By: Larsen Gilbert, Graduate Assistant for The Georgia Way
Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
-Abraham Lincoln.
According to verywellmind.com, “Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment.” Happiness is a skill you learn and can practice for the rest of your life. What makes me happy might not make you happy. Some things that drive my happiness are clean sheets, snow cones, and finishing a workout.
Half of the battle is won if you are determined to be happy. While we all have obstacles in our life that we deal with daily, we can compartmentalize those challenges and choose to stay positive.
5 Ways to Practice Being Happy:
- Be grateful. Gratitude is the most positive of energies; it attracts positive situations and people.
- Practice kindness. Studies show that when you are kind to other people, no matter how small the gesture, you’re improving your own happiness levels.
- Smile more often. Smile like you mean it rather than wearing a fake smile, which can decrease your happiness levels.
- Create a regular sleep routine and eat healthy foods when possible.
- Focus on positive thoughts. Choose one thought per day to focus on when you feel down; this will be your go-to topic or happy thing when you want to raise your energy and feel better.
Researchers have found that people from all over the world rate happiness more important than other desirable outcomes such as obtaining wealth. Happiness is a global pursuit and is under our personal control.
When was the last time you felt truly happy? Personally, it was this past spring, when I walked across the stage and received my undergraduate diploma. I was so happy! I put a lot of hard work, time, and effort into my studies and felt like everything I worked for had finally paid off. I was able to celebrate my accomplishments with friends, family, and classmates.
Happy people live with purpose and we all deserve to be happy. We all deserve to experience the joy and freedom that comes from being who we are created to be.
Compliments of:
– https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-happiness-4869755
– https://www.yourtango.com/experts/kelly-rudolph/how-be-happy-totally-master-art-happiness-six-steps-or-less
