Do you catch yourself looking at life and saying, “I will be happy when I have accomplished this, or when that happens?” This is a common mistake of focus many people seem to make. When you postpone your happiness to another moment, you are possibly giving it away forever.  There are no guarantees in the future, and if you can’t feel happy now at this moment, what makes you think tomorrow will be any different.  As I see it, the key is to find happiness in whatever you are doing right now.  There is always something that can provide the spark of joy to your life. All you have to do is learn how to notice it, and the rest will take care of itself.

Backward Thoughts of Success

We have received some bad information from the influencers in our lives, and it isn’t their fault because they were taught the same faulty information. We were told we would be happy if we gained an education. Then we were told we would be happy if we moved to a promising career that provided good pay and security in life. Then we’re told we would be happy once we had a family and started to raise the next generation.  Then it is a looking forward to retirement and the happiness that waited there.  All of these things can be great, and you can be happy experiencing any of them, but if you wait for happiness to come, you will most likely never find it.

Happiness comes in all moments and is available to each of us at all times. It is up to you to focus on it and away from the things causing you not to enjoy the day. Many things connect you to the now and the joy that exists there. Focus your mind on something natural, the sky, a flower, birds flying around, or anything else that resonates with you. Each of these things connects you to the source of all this and will calm your mind and ease your thoughts if you let it.  Spend time counting the good things in your life. Please take a moment and appreciate each one as you think of them. The human mind can only hold one thought at a time. Thinking of positive things picks up your mood, makes you grateful, and allows you to look past the bad.

Choose It

If you are looking at your life and are not happy with one aspect or two or the whole thing, then it is time to look in the mirror and make a conscious decision to move in another direction.  You have the ultimate control over the people you spend time with, the job you work, and the activities you take part in.  Happiness is available to you at any moment you decide to take part in it. There are many different things you can do to bring on happiness, and here are just a few–

*Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself— It is easy to get into a rut of self-pity about where you are at and what is happening to you at this moment. Let go of these feelings and move on to something more positive. It is unproductive and unhealthy to wallow in self-pity. Happiness will come when you leave it behind, and focus on what is good in your life and be happier.

*Be Kind— It is simple but bringing kindness and joy into the lives of others brings it into your life as well. It is simple and easy, there are thousands of opportunities every day to be kind to someone, and it doesn’t cost you a cent.  Many people pay for tolls or coffee’s, but a kind word costs nothing. Practice kindness and be happy.

*Appreciate both sides— There are two sides to every story. Sunshine and rain, darkness and light, laughter and tears, fast and slow, all of these are going to have their moments.  Practice enjoying them all. The warm weather isn’t as good if you haven’t had the cold weather to compare it to. Enjoy it all and be happier.

*Accept What Is— It is impossible and unhealthy to try to control everything in life. Not only will you fail, but you will be spending a lot of time in worry and angst that could be better spent enjoying what is in your life right now. Accept people for who they are, and do your best with the situations you are facing.  Resistance to what is will cause misery.  Accept what is and experience happiness.

*Say Yes More— Rather than dismiss things on automatic pilot, say yes to new things, activities or places.  Saying yes opens you up and of course, saying no closes you down. As long as it is inside your moral compass, saying yes will expand your horizons and bring new experiences and things into your life and be happier.

*Exercise— The simple act of walking regularly will improve your physical stamina and your mental outlook as well. God built the human body to move, and that movement brings positive emotions and thoughts into your life. When you feel better physically, you think better about yourself and the world.  Running, walking, lifting, martial arts, yoga, aerobics classes, biking, or whatever resonates with you will do. More exercise and you will have more happiness.

*Dream— You should always be working on a dream of some kind. Dreams give you a focus and make life enjoyable. Not only the achievement of the dream but the steps along the way to that goal. Many people have their life planned out to a point and then stop thinking there is more to accomplish. There is always something to work for and achieve. Dream more in your personal and professional life and find more happiness.

Happiness Quotes

“We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.”   William James

“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.”   Elbert Hubbard

“Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.”   Ludwig Jacobowski

“Now and then, it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”  Guillaume Apollinaire

“Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” Frank Tyger

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Mahatma Gandhi