Most people want to find happiness. When you are happy, you don’t suffer. You enjoy life, your immunity rises, and your cheerful glow infects everybody around you. Although you can’t be happy all the time, you can develop the habits of happy people and increase the odds of encountering joy. First, defining happiness is helpful so you know what to seek.
What is happiness?
Definitions of happiness vary from person to person. Some people believe it involves living in the moment. When you are present, you’re free from worries about the past and future, so it’s not too hard to be happy. But the happiness you glean from the present depends on you constantly performing the mind-blowing feat of not letting your thoughts drift into a different timeframe.
It’s normal to consider the past and learn from experiences. However, you must also look at the future and make plans now and then. It’s impossible to live entirely in the here and now. But you can still be happy.
Other people associate being happy with pleasure. Because pleasure comes with increased feel-good hormones, you’re bound to feel more satisfied when you experience something pleasurable instead of unpleasant. Yet, you derive happiness from enjoying a temporary event, and the experience is transient. It fades with time, as does joy.
Happiness relates to well-being and contentment
Present moment awareness and pleasure bring temporary happiness. Long-lasting happiness is more stable. It stems from a sense of general well-being and contentment. These qualities don’t depend on your surroundings or ability to focus on each second. They come from inner stability.
Happy people practice thoughts and behaviours that introduce emotional balance. As a result, they develop stability, resilience, and strength, which help them flow with life rather than fight against it when they meet challenges. Because the qualities stem from inner, not outer, resources, once acquired, they are ever-present.
Happiness flows when you cultivate a healthy mindset
Happy individuals pursue a mindset that serves them. To understand the concept, consider the emotions that make you miserable and what ignites them. For instance, jealousy, resentment, and ill will don’t serve you. Happy people still face them occasionally but don’t feed them.
They do their best to deal with issues they can change. They fall back on inner resolve when they can’t transform their circumstances. They have the stamina that originates from balance. Because they don’t pursue happiness from outer circumstances, they can be happy no matter what happens.
Recognizing that you can’t hold two conflicting emotions simultaneously is crucial. If you are angry with someone and harbor animosity, your resentment is beneath the surface of every encounter you face. Until you let go and forgive, your negativity stalls happiness. You may enjoy a sense of fleeting joy. Sustainable happiness, however, is elusive.
The same goes if you see yourself as a victim. If you don’t heal from suffering, it becomes part of you. Working through negative emotions like anguish, fear, and rage is vital. Otherwise, they block your joy.
Generosity breeds happiness
You won’t find happy people grasping for riches or glory. These things may transpire, but content people don’t reach for them. There’s nothing wrong with wealth and stardom. They become dubious goals, however, when you are desperate for them. Until you get them, you can’t be happy. Even if you have them, happiness might be elusive because they hinge on changeable circumstances.
Generosity, on the other hand, is yours to practice freely. Happy people love to help others, which increases their happy hormone production. They also receive joy from knowing they’ve done something worthwhile when they give.
Gratitude can make you happy
It’s almost impossible to appreciate life without feeling terrific. When you are thankful, you realize you are blessed. You note all the ways life shows you beauty and gives you comfort, love, and kindness, and your happiness grows.
Happy folks have a habit of boosting gratitude every day. Some create a gratitude list each morning. Others keep a gratitude journal and jot down reasons they are grateful. They write about their love for their friends, family, pets, homes, and anything else that brings them joy or comfort or makes life easier.
People often devote considerable time to cultivating material wealth, success, and attractiveness, neglecting inner qualities promoting happiness. If you want to be happy, copy the habits of people who have previously reached your goal. Develop emotional stability and resilience, and share your joy to increase it intensely.
