Fundamental Steps Towards Happiness
Sustain your soul.
Being happy isn’t inherent; it’s earned.
Happy people don’t have extraordinary lives. They make their ordinary lives extraordinary.
Many of us dwell on or accept what makes us unhappy, claiming it’s something everyone has to go through and it’s okay. It’s a part of life.
But that couldn’t be further from self-destructive. We are capable of doing anything and reaching any heights we want. Yet, many people are in a condition they detest, but they simply accept it because they feel they can’t do anything about it. But they can.
To live a life you’ve always wanted is to destroy a life you’ve always hated — unhealthy habits, unwanted connections, and negative persistence.
People can’t stay the same and yet ask for a better life.
So, here are some crucial changes you need to make to become happier:
Discover your purpose
A purpose makes life worthwhile because it gives you goals to reach for. There’s no point in driving if you have nowhere to go.
This is why many of us feel lost and unhappy. You need to have something to get you out of bed and excited; something that’ll make your heart beat just thinking about it. You need to have a purpose that’ll continuously provide you with numerous goals along the way, giving you something to reach for and therefore give meaning to your existence.
What’s the definition of purpose? According to Google, it’s:
“The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”
If someone asks what’s your purpose and you find yourself stumbling while looking for an answer, you probably need some alone time to re-think some stuff and figure out what you love.
Detach from people
The best thing in the world is connections; yet, it’s also the worst.
Relationships, like most things, are like a two-sided coin. They can provide you with the best feelings in the world and make everything better, but they can also deteriorate your soul and make you lose sense of yourself and priorities, leading to long-term damage.
You lose yourself once your happiness becomes dependent on others.
Some of you might feel offended and negate my claim. But ask yourself this: Once you’re free and time is within the palms of your hands, do you think about calling some loved ones, or sitting with yourself?
If your answer is both, then you’re a healthy individual. If you only chose one, you must re-evaluate your life choices. People are great, but they’re more of a support system to maintain you and your emotions as a human, not to be your source of dopamine.
If you’re dependent, you then risk suffering greatly upon loss, fights, and distance. You need to realize that you’re your own person, and others are just an extension of who you are; not the main thing.
It would be best if you gave them time only after you give time to yourself. Prioritize.
Long-term thinking is the way to go
I saw people making the best out of their high school years, only to find themselves working with minimum wage and in jobs they hate. But I also saw people who had a bad-to-normal high school experience for the sake of improving and ensuring a safe future.
Who do you think is living happier now? Those who worked and thought long-term are now making decent money and can come and go as they please, while the first group is now holding dearly to life, getting closer to a god they barely believed in for the sake of getting out of the mess they created.
If you messed up, it’s okay. Since you’re reading this article, and I’m sure many more before it, then I know for sure that you’re someone looking to get better. If you didn’t think long-term before, you can re-organize and plan your life ahead from this point forward.
There’s no ruining a good plan. Keep your purpose ahead, and map out the perfect strategy for achieving your goals and fulfilling your needs.
Plus, I advise you to learn an instrument. It’s a great teacher of patience and long-term thinking, as it’s great for all ages (unlike sports) and can give you long-term goals to train your brain against short-term satisfaction.
Sleep and wake up at the same time
Researchers have proven that having a regular sleep schedule reduces the fog in your brain and enhances mood regulation. It makes you think better and become more active than passive; more operational than reactive.
To be happy and satisfied you need to have a clear head, and walking around with 5 hours of sleep in your system isn’t going to cut it. Sleep is one of the top criteria for health and happiness, as a lack of it is detrimental to both your mental and physical well-being.
And having your sleep scheduled at a specific time each day reduces confusion and makes your mood overall better.
Being happy is not a choice, but becoming happy is.
You can choose to let life unexpectedly surprise you and react accordingly, or you can choose to take action and change things for the better. It’s either drive or be driven, and when looking for something specific, it’s better for you to drive than to rely on fate as it doesn’t know what you’re looking for.
To summarize, you must discover your purpose — the imaginary goals and meaning you seek to become self-sufficient. Then, you need to prioritize yourself and detach from people sometimes as you are your own person and they are no more than just an extension of who you are. People should never come before you (unless it’s family and an urgent case but you already know that.) After detaching yourself, you need to sit with yourself and make a plan that leads you to fulfilling your purpose; a long-term plan. A plan that keeps the engine going, while maintaining it at the same time. And finally, you should sleep better and according to a schedule, as it will make all the work you do stick and make life seem better than it might seem with a lack of sleep.
Good Luck!
