In the modern world, we think the science of happiness is new. It’s only in the last forty years or so that researchers have begun taking the question seriously. But it turns out that great thinkers have been considering the problem for thousands of years. And often, their wisdom is second-to-none.
In this post, we take a look at why it’s easier to be happier than you think. You don’t need to work all your life or have the best of everyone in the world to feel a sense of joy. You just need the right habits.
Be Content
Being content is a challenge in our society. Everyone wants more likes, shares, love and money (and sometimes power). And while many of those things are good, they can become terrible masters.
Imagine a person who strives all their lives for love but never finds it. They think that the “one” is out there. And so they go through a series of unhappy relationships with various people who don’t quite make the cut.
That person is never going to be happy. The reason is that they can’t find contentment in whatever they have in front of them. Their idea of perfection is always something better elsewhere. This habit can get so bad that even if the perfect person does come along, they can’t see it.
Get Involved
Here’s another strategy that helps people to be happy: get involved in whatever’s in front of you.
Being involved in something helps to take your mind off yourself and focus it on other people. As Harvest Happiness explains, being more generous actually fills you up as well.
Practice Gratitude
If you have food in the fridge and a roof over your head, you’re doing better than a whopping 30 percent of humanity. Many people still live in poverty and don’t know if they will be safe. We do.
But sometimes we can get into the habit of wishing we were living somebody else’s life. We think we’ll be happy if only we had the same opportunities as others.
The trick here is to practice being grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they might seem. If you look closely, you can also find something.
Gratitude is a great antidote to constant longing for a better life. It reminds you that things aren’t so bad.
Be Less “Sticky”
Being a sticky person means that you hold onto your thoughts for a long time. And it works both ways.
For instance a sticky person will bear a grudge against a person who made a rude remark against them. They’ll hold the thought in their minds for weeks or months at a time. And they may never let it go.
Likewise, a sticky person will also hold onto a compliment or validation – the flipside.
The trick here is to allow thoughts to come and go as they please, instead of holding onto them. Yes, it’s okay to feel good if somebody comments positively on your appearance. But holding onto it makes you dependent on others for happiness, not yourself.
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