10 Little Steps to Happiness
What is happiness? Happiness doesn’t mean being joyful or laughing all day long. Although happiness should be defined by each of us for ourselves, a general understanding of it could be having more good moments and memories than bad ones and having an overall feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. So, how can we have more happy moments?
Give Yourself Permission
Give yourself permission to be happy. Many of us have the impression that we’re not allowed to be happy, that we don’t deserve it. Well, we’re all wrong! We all deserve to be happy, no matter what others say or even what we believe. And if you look deep inside you, you’ll feel it in your gut. I am right. You do deserve to be happy. So give yourself permission to be. Start enjoying that freedom. You can be happy.
Smile… Even If You Don’t Feel Like It
Yes, smile as often as you can. If you are with people, they’ll feel warmer and respond likewise. If you’re alone, smile for at least 3 minutes and your brain will take it as a real smile and will start producing feel-good hormones and other chemicals.
Enjoy The Now
Feeling bad about the past will not change it a bit and worrying about the future will not make you any more ready for whatever it is that finally happens. Hopelessness lives in the past, fear in the future. Choose the now and make an effort to live it. Only in the now can you truly be free.
Like Yourself
Make a list of everything you like in yourself, no matter how small or big and remind yourself of all those traits a few times each day.
Love Yourself
Every night, when you go to bed, devote a few minutes to just feel love for yourself. Thank yourself for anything good you did during the day and let the warmth of love fill you up. If that’s too hard, close your eyes and look for the little child you once were and who still lives inside you and shower that kid with your love.
Flip It Around
Somebody tells you something or does something you don’t like? You might get angry, upset or feel ill-treated. Or you might turn it around by being original and choosing to interpret it as a wake-up call or as a funny situation. They called you something… choose to find it funny instead of offensive. They push you, ignore you or even talk about you… choose to consider it just a reminder that we are all humans and, as such, make mistakes. Love the humanity in those who upset you.
Dare Yourself
Early in the morning dare yourself to do something unexpected or different throughout the day. Choose the action in the morning so you have the whole day to find the right moment to do it. You don’t need to think of very difficult or adventurous plans but just something you wouldn’t usually do, like going to a certain store or eating a new type of food.
Share Love
Say something loving to one person (or more) today. You can say it out loud or in writing. You can even draw it or sing it.
Try New Words
Are you one of those who often uses words such us… ‘can’t’, ‘don’t know’, ‘never’… ? Why don’t you try to use some easier ones like: ‘don’t feel like’, ‘would like to learn’ or ‘not in the habit of’… ? Or choose a positive or happy word you want to use today and try and apply it as often as you can. Be brave and imaginative with your words.
Count Your Blessings
Take a piece of paper and something you like to drink and sit comfortably maybe with some nice music in the background. Then write. Write a list of all and every blessing in your life. Start with the smallest ones: I’m alive… to the biggest ones you can feel. Don’t leave anything out. Once you’re done, leave the list on the table. Read it every morning during breakfast for a week.
Enjoy life… ALL of it
The Author:
Jessica J. Lockhart is the ideologist and creator of Humanology, the discipline that combines academic and scientific knowledge with personal experience to work with and for human beings and help them in their growth and development. As such, it includes coaching as one of its pillars but also mentoring, teaching, psychology, philosophy and any other fields of human knowledge that can contribute to their well being and evolution.
Photo. Terri Cnudde
