Growth. . .
Life sometimes hits us too hard to forget how to be happy or, rather, how to choose to be happy. They say that happiness is a choice. However, the melancholic alternative seems to be the only sensible or available option for some people, which often places them in a downward slope of unending sadness or despair. To get out of this pit, you must learn how to choose happiness, regardless of how dire your circumstances may be. Here are simple ways that can help you choose to be happy.
View your glass not a half full or overflowing – Instead take a buddhist approach and see the glass as a metaphor for empty and the possibility that you can fill it with any wonderful thing. Pessimism is a catalyst of sorrow. If you always look at the world negatively and the glass half empty, then you are bound to be constantly miserable in life. Look at things in a more positive light. Learn to have faith and hope; for a while, pessimism summons frustration, optimism brings forth joyful anticipation.
Don’t Fear the “new” – A person who is constantly afraid or dismissive of new things can, at times, lead to stagnation and a feeling of obsolescence that makes being happy in this ever-changing world harder. Stick to your core beliefs, but open yourself up to more to different and new things. Meet new people, eat in a different restaurant, apply for that new job opening, or learn to dance Zumba. Exposing yourself to new adventures can help you discover other good things that the world offers, thus making you happier in the process.
Get wild! – If you’re always serious about everything, then you might miss out on a lot of moments that could have made you really happy. Set the wild and crazy in you loose from time to time! Don’t suppress yourself too much; free yourself from the shackles of societal expectations. After all, you only have one life to choose to live the happy life you want!
Learn to let go – Learning to let go is a must to live a happier life. Continuously binding yourself to someone or a past mistake will only put you in a constant state of emotional imprisonment. You will never be able to move forward and lead a joyful life. If your girlfriend breaks up with you, allow yourself to be sad or even angry, take the time to lift yourself back up, and then let go. It is only by letting go of the past that you allow yourself to enjoy what lies in the future.
Give yourself some love – If you choose to live a happier life, then you should also choose to love yourself. No matter how much you improve, how positive your social circle gets, or how much you help others, you’ll never be truly happy if you do not give yourself enough love. Appreciate yourself, give it the credit it deserves, and do not let others undermine its value. It’s only when you do these that you can feel genuine and long-lasting happiness.
Happiness is an option that is oftentimes hard to choose. Hopefully, these simple ways will make the process easy for you and help you live a happy and fulfilled life.
Peace and Love, Jim
Buy Me A Coffee – A Easy Way To support The Daily Buddha!
