The 5 Habits You Need To Adopt In Order To Live A Happy Life
Happiness is what we’re all trying to seek, to attain and to feel. It’s very personal, and everyone has their own idea of what makes them happy. It’s that ideal state of mind, which we are constantly motivated by. There are some people who are happier than others, and it’s no thanks to luck or money. It’s because of their unique view on life and its mysteries. Here are five habits of happy people:
They Are Explorers
Happy people do things they enjoy habitually, like eating at their favorite restaurant time after time or playing their favorite sport, but they also explore other avenues and take on adventure. Happy people understand that fostering this curiosity is often at the cost of momentary happiness and contentment. Not every chance a happy person takes is guaranteed to be rewarding, but that person embraces the uncomfortable, and sometimes anxious, feelings by trying new activities outside of their comfort zone because it is a sure path to continuous personal growth - something worth great value. The experiences of happy people are colorful and contribute to an equally colorful worldview.
They Question Why They’re Unhappy And Deal With It
When they are unhappy or unsatisfied with their circumstances, they don’t run from them, ignore them, or pretend to be happy. These types of people use their emotions as a guide for examination of the root of their unhappiness and adjust their behavior and attitudes to the situations at hand. Enduring emotional discomfort is a learned skill, and it’s one that happy people are good at. When a boss, girlfriend/boyfriend, family, roommate or a generally sh*tty situation pisses a happy person off, or makes him or her sad and frustrated, it is simply dealt with.
They don’t escape their problems and emotions through alcohol binges or endless smoke sessions - not to say there’s anything wrong with that for fun - but these people face their problems and fix them. Over time, you can develop a tolerance for dealing with these negative emotions if you bite the bullet, fix what you can, let go of what you can’t and deal with it.
They Are Thankful
Alex Benetel
The happiest of people can have an exhausting and terrible day at work with the weight of rent on their shoulders and the uncertainty of being able to pay it, after fighting with their significant other, then getting rear-ended on the way home and cussed out by the delusional driver that hit their car, and still manage to say, “Today was crazy, but I’m thankful I’m still in one piece and healthy.” Happiness is a state of mind absent of a desire for everything you don’t have. Happiness is being grateful for everything you do have, no matter the sh*tty circumstances.
Everyone has reasons to be thankful, and every one of those reasons is another reason to be happy. Being grateful evokes feelings of trust, hope and relief – all positive states of mind. It’s always making sure you don’t take things and people in your life for granted. Being thankful for what you already have makes tough times easier to deal with because you’re less focused on what you don’t have and more on what you do have. This is not to say you shouldn't strive to do, or become, better, but it’s more about being thankful regardless of what your circumstances are.
They Choose to See Positivity
Life is nothing but a series of events. Life is all about how you look at it. Without a unique point of view, it has no meaning. Life has its ups and downs, which you can make the most of by choice. It’s easy to adopt the habit of complaining, having a negative mindset and being cynical because life is sometimes unfair. However, choosing to look at your life through a lens of positivity can also become habit, and it’s one that can be developed, even after holding a negative mindset.
Happy people are full of positivity; it is a part of their attitude. They might have every reason to complain, but they always seem to stay cheerful no matter what’s going on in their lives. Choosing to see the bright side of every situation makes you stress less about the small stuff, leads you to greater opportunities, and helps you to better understand the meaning of the events in your life.
They Know There’s More To Life Than Being Happy
The so-called ‘pursuit of happiness’ has its drawbacks. When focused on chasing happiness, we slip into habit of always wanting more of the next best thing – a new wardrobe, a newer car, the next flavor of the week, a bigger place, better dinner. We get caught on the hedonistic treadmill. Happy people understand that there’s more to life than being happy. Our lives are filled with moments of happiness, sadness, loss, and laughter, life changing moments, and trivial moments.
Yes, when we reach those moments of happiness, it’s awesome, it’s gratifying, and it feels like the best thing in the world. But those moments in between momentary bliss and gratification can seem irrelevant, a waste of time and less satisfying. These moments, too, deserve the same appreciation and awareness as our happiness because we are alive and kicking for all of them - a gift in itself to be celebrated.
“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself." - Henry David Thoreau
Top Photo Courtesy: Valentin Kouba
