Being happy is not as hard as you might think. Happiness really is a choice and after years of disappointments and struggles, I've realized, I'm no different than anyone else. I write a lot of articles about how we can become happy and content with this wonderful life. And you know what? When we learn to like ourselves, just as we are, we do actually feel happier than we've ever felt before. When we can appreciate the blessings we have in life, how to be and remain happy, is no longer a mystery.
Sometimes we believe that our thoughts can't be controlled. We give into depression and angst, not realizing that it's just as easy to maintain a positive mood. Your mood is in your control. Sounds too simple, doesn't it? But it's true. After all, no one can open the top of your head and inject negative thought serum into your brain. Think about it! Unless you're suffering from clinical depression, the keys to learning how to be happy are in your hands.
As a person who suffered from depression as a teenager, I can tell you, if you don't take control of your thinking patterns, emotions can—and will—escalate. and before you know it, you'll be suffering from high blood pressure, stomach trouble or even anxiety disorder. I don't mean to scare you, but stress and worry does affect our health. We know that worry and depression never solves any of our problems.
Goodness! I remember as a kid, I use to lose sleep worrying about a test, or an upcoming family event. Did my worrying help me relax? No, it did not. As I grew into adulthood, I finally learned, how to be happy, even in the most difficult situations.
It's not always easy, happiness sometimes takes effort. But a general feeling of well-being is attainable if we work on it. One of the best ways to maintain a positive mood is by taking time for activities and hobbies you enjoy. You got to have "me" time. Never let anyone tell you different.
There are way too many people who compare their lives to that of their friends and associates. This is a losing game. This can make you become jealous and even depressed.
I have to admit that I was like the people I'm describing above. I was not happy with the home I lived in, or at my place of employment, or at how much money I earned yearly and even with the friends I had. My friends seemed to drive fancier cars, had better jobs, earned more yearly than I did and just did better all around. I was wrong! I'm unique, and if you can realize that there's no one exactly like you, you can be happy like me. I learned how to be happy by embracing my talents and good points instead of ruminating about what I couldn't do, or didn't have. And eventually, I started earning more money with my unique skills.
I have since managed to change my attitude towards life and am now very happy. I consider myself blessed in this life of mine. I now look at the whole picture instead of focusing my thoughts on people who I felt were better off than me. When I watch news from around the world and hear about people who are far less fortunate than I am, I always feel that I am actually very fortunate. In fact, how to be happy became easier when I started volunteering to help others in my spare time. Doing volunteer work at a local shelter, and teaching a free art class at my local library, took me to levels of satisfaction I never knew before.
Just like me, you can decide that stress and worry about a situation does not help you succeed. In fact, it just makes things a whole lot worse most of the time. If we do our very best in this life, we can be proud of ourselves. Learning not to be so demanding, critical and hard on ourselves, is a first step to mastering how to be happy. My best advice for maintaining joy, is to do what you love, and happiness will follow.
Take time, each week to take part in activities you enjoy. What about that class you wanted to take on french cooking? Why not take those voice lessons (even if stardom isn't in your future)? Just enjoy the process of learning something new. This is how I live my own life, I find adventure, joy and satisfaction just doing new things. We only live once, so live, love yourself and enjoy your weekly "me" time. Take that pottery making class, or ballroom dancing workshop. Dig into your memory banks and find out what activity you've always wanted to take part in, then go do it. For me, writing for DivineCaroline is the highlight of my week. I love to write and I'm a part of a new venture. Life is good! Yes, you can be happy like me. Just find do some soul searching for self-discovery. Then go on out there and enjoy!
