It is easier for people to dwell in their unhappiness because the feelings they experience can be overwhelming. However, happiness can be a choice, and there are ways to cultivate it despite the trials and tribulations you may be experiencing.
- Record lessons you learned – Through every hardship, there is a lesson to be discovered at the end. Without failure, you cannot learn, and sometimes failure is the best to learn. Anytime you feel down, think about what lesson you might need to learn and then find a way to be grateful for that lesson.
- Practice gratitude – Learn to be thankful for what you have at any given time. If you feel hopeless, stop, and look around. Find gratitude in the simple things in life. The air smells good. You have running water. You love your cat. Whatever it is, you will start to feel better and happier almost instantly. Practicing gratitude is a great exercise to bring positivity and perspective to your world. Try writing down three positive lessons you learned each evening before bed in your journal.
- Know your purpose – Give yourself time to figure out what you want to do with your time and what your purpose is. What do you enjoy doing, and what makes you truly happy? Is there something that you can’t wait to get up to do, or is it hard to go to sleep because you just want to keep doing that thing? Explore that more and start doing more of what makes you feel good.
- You can be sad while being happy – It is essential to understand that the feelings of happiness and sadness can be experienced at the same time. You could be sad about a situation you are going through while being overwhelmingly happy about a different situation you are in that maybe you wouldn’t even be in the first place if the other situation didn’t happen.
- Try to choose happiness – Any time you make the conscious effort to choose to be happy, you’ll find that life is much more enjoyable. If you find yourself being sad too often, take a step back and say, “I am going to be happy right now” and do it. Let go of whatever it may be that is making you unhappy, you can’t change it right this minute anyway, so move forward.
- Know your life goals and destiny – Keep on this path no matter what. Achieving your goals and continuing on the road that is taking you to your goals will keep you happy no matter how many obstacles get in the way. Just keep going on as you jump right over each burden and pick yourself back up each time.
- Do more fun things – Don’t wait around for fun things to happen to you. Make them happen. What do you enjoy doing the most? Figure it out and do it, and don’t be afraid to do it alone or to invite people to do it with you. It is okay to do things alone, but it is also ok to do something because you want to and have those you love to experience it with you.
Working towards happiness may not seem easy, but it can be done if you follow these tips. Don’t let negative feelings control you. Actively work on learning the lessons you are supposed to be learning in life so that you can experience true happiness.