Monday, June 22, 2009

Ten Ways to Be Happier Today

Ten Ways to Be Happier

1. Find joy in the simplest of things.
Bumping into an old friend, having a fabulous conversation, getting a great parking place on a busy afternoon, or finding a new treasure at Goodwill can all give me a happiness boost.
2. Appreciate good things consciously.
When good things happen take time to consciously appreciate them - not to just accept them and brush them off.
3. Count your blessings.
Get a notebook and write down three things about today you're grateful for. If you can't think of anything consider you have a pen and paper and you're able to write. That alone means you have some material comforts and your brain and body are functioning. Do not take these things for granted. (See #2.)
4. Quiet time.
You will never find the answers to life's questions if you can't even hear the questions. We all need quiet time to think, to meditate, to contemplate. Insist on it.
5. Decide to be happy.
I am blessed to be happy most of the time. Does that mean everything is going perfectly in my life? No. Absolutely not. It means I choose to react to things in the most positive way I can find. It means I make a conscious decision every single day - sometimes every single hour of the day - to look for happiness.
6. Forgive.
If you're going through your life holding a grudge, harboring ill will, or with a chip on your shoulder you're never going to be happy. Let it go. Things are the way they are. Not even God changes the past.
7. Say no.
"No" is a complete sentence. It does not require justification or explanation. If you learn to say no, you protect yourself from committing to things you don't want to do.
8 Do what makes you happy.
Sounds simple enough, but how often do you do what you really want to do? Exactly. Make time to do it more. The floor can wait to be mopped. Really.
9 Invite friends over.
People who have friends are happier. Engaging with friends face to face releases all kinds of stress-relieving chemicals we don't get any other way.
10. Don't wait for someone else to make you happy.
It's a losing proposition to wait for someone else to make you happy. Get about creating your own happiness. Today. Now.
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