by
One of my number ones goals in life is find more joy, adventure, fun, excitement, and satisfaction in each day. Okay, I know, that’s more like five goals -but with one expectation, to live a happier life. So the question is – how do I do that? What makes a person happier, more fulfilled and at peace?
Many factors lead to what people consider a happy life. Security, abundance, health, peace and love are just a few of them. So my job is to help you (and myself) fulfill as many different paths to happiness as we can discover. Since I love to explore as much as the next person, in this article I will list several useful links to finding and increasing your happiness. Choose the ones that work best for you, to make you a more cheerful, compassionate, and content person able to delight in the small joys of life and find gratitude for the many blessings already in your life.
- Happiness at work. We all need to enjoy our work. You can find happiness in the things your job allows you to do, such as provide for your family, purchase a nice house or vehicle, or the security of a steady paycheck. However if you can add humor, pride in your job and friendship at work, you may suddenly find you look forward to work more than before. Check out two of my favorite people with tips on this subject, Chief Happiness Officer Alexander Kjerulf, and Mike Kerr’s Humor at Work site.
- Find out what makes you happy. This is an area I find many people often overlook, but it is critical to your satisfaction in life. If you don’t know what makes you smile, laugh and celebrate life, you will find happiness hard to obtain. Click here to for some ideas to start your search. Also check out Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project for a fascinating journey into the ups and down of learning to increase your happiness.
- Learn to be at peace with yourself. Inner peace is a leading cause of happiness. There are many wonderful methods to do this, including attending church, meditation, reading self-help books and counseling just to name a few. Check out some of my favorite sites for inspiration at Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits, and Albert at Urban Monk and Tina Su’s Think Simple Now.
- Fun and laughter every day. My personal belief is that in order to be happy, you need lots of laughter and fun in each day. Although it’s different for everyone, being playful, open-minded and flexible will help you see the humor in your life. Check out Kim & Jason’s Escape Adulthood site, the always hilarious Savage Chickens, and the invigorating laughter therapy of the World Laughter Tour.
- Concentrate on the Positive. Another often overlooked, but very essential piece of the happiness puzzle is to concentrate on the positive. It’s so easy today to get caught up in the negative news that surrounds us, or the money-obsessed attitude at work. Instead make it a practice to find and enjoy positive, upbeat and uplifting news and information. A few of my favorites are the Good News Network, the great stories of kindness at Help Others.org, and general happiness information at The Happiness Institute.
None of these techniques offer certain success or the key to happiness. What they do offer however, are the skills, ideas and information to help you focus on your happiness, have more fun, help others and become a more compassionate and loving person. They are entertaining, innovative and inspiring. Just the thing to start off your new year with a bang!
