Everyone in this world wants to be happy. Ask of a perfect situation, and most likely you will get a response like “everyone being happy with each other”. Most of us relate happiness with receiving gifts or possessing more wealth, yet some find happiness in giving. So let’s find out what is this “happiness” all about, and let’s not confuse it with another profound feeling – joy (we’ll cover that in another article shortly).
Research says 50% of happiness is hereditary, i.e. out of your control; which means the rest 50% is completely within your control. You can’t blame anyone else if you are not happy.
So let’s find out what do the happy people do which others don’t, and if it is doable.
1. Make Friends
Huh! You’d say that’s simple and I’ve loads of them. Wait! Here we are talking about genuine friends, not 500+ friends on facebook & linkedIn. Most of us would focus on building good social networks, try to connect more with employers/boss or even someone influential you’ve just met in a party, because there is a payoff, hopefully. Do you see the pattern here – indirectly you focus is on your self!
Make good friends, who genuinely care for you and vice versa. And if you are in a community of such people where everyone cares about each other, then you could be much higher on a happiness scale.
So bottom line is – go out & make friends, and then keep them. Make friends outside work. Make real friends, not virtual. Make friends everywhere. You’ll live a longer & happier life.
Make real friends, not virtual. Make friends everywhere.
2. Express Gratitude
This is probably something you’ve come across before, but honestly, how many of us do it consciously. It doesn’t mean saying ‘thank you’ a hundred dozen times a day (as I learnt while living in London).. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing but saying one genuine thank-you is way better than hundred fakes. And not just to strangers, saying it to the ones we live with everyday, for the small things that we take for granted.
Happy people are thankful for the things they’ve today, rather than cribbing for the next. Focusing on things you’ve today helps you remind all the achievements you’ve had till now. Have you ever thought of thanking your legs, who walks you around everyday of your life? (I realized it recently when I got my ankle twisted & couldn’t walk straight for few days )
An easy way to achieve this is write down 5 things at the end of a week, that you are grateful for. Hopefully that shouldn’t be too difficult & that dramatically increases your happiness quotient.
Write down 5 things at the end of a week, that you are grateful for.
3. Give
Even if giving is considered a selfless act, giving can be actually quite fulfilling for one’s self. What i mean is that – when we give, we benefit more than the receiver.
Giving is not just another social cause we need to partake in, it is actually a reminder of how fortunate we are than several more. It makes us realize that small amount which we might blow off in one single dinner, can make so much of a difference in someone else’s life.
Receiving is not in our control but giving is most definitely, which means we can always directly control our happiness quotient, at least to some extent; because giving makes one happier.
Directly control your happiness quotient by giving more
4. Pursue Your Goals Actively
Dreaming about goals isn’t pursuing them. People who could identify a goal they want to pursue are more likely to feel satisfied with their lives than those who keeps dreaming or yet to figure out one.
One easy way of doing this is – break your goals into smaller milestones, and once you reach each of them, tick them off your list. One huge mistake most of us do is comparing our current state with where we want to be. Just tweak it a bit, and compare the same with the states you’ve ticked off the list, and you’ll notice how your frustration can convert into happiness instantly.
Compare goals achieved with goals set
5. Do Something You Are Passionate About
They say that the artists are more satisfied with their lives, than the non-artists even if the pay is much low. You decide whether you want more money or more happiness. As I said in the introduction, contradictory to our popular belief – money can buy happiness – research shows that people who does what they love are happier than those who don’t.
This doesn’t mean you’ve to give up your 9-to-5 job if that’s not what you are passionate about, but you can atleast start with doing what you love for 15 mins everyday. And then find ways to do them more often. And figure out for yourself, if you are happier than before.
Start with doing what you love for 15 mins everyday
Hopefully, I could give you some tips to live a happier life. If they worked out for you, don’t forget to mention in the comments section below. You never know, you might inspire someone.
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