Happiness presentation shutterstock 562441603

The Pursuit of Happiness

Have you ever wondered why we have dreams and desires? Why we pursue things like money, power, respect, love and family? They all stem from the need to achieve happiness. Many fail to realize that happiness is not a destination, it is a choice. Even when we reach a state of happiness, there is no guarantee that we will remain there. It is a continual journey, requiring continual effort.

Things and people cannot make us happy. I repeat, things and people cannot make us happy. Happiness comes from within, it is a state of mind which can be achieved at any time we decide. We have ultimate control and power over our own happiness. Seeking happiness in things, experiences, or other people often leads to disappointment.

It is important to know who you are, your purpose, what motivates you, what you enjoy and dislike. No one else can define these things for you. When you have achieved this level of self-awareness and begin engaging in ways of accomplishing them, your happiness level rises.

Did you know that you can start living your best life right now?

Here are 10 tips to consider:

  1. Decide to love yourself as you are, right now—no matter your circumstance… Spoil yourself with self-love, positive thoughts, positive words and positive self-care. No one can love you better than you. Treat yourself the way you expect and deserve to be treated by others.
  2. Begin and end your day with gratitude. Identify the people, things and experiences you are grateful for. When you appreciate what you have, you receive more.
  3. Identify what makes YOU happy. This is a time to be selfish, it can’t be about taking care of others. This one is for you.
  4. What purpose are you designed to serve in this life? What unique skills or talents do you have that others often admire about you and/or you admire about yourself?
  5. Compete with your best self, strive to be better than you were the day before…every day.
  6. Expect that there will be low points, failed attempts, and struggles. Why? Because it’s inevitable. Just as we experience highs, we must experience lows. Having an expectation that these things will pop up from time to time helps to properly frame, minimize, and get past them.
  7. Seek to learn from your challenges rather than succumb to them. How have they made you stronger? What will you do more of, or avoid in the future as a result of the experience?
  8. Set high expectations on the person you have complete control over, YOURSELF. Setting expectations of other people or things (unless they are employed/managed by you) is a recipe for disappointment.
  9. Love and appreciate people for who they are. Don’t set out to change or make them better. Instead, seek to change and make yourself better. Live and lead by example. People follow what they see, not what you say.
  10. Design a plan for accomplishing your goals. Write it down step by step and begin executing immediately. Review and update your plan often. Failure to plan is a plan for failure.

Work to implement three of the tips that resonate well with you. Start now. Cheers to living your best life now!

 

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