10 Simple Actions Happy People Take In Life
Following their lead can keep you in a happy place too
For the vast majority of us, being happy is a choice.
Happy earthly beings know things and live their lives in a unique way that others don’t.
What do they know?
Well, they may not know more, they’re just very intentional about how they expend their energy and brain space.
They control their own story.
They don’t get sucked in by external circumstances.
They are the boss of their mindset and they know it.
Assuming your mental health is in order, consider that your happiness is a learned behavior.
There is really no reason to suffer. The only reason you suffer is because you choose to suffer. If you look at your life you will find many excuses to suffer, but a good reason to suffer you will not find. The same is true for happiness. The only reason you are happy is because you choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice, and so is suffering. —
Miguel Angel Ruiz
If you find the concept of happiness being a choice difficult, you’re not alone.
After all, there are reasons.
Your circumstances are different.
Life threw a few curveballs.
You didn’t choose these things.
All true. But there are a few things that happy people don’t fall victim to that many others do.
Here’s what they do and avoid doing that keep them in the driver’s seat of their happiness.
They don’t let their regrets weigh them down
Who among us doesn’t have a few things in our past we’d like to swoosh away like a bad drawing on an old-school etch-a-sketch?
The difference is that happy people don’t dwell on their past or see their mistakes as the roadmap for the rest of their life.
They are able to forgive themselves, and others too, so they can masterfully create an open road ahead, without the emotional drain and self-doubt that comes from staying mired in past shortfalls.
Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been. — Kurt Vonnegut
They define themselves
People who are happy march to the beat of their own drum. They rarely rely on the rules or common wisdom to spell out how they will approach their life goals.
In short, they don’t conform but make their own decisions with careful thought and by following their heart. These happy souls are usually great leaders that inspire others to live without predetermined social constructs.
You, being yourself, unknowingly inspire others to be themselves.— Mooji
They allow themselves to dream
Dreams are not just for the starry-eyed, head-in-the-clouds types. A dream is nothing more than a beautiful goal and happy people never miss an opportunity to be a dreamer.
They are believers in attaining the wildest of dreams and they know in their hearts that pretty much anything they set their mind to is possible.
Happy people make very intentional plans with clear and attainable steps to live the exact life they want.
Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts. — Albert Einstein
They don’t wait for things to change
Happy people don’t sit idly by in the hopes that life will eventually catch up to their dreams. They move ahead and take action, no matter how small or large, to move the needle forward.
They may even fear change, but they will always dive right in, choosing the fear over staying stagnant and unhappy.
Happy people are clear on what they want and stay focused on what steps they can take to make a change.
Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. — Peter Marshall
They aren’t driven by fear
Happy people have fears like the rest of us, they just don’t allow them to dictate their actions or achievements.
When you let your fear take over, it has all the power, and determines your next steps, or lack of them, by placing you in clunky cement shoes and keeping you stuck right where you are.
You have the power to not let that be your fate and choose your own behavior, no matter what you feel.
Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it. — Judy Blume
They are grateful
Most people have a good life, making it pretty easy to get used to the things that are going well and miss the blessings.
But the happy souls feel gratitude for the most simple, beautiful things in life, like sunsets, random kind acts, and the people they love.
They thank people for the things they do for them because they’re truly appreciative, but also because gratitude keeps them in a positive, happy state of mind.
When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears. — Anthony Robbins
They don’t obsess over what others are doing
Keeping up with the Joneses is not something happy people feel the need to do. They don’t compare themselves to anyone nor do they have a need to achieve something just because someone did.
While happy people have role models, that isn’t the same thing as pining away over what they have. They recognize that everyone has a different life, with different goals so they don’t have the urge to look longingly at the accomplishments of others.
They accept who they are and the unique hand that each person is dealt and move ahead from that point.
I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy — Richard Bach
They maintain their sense of humor
Let’s face it. Life is funny.
So you can imagine how easy it is for a happy person to remain happy in the face of all the ironies, little twists, and curveballs that get thrown at them.
They’re ready for it.
Happy people don’t take the good or the bad things in their lives very seriously.
They know things are going to happen, sometimes astonishingly unexpected things, and they can easily find the humor, or at the very least, acceptance.
Getting derailed isn’t terrifying to them, it’s an opportunity and invitation to solve a new puzzle and pivot.
And when it’s funny, they laugh.
If fate doesn’t make you laugh, you just don’t get the joke. — Gregory David Roberts
They live a healthy lifestyle
It has been shown that the happiest people around spend a lot of time outside in nature. Not surprising.
But they also go out and do things, often, rather than staying inside with their Netflix and cozy throw all the time.
They walk, exercise, go to events, play music, dance, or have fun hobbies they enjoy.
Happy people get as much crammed into their day as they can and look for ways to experience life.
They take care of their health by staying active and paying attention to what they’re putting in their body so they have what they need to do the things they love for as long as possible.
It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. — Mahatma Gandhi
They avoid negative people
No matter how well you manage your relationships or interactions, there is always that person in your personal or work circle that just can’t help being negative or unpleasant.
There may be no way to avoid them, but if you want to be happy in your life, follow the path of others who seek a life of joy and create an emotional coat of armor against these crabby souls.
Even happy people have to interact with a negative person now and then, but they don’t allow their doom and gloom to penetrate them. They realize that oftentimes, it’s not personal. Maybe the person is having a bad day, just got some bad news, or it’s just their go-to style.
A good response is to put things in perspective when you encounter negativity. Rather than allowing it to poison you, altering your perception about what the person might be going through or where the emotion comes from.
This can help you grow as a person, and even make a positive impact on your friend.
Negative people will always exist. Your best approach if you want to be happy is to remember that it’s not personal, and then do what you can to see their point of view and even help, rather than make it part of your mood.
We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. –Abraham Lincoln
It’s all perspective.
🎉 P.S. More thought candy on 🔥 🎧 The Badass Midlife Podcast 🎧 🔥
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