Happiness is an amazing feeling we all crave, but many of us look for it outside ourselves. As truly happy people have figured out, the key to finding happiness is within ourselves.
On Facebook and YouTube, we can find all kinds of short videos that give people information, a laugh, or a feeling of awe.
The videos that go viral are often the ones with the awe factor — children, animals, or people who are caught, unaware, on tape. This is very appealing to most of us and it creates the awe moment — the moment we stop and feel a deep moment of happiness.
If you want to learn how to be happy in life, it takes more than just watching a few videos on YouTube. Happiness requires effort and inner work.
Here are six ways to create happiness in your life from the inside out.
1. Don’t be afraid to switch perspectives
Life is all about change. So don’t be afraid of change — embrace it. If something is not working, don’t play the victim. Be courageous and create a change.
2. Be curious
There is a lot to explore in life and we can’t know everything, especially how others feel.
Therefore, be curious, ask open-ended questions (what, when, how?), and don’t assume you know the answer before they have a chance to reply.
3. Listen in conversations
When in conversation, listen to what people say. Don’t be busy forming a reply before the person is done talking or have your thoughts otherwise occupied.
4. Enjoy your hobbies
A hobby is something we do for fun and relaxation. So have fun, be playful, and recharge your battery. And don’t take things too seriously.
5. Laugh every day
Laughing is the best medicine. It creates a chemical reaction in the brain that stimulates our feeling of happiness. It is free and easy to do. Find something to smile about every day.
If that is difficult for you, go on YouTube to find a funny video to laugh at.
6. Take time to savor the finer things in life
Pause when you truly want to enjoy a moment.
Don’t just eat that wonderful food, but really savor every bite. Don’t rush through shopping, but really pay attention to what you buy. Don’t dismiss your company, but really enjoy the company you are in.
Being curious, listening, laughing, savoring, playing, and not being afraid of change may look like small things, but those are the stepping stones to happiness.
We can’t buy happiness, but we have the power to create it. It is all in perspective on how we view life.
What happy people have in common is they know how to play, laugh, and change. They choose to be open-minded enough that they are not held down by a certain view on life and are flexible enough to deal with the challenges that life throws at them.
We are used to giving to others, but now is the time to give to ourselves — the gift of happiness. Learning how to find happiness is a choice, so don’t wait any longer and become a happy person.
Originally written by Ellen Nyland on YourTango
Feature Image by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash
Why some people are able to be happy, while others are not, I began to study two groups of people. The first is those who have lost everything in life, including health and loved ones, but this did not break them. On the contrary, they managed to find a new meaning to live and new incentives for self-development. And they were happier than those to whom fate seemed to be favorable. The second is creative people: artists, musicians, writers. When they were doing what they loved, it was as if nothing else existed for them – they fell into a special state similar to euphoria. After many years of research, I came to the conclusion that the know-how of both of them is the ability to control consciousness and manage their psychic energy.
Change is what life is all about. So don’t be afraid of change; welcome it. Don’t act like a victim when something doesn’t work.