Happy People

Finding Happiness

8 Strategies to Increae Your Happiness

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"Happiness depends upon ourselves." - Aristole

Happiness is . . .Good for You!

According to wikipedia "Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy." But there are more definitions of happiness than almost any other concept. Happiness is hard to define because it means different things to different people and cultures. Every person is different and needs to find out what makes him happy and pursue it, as long as it is not illegal, immoral or bad for himself and others.

It is well worth doing everything you can to find happiness because, apart from the pleasure it gives you, happiness brings all sorts of benefits including better health, a stronger immune system and better relationships, both in your personal and Professional life.

Photo Caption: happiness doesn't have to mean living life in the fast lane

Here are some strategies which might help you find happiness.

1. Be More Optimistic

The key to optimism is to minimize your failures and to recognize and maximize all your successes. While you should be realistic and identify your shortcomings so that you can try to improve, focus on your strengths. Challenge your thought patterns and learn to think more optimistically about life.

Be patient with yourself as this takes time, but eventually -as with all learned behaviors - this will become automatic. Failures can be utilized as learning experiences and they are a step on your road to success.

Happy People have learned how to be optimistic,

2. Count Your Blessings

Every November Americans everywhere follow the custom of their forefathers and celebrate "thanksgiving" for the blessings they have received from life.

This makes people take stock on a yearly basis of the good things life has given them. Psychologists have often written about the benefit of counting your benefits on a regular basis. Some believe this should be done daily, every morning on wakening or at night before you sleep. Others think that the benefits are more if this is only done once a week.

This is one of our strategies for happiness which is overlooked in our fast-paced world. Find what works for you and do it with the regularity that suits you. If it helps to keep you centered on the positive things in live and is a true path to contentment and happiness.

Happy people count their blessings.

3. Show Appreciation

Self help books often talk about the positive effects of showing gratitude. One way of doing this is by telling the people who have helped you in life how grateful you are, either face-to-face or by writing a letter.

All this can be very beneficial for the person who is showing gratitude as much as the person who is receiving the acknowledgement.

You could also show your gratitude by doing something special for the person who helped you or pass on the good by helping someone else without expecting anything in return.

In the book "What Happy People Know", the author, Dr. Dan Baker, says that appreciation is "a love that spreads outward and expects nothing in return".

Showing appreciation to those around you can help you find happiness - more than you could ever expect.

Happy people show appreciation and gratitude.

4. Face Your Fear of Change

Fear can stand in your path to finding happiness and it is really is a good investment in your future happiness to face your fears and try to overcome them. Fear of change hold a lot of people back and results in guilt and frustration.

Most people fear change and the risks, which are involved when we change something fundamental in our lives, but without change we do not evolve. We need to grow and expand our experience.

Clinging to the familiar may feel comfortable but it doesn’t help us grow and makes us dissatisfied with our lives and have regrets. It is better to get into the thick of things and enjoy life. Fear of failure or that we will be judged for our mistakes holds one back from achieving.

Look at your failures as experience on the way to success. Don’t let fear cramp your style and hold you back from leading an exciting and creative life. Just do it!

Happy people look fear in the face.

5. Silence Your Inner Judge

People who judge others are usually suffering from low self-esteem and can only feel good about themselves by putting others down, and placing themselves morally above others, while people who feel good about themselves are humble, encourage others and are always eager to learn and grow.

Of course, using our judgement to determining the best course of action by considering all options and then making our decision is something is necessary for survival and should not be confused with judging others or ourselves.

Setting yourself free from judging others allows you to stop judging yourself and begin to loving yourself for who you are. Comparing yourself and what you have to others is a recipe for discontent. Concentrate instead in doing what is right for you without worrying about what others think.

Happy people are non judgemental.

Instead of condemning yourself and other for life's inevitable errors, learn to forgive, learn from our mistakes and grow.

6. Don’t Accept Aging = Falling Apart

Don’t accept the belief that aging must inevitably involve the deterioration and break down of your mind and body. Support your body with good food and exercise, your mind with reading, writing, learning new skills and sustain your spirit with religion, being amidst nature, music, dancing – anything that connects you with the universe.

If you think you must break down with age, you probably will, but there is no reason why you can’t be dynamic, vibrant and productive well into old age.

Hsppy people live life to the full.

7. Don't Let Others Control You

Not giving up control to others is also important advice in our strategies for happiness. While living in a society means compromise, don't live your life trying to please others by doing things their way when it is against your own beliefs.

Dominating, insecure, people with low self esteem often tend to try to control others as a means to feel better about themselves. Try to avoid these people as much as you can, but if you can't, stand up for yourself. You only have one life and you need to live it as you please.

Not being bossy is of equal important in our strategies for happiness. Don't try to control others - this will not lead to happiness. People will start to avoid you.

Happy people do not try to control others.

8. Don't Let Age Limit You

And most important of all, do not accept the belief that you cannot do the things you want to do because society thinks it should not be done at your age.

If you want to do something and it is neither illegal, bad for you, nor dangerous to yourself or others, just go ahead and do it. This may be the most important of our strategies for happiness. You only have one life, don’t let someone else’s beliefs hold you back – not even your own.

Happy people live their own lives and form their own beliefs.

Happiness is . . .Good for Everyone!

Putting happiness as your top priority might seem like a selfish décision but it actually can have benfits for everyone you come in contact with.

Besides making you more content with life. Being happy and content will make you a better spouse and better parent, a better relative or friend and a better employer or employee.

Happy people make better relatives and friends.

(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness)

Happiness Forum

Publish Your Own Webpage on Your Strategies for Happiness

Other readers will benefit from your experience, so please write and tell us about your strategies for finding happiness. You will have your own webpage with any contact information you like, provided that the information adds to the aims of age-well.org and is not just there to advertize your own services or website.

You can also use this forum to read about other peoples strategies for happiness to see if any of these could be applied to your own life.

Happy people like to share their secret with others.

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