Everyone wants to be happy. When I was growing up, my dad asked me who I wanted to be, and I told him I wanted to be happy whoever I became. He then told me that money is essential for happiness. As an adult, I agree with him that money is important, but money is not the only thing you need to be happy. Money makes you happy to the point it meets the needs of your lifestyle; beyond that, people look for meaning and purpose in their lives to be happy.
There is growing discontent among people, and they feel alone and don't feel truly happy. Society around them taught them that you need certain things to be happy: a house, a family, a promising career, and so on. But the surprise comes when someone has achieved all these things and realizes it was all a lie!
Happiness is in the present; it is not in the past, and it is not definitely in the future. You can argue that you will feel happy once you get that promotion, meet the perfect guy, or have money, but that feeling won't last long. Then, you will set a new milestone for yourself, becoming an endless pursuit of happiness.
I am not saying you don't set goals for yourself. You should; that's how you grow and learn, but it should not be at the expense of the things that matter to you now; it should be at the expense of your health, family, and friends.
Here are the five things that you can start doing to be happy with life
1) Stop judging and criticizing yourself. This sounds simple, but it is hard to do. If your self-talk does not support you, why should you expect others to be kind and not criticize you? Kicking yourself when you are already down is the worst thing you can do to yourself because it worsens the situation, and you stay in that feeling for longer than you would be trying to come out of it early.
This process takes time to become a habit. It involves recognizing and challenging negative self-talk and replacing it with more positive statements.
Through practice, you can cultivate a supportive and encouraging mindset towards yourself. If you are not cheering yourself, who else will?
2) Stop judging others. We do not know their stories or what they have gone through to behave in a way that leads to your judgment. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Think better of them when you do not know all the facts.
I am not saying ignore the facts when they are in front of you, but don't assume the worst in others if you don't know the facts. Instead of thinking of negative intentions, it is way better to approach the situation with a sense of curiosity and a willingness to gather more information.
By practicing empathy and giving people the benefit of the doubt, we create a more inclusive and supportive environment and feel better ourselves.
3) Try to be present—Life passes while you repeatedly think about the past, replaying scenarios and how you could have done things differently, or think about the future and anticipate all the ways things could go wrong. Try because it is a conscious effort to return our minds to the present.
Making a deliberate attempt to be present can lead to greater peace and contentment. Appreciating the sights, sounds, and sensations around us helps us connect more deeply with others and find joy in the everyday moments we often overlook.
4) Practice thinking positively—Life is not all roses. We all experience ups and downs. It is very hard to be positive when we are constantly thrown into difficult situations. I am asking you not to create negative scenarios in your mind in when faced with uncertainty and adversity; when things are out of your control, think about all the positive things that can happen. This will help you - first, to get through difficult times and second, to stay in a negative mindset for a shorter duration.
By training our minds to see the silver lining in every situation, we cultivate a sense of hope and gratitude that can sustain us through life's challenges.
5) Build a community - Humans are not meant to live this life alone. We are meant to have a community to cultivate meaningful relationships, gain diverse perspectives, and contribute to a collective sense of purpose. Building a community provides a sense of belonging and support as well as add to our happiness.
Following these five things will not bring an instant change, but gradually, you will start seeing a difference in your daily life. You do not have control over what the future brings, and you cannot change the past; you can create practices to change your present. Awareness is the first step towards making any change in your life
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