The Art of Being Happy

Day in and day out you see certain people who just seem a little bit happier, living lives that are just a little more fulfilling and rewarding. Ask yourself if this is by design, chance, or accident. Some of the happiest people I know have made a conscious choice to be happy, and work toward it like any other goal that they choose to set for themselves.

If you truly wish to be happy, it’s important to know just what it is that makes you that way so that you can incorporate more of the same into your daily life. I’d start out by  making a list of all the things you can think of that make you happy, these can be simple little things like smells, or flavors, or perhaps certain activities, or people, maybe even certain types of people, such as highly motivated people, or entrepreneurs.

No matter what it is that you feel is important to add into your list, it’s a good idea to try and incorporate some of these things into your daily routine so that you are regularly experiencing them, keeping you feeling alive and refreshed. You might even want to explore some of the things that make other people happy, perhaps expand your horizons to include a new sport or activity.

Being happy is a choice much of the time. I admit there are occasions when happiness is unattainable due to certain circumstances, but for the most part we get to choose one way or the other. I suggest you choose upon waking to have a great day, a happy day. Start off by eating your favorite healthy breakfast, perhaps wake up early enough to enjoy the newspaper or to write a blog post, or go for a run before heading off to work. Try to incorporate some you time at the beginning of your day so that you set the mood for the hours to come.

For some people accomplishment is what makes them happy, try to list out all the things you’d like to accomplish in both your personal, as well as professional day. Cross them off your list as you accomplish them. It won’t take long before you are surprising even yourself with how much you can get done in a day, if you simply focus on the next task at hand rather than how overwhelming the entire list is. Bite it off one chunk at a time.

Make the most of your lunch hour, don’t just do the same old routine day in and day out, take a colleague for lunch, go for a walk downtown and eat on the go, or in a park you don’t normally visit. Many of us get into our routines, and while we like our routines, and find them to be safe, they often times limit our experiences. Instead of going to the same old coffee shop, try something new today; you might just be surprised at the new experiences you stumble across.

Posted on October 16, 2010