“Happiness is not something you get in life, happiness is something that you bring to life.” ~ Wayne Dyer

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Happiness is not a one-time achievement, it takes constant effort.

When was the last time you felt truly happy? When was the last time you noticed yourself smiling for no reason? When was the last time your heart was full of gratitude and bliss? When was the last time you chose to let go and be truly happy?

My work toward achieving happiness is an ongoing process. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I falter. More often than not, it’s a task to climb out of the black hole you have just dropped into and get back to your life. The key is not to give up.

What if I told you that you could choose happiness, not just at this moment or this year but always? Are you ready to embark on a roller coaster ride of happiness?

Here are some suggestions to start your journey:

1. Detach. Many of us carry expectations and make our happiness dependent on them. Problems arise when we don’t get things we expected and we choose to mope over what went wrong and not focus what we already have.

2. Give and receive. Do you help someone thinking that the favour will be reciprocated? Give and share what you can with no strings attached. Receive openly, accept thanks and compliments you receive with openness. Give your time, love, and affection, and you’ll be surprised at how much comes back to you.

3. Appreciate yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes. You’re human and you are bound to make mistakes and learn from them. Give yourself some love on a daily basis. Take time to do something you love, pursue a hobby, or spend quiet time in nature. Every day, write a note to yourself, listing positive qualities and telling yourself how awesome you are.

4. Connect with nature. There is something therapeutic about connecting with nature, a long walk in the woods, soaking in the sunlight, walking on the beach, or just sitting in the garden and connecting with the greenery around you. Nature is full of energy. Focus on how your body feels when you are in nature.

5. Be in the moment. We are so busy lamenting about the past and fretting about the future that we forget to live in the moment. Before we realise it, the present becomes yesterday. Learn to live in the moment; there is nothing that you can change in your past and we don’t know what the future holds. Enjoy the now.

6. Love yourself. Don’t let those beauty magazines make you feel ugly or fat. The key to loving yourself is accepting yourself the way you are. Your imperfections should not be berated. You are as pretty and beautiful as you believe yourself to be.

7. Practice gratitude. Sometimes when I’m in a phase where everything seems to be falling apart or not going as planned, I realize that it is so easy to complain, but when you live with gratitude, things can magically change. Have you ever tried it?

8. Get inspired daily. Sometimes this is through a quote that I’ve read or a passage from a book that inspires me. I also visit my favourite websites, and they often provide me with the inspiration to realize and accept how beautiful my life is.

9. Focus on the good. An interesting conversation with a friend made me realise how important it was to focus on the good. When you see the goodness, not just in yourself, but also in others, it is true that you begin to focus and see all that is good around you. Try it for a day, a week, or a fortnight, and you will notice how easy it is to focus on the good and chuck out the bad.

10. Practice self-care. Every day. Self-care makes you feel loved. Focus on your wellness and make time for yourself. Walk or run in nature. Meditate. Do what you love and don’t forget to love what you do! Do all that you need to rev up your mind, body, and spirit.

Last but not the least, love yourself, appreciate yourself and be kind to yourself. Be the person you’ve always wanted to be. Let your inner light be your guide.

Meditate often, choose happiness over anger—and gratitude over resentment. Make a list of all the things that make you happy and focus on it.

You’ll find happiness is more easily attained than you imagined it to be.

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Author: Pratibha Pal
Image: Cajo/Pexels
Editor: Lieselle Davidson