Happiness isn’t as easy to find as movies and self help books full of “think positively” mantras would lead us to believe. Happiness, like anything worthwhile is hard to achieve, needs work to maintain, but is worth the struggle to find it!
We can all find a measure of happiness and satisfaction in our lives, no matter what our past, our traumas, or even our present circumstances. It is hard to do when you have been raised in an abusive family where you were taught to hate yourself, to be judgemental of yourself and others, or were told continually that you are worthless and would never make anything of your life.
Here are a few simple habits which can help us find an inner happiness, or peace which feeds positivity within us. Admittedly it took me a long time to learn and to accept some of these, but they are beautifully realistic qualities that make us nicer people, who feel better about ourselves, which then contributes to us having a happier life!
01. Feed your own spirituality, faith can help you more than anything.
02. Take time out to pray, meditate, be mindful, and to rest.
03. Cultivate self discipline, you have to push yourself to achieve good things.
04. Be gentle and kind, especially to yourself, and to those who aren’t.
05. Avoid comparison, it is the thief of joy!
06. Be honest with yourself and others, even in the little things.
07. Nourish yourself. Eat good food, drink water, soak in the sunshine, and rest often!
08. Don’t let go of your dreams, you need something to have hope in.
09. Look for the positives in each situation, it helps to have balance if things go wrong.
10. Smile more, especially when you don’t feel like it.
11. Don’t beat yourself up over failure, look at it as a learning experience.
12. Be patient, slow deep breaths, if it is worth it, it is worth waiting for.
13. Forgive, holding on to resentment is like drinking poison.
14. Keep an open mind, black and white thinking will only make you stressed.
15. Don’t make excuses, own your mistakes and flaws, they make you, you.
16. Learn to love yourself, it is okay to take care of your own needs too.
17. Listen to understand, not just to reply.
18. Have good friends, and be a good friend!
19. Judge less, this applies to how you think of yourself too!
20. Let go of unrealistic expectations, some things can’t be changed.
21. Cherish those who supported you in the hardest of times.
Happiness, in my personal opinion, isn’t some euphoric place or feeling where everything is gleeful and perfect, it is a state of mind where you are content with how you can deal with the life you have. I believe that even in the deepest of depression I still found happiness through contentment on some days, it was what kept me going, made me cling to the dream of one day feeling better, being better.
The Words Inside My Head 