Something most people do is pursue happiness. For many of us, being happy is the ultimate goal of life, and we want to find this in our careers, family, and friends.
But I believe that pursuing happiness is precisely the problem with being happy. We treat happiness like some distant destination we have to reach. So in this post, I’m going to share six tools for you to be happy right now.
“Happiness is a by-product of living out your values and desires daily.”
Think about happiness this way: if you can’t be happy in a shack, you’re definitely not going to be happy in a mansion. In fact, there are more rooms to be unhappy in a mansion.
Create a values system, and make a habit out of them. Understand what you truly value and care about and figure out how to take action around those things. Happiness is a by-product of living out your values and desires daily.
Take responsibility for your happiness. Too often, we put the blame and give others power over our happiness. We’re waiting for our boss or government to change before we can be happy. Don’t bother waiting, and don’t be a victim; take your happiness into your own hands.
Don’t put off feeling good. Happiness is a journey, not a destination, so celebrate and enjoy the journey while you’re watering your bamboo.
Appreciate what you have. I wrote What’s Going Well? because I think we often overlook the good in our lives and take things for granted. It’s crucial to ask ourselves “what’s going well” to deal with the things that aren’t going well. If you constantly look elsewhere for something you don’t have, you’ll feel empty. Practice gratitude, and your happiness level will increase.
Lower your expectations. If you lower your expectations, you’ll be disappointed less. As Anne Lamott said, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.”
Assume positive intent. Assume everyone is doing their best. Clearly, there will be people who do things you don’t like, but just assume if you were them, you’d be doing exactly what they’re doing. Assume the positive in others and give people grace.
Don’t pursue happiness. Happiness is a journey, not a destination, so embody happiness and use these techniques I shared, and you’ll have a happier life. It won’t be some future version of happiness; you’ll have it now.
This post is based on a podcast episode by Greg Bell.
Listen below for the full episode: