.
There’s a good chance It’s going to make you happy, and If you feel it is, take immediate action.
2. Think Less And Do More
The problem with most of us is we think WAY too much about stuff. We over think decisions, over think our plans, over think situations, over think problems, and get stuck inside our heads.
When this becomes a bad habit you end up making excuses as to why you’ve yet to take action. In other words, you’re justifying procrastinating. And that’s guaranteed to stress you out and frustrate you.
The simple solution is to start taking action more often and thinking about it a lot less. When you’re taking massive amounts of action, you don’t have time to feel unhappy, because you’re not doing as much “thinking”.
3. Study And Learn From Happy People
Everybody knows somebody who’s full of happiness on a regular basis. Maybe it’s your friend, a family member, a shop keeper, a stranger you keep bumping into, or even your kids.
Why are they so happy? What makes them so happy? How do they do it? What’s the cause of their happiness?
Study them, figure out what it is and why. Or go ahead and ask them why they’re so damn happy! Sometimes all you’ve got to do is ask to get the right answers. Then all you’ve got to do is test it for yourself.
4. Always Put Yourself First
I know there are hundreds of people who wouldn’t agree with this but it’s the truth. I appreciate the people around me who want to see me get the best out of life, but If I put them before myself, guess what? I’ll have no time for myself!
And when you have no time for yourself, you become unhappy. Because you’re too busy satisfying others and forgetting to satisfy yourself. It’s that simple.
Even if it’s something as simple as having your own space for a few days, or putting your priorities first, you’ve got to do it. That’s how you be happy, and when you’re happy, you can inject happiness into those around you.
That’s a good thing, right?
5. Stick To Your Promises
“Keep every promise you make and only make promises you can keep.” – Anthony Hitt
We’ve all made promises we’ve never kept before, at least once. I know I have, and not just promises to others, but promises to myself. And let me tell ya, I wasn’t please with myself. Actually, I was disappointed with myself.
I know you’ve felt the same way too. The solution is to only make promises you can keep. The more promises you make and are able to keep, the happier you’re going to feel every time.
6. Acknowledge Your Achievements
How many of you ever acknowledge your achievements, regardless of how big or small they are? Have you graduated from college or University? That’s an achievement.
Have you started your own business? That’s an achievement. Have you made somebody laugh when they were down in the dumps? That’s an achievement. Have you been given an opportunity before, and taken it? That’s an achievement.
It’s easy to look at the things we’ve failed at, messed up at, and the mistakes we’ve made. That’s easy, because most people do that. But you’ve probably got a ton of things you’ve achieved in your life, regardless of age, that you’ve taken for granted.
Start acknowledging your achievements, writing them down, and reminding yourself of them. You should be proud of them, and you should be happy you achieved it.
7. Never Compare Yourself To Others
Why would you want to compare yourself to others? It’s the single worst thing you could do to yourself. Your situation, how you look, how you dress, your background, your experience, your skills, your talents, and your success shouldn’t be compared.
In fact, you don’t need to be comparing anything with anyone. Because:
- Comparing yourself doesn’t help the situation.
- Comparing yourself reinforces your lack of confidence.
- Comparison steals your happiness.
There are 3 things you need to do to stop comparing yourself in a negative way to be happy. They are –
- Focus on your unique qualities.
- Acknowledge your talents.
- Accept yourself for who you are.
And If none of that works over a long period of time, then you need to –
- Get rid of any negative influences.
- Monitor the way you talk to yourself and the words you use.
- Change the negative words you use to describe yourself to positive words.
I hope that helps you, and I hope you’ve gotten a massive amount of value from this article!
Got something to say? Let me know on Twitter: @TheoJEllis, and share this article with those who need it.
