“Happiness is not something you acquire.”- Anthony de Mello
Happiness does not depend on anything. It depends on you. It depends on your ability to control your thoughts- negative and positive. Happiness is not something you search for. Happiness is in you. Don’t search for it. It is there. You will find happiness if you can touch your inner self.
Let us find out how.
Choose happiness. You can’t control everything, but you can control your thoughts. If you can control your thoughts, if you can control what you think about, you can make yourself happy.
Appreciate your life. Happy people appreciate what they have. They let go of what they don’t have. They don’t worry about it. Appreciate your life- your work, your health, your relationships, your spouse, your kids. Enjoy them. Be grateful what you have, and more will come to you.
Always hang out with positive people. When you hang out with positive people, people who see only positive things, your happiness level will go up. People who see negative things, but they don’t let them control their feelings. If you can control your thoughts, you can control your feelings.
Help other people. Helping other people is not really about them, but about you. You get back what you send into the world. You get what you want by giving to other people what they want. When you help others, others will help you. It is that simple, but hard to do.
Accept yourself. You cannot find happiness if you think negatively about yourself. Self- acceptance is the first step to happiness. You are here on earth for a reason. You are unique. You are different. Focus on your uniqueness, not on your weirdness.
Stay away from blame game. When you blame others for your problems, you have weaken yourself. You have given your power away. You can’t control everything. But there are things that you can control. There are things that you cannot control. How you handle them will make all the difference. How you think about them will either make you happy or unhappy. Choose with care.
Enjoy being your true self. Enjoy yourself with what you have. Don’t pretend to be who you are not. Your inner life MUST match your external life. Make comfortable choices. Don’t do things that are against your values. Your happiness and your values are one and the same. They go hand in hand. They live in the same place. If you find one, you will find the other. Don’t go against your values. They are your life.
Enjoy the moment. Most of us are not happy because we can’t let go of yesterday’s mistakes. They are gone. But we never let them go. We still think about them. Stop! If you want to enjoy today, now, the moment, you must focus on today. Learn to live in the moment. Enjoy everything that is happening around you. Enjoy your life. Enjoy your work. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your relationships with your spouse. Enjoy your environment. Nature is a blessing, so enjoy it.
Finally, your happiness is your own responsibility. Don’t let people make you unhappy. It is your responsibility to make yourself happy. So do it.
“Happiness is within, not without.”
