July 2011 Article: How to be Happier
Download Printable PDF
Imagine the life of a pampered cat. Naps in the sun. Hearty food. A gentle cuddle. As humans, we love these things too. But we are more complex than the average feline. For us to be truly happy, we need more than just a good meal and a sunny day. The problem is that sometimes we lose sight of what will actually make us happy. And often, we don't give ourselves the time to think about it at all. We just go through the motions of each day, without any real consideration as to whether what we are doing is actually contributing to our happiness. The good news is, there are many ways to enhance your happiness and most of them are right in front of you. This article explores three ways to feel fulfilled by what you have in your life right now.
1. Plan for proud moments
Remember as a kid when it meant so much for someone to say they were proud of you? Most of us loved that recognition. Many of us thrived on it. And we felt proud of ourselves. As we get older, life becomes busier, and we lose sight of the proud moments. We’re just getting through each day. No matter what you’re day entails, if you look for them, you will see many chances every day to make yourself proud. It could be simple things like how you handled yourself in a tough situation. Or it could be a way in which you gave to another, or paid forward a good deed. It can be anything that is particularly meaningful to you. Don’t hesitate to give yourself a pat on the back. Rather than searching back in your memory to find a moment you can be proud of, your future happiness can be contributed to by actually planning for opportunities to be proud of yourself.
What can you be proud of today?
2. Invest in Your Relationships
We all know that surrounding ourselves with people who make us feel good, and are good to us, will contribute to our positive well being. But of course, positive relationships go both ways. We also need to ask ourselves what we do each day to contribute to those relationships. The balance won’t always be perfect, but there should be give and take. We feel great about ourselves when we give to a significant relationship or new friendship in a positive way. It could be as simple as telling someone what you admire about them, or supporting them through a tough time. The irony is, often we invest least in our closest and most important relationships, because once they are established, investing in them is not top of mind.
What could you do today to invest in your most important relationships?
3. Invest in You
Life is so busy. We often overlook our own needs or simply feel we don't have time to invest in ourselves. It stands to reason that we can’t give the best of ourselves or give the best in our relationships if we are depleted from day to day life. Here are some ways to invest in you.
- Relax. Just like the cat at the beginning of this article, we should make sure there is time for pleasure every day. Whether it’s meditation, reading, or enjoying a meal with a friend, every day should have some pleasurable occurrences.
- Stay healthy. Eat well, exercise and take care of general health needs like regular check-ups and health maintenance. These are all important priorities. When we feel good about our physical condition, we feel good about ourselves.
- Stimulate your mind. Part of enhancing our happiness is about finding opportunities to stretch ourselves mentally. It could be learning something new, reading something that makes us think, or having a stimulating conversation. Create a variety of opportunities to nourish your mind.
How will you invest in yourself today? As the well known writer, Leo Rosten once said “Happiness comes only when we push our brains and hearts to the farthest reaches of which we are.” If we want to enhance our day to day happiness, planning to contribute and excel, investing in our relationships and investing in ourselves all provide some avenues to start taking our happiness to the next level.
Liked this article? Tell your friends about it:
Contact Successful Minds, with no obligation, to identify the ideal strategy for you.
Your mind is your greatest asset.
