Happiness is a State of Mind

If you are having a rough day today, change your perspective on what you are seeing. Happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is not something you buy or earn. If you spend your life trying to work to get something or someone that will make you happy, chances are you are wasting a really good life that you don’t know you have. You passed up and overlooked a lot of personal happiness. Stop that!

You are probably spending so much time chasing and dreaming of what could be that you are forgetting about all the small and big things occurring right now that could make you happy. People and things alone, won’t make you happy. You make you happy. You know the saying, “All that glitters is not gold.”
Some of us sit back and say, “if I only had that house, that car, that man/woman, that body, that job.” What about the people who are sad that have all those things and more? How could they be sad? That’s because the big house is glittery, but not necessarily gold. Gold is happiness, not house, not car, not person. Happiness is a state of mind.

The best thing about happiness is it is free. You don’t have to have a savings account to be happy. You don’t have to pay monthly dues for it. You just have to change your perspective on what you are seeing and feeling. You have all the tools around you to make you happy. It’s all in how you use the tools, mix the tools and make them work for you. Although changing the way you see your life is tough and will take constant effort, feelings of depression and hopelessness and or anger are even tougher to cope with on a consistent basis. When you are depressed, angry, or cynical, you not only hurt yourself, but the limited support systems that are still holding on to you.

How to be Happy Quick Tips:

1. Stop dwelling on the past
2. Forgive yourself and/or the person you are upset with
3. If giving into immediate gratification is hurting you, stop giving into temptations
4. Start looking at what you do have and not what you don’t
5. Reframe bad situations and learn from them
6. Take control over your mind and actions

This week’s challenge is to pick at least 3 Tips off of the “Quick Tips” list above and enact them for the full week. Be sure to note all positive changes to your happiness.