WHY does happiness come so easily to some people? Here’s how to join them.
Happiness begins with a choice. So many people are waiting to feel happy. They think they will be happy when they have done this or achieved that.
But the truth is, enduring happiness is not a result of the things you have done, but the person you have chosen to be.
As a success coach, I have had the chance to examine the thoughts and feelings of hundreds of people seeking happiness. I have found that many people are so focused on changing themselves that they lose themselves in the process.
When I share this observation, all too often the response I receive is, “I’m just trying to be the best that I can be.” But what does being the best you can be really mean?
Here are 10 guiding principles to help bring you lasting happiness and fulfilment.
1 Take charge
The first and most important step in becoming the best you can be is to simply decide to be that person. Of course, that’s much easier said than done.
Most people find plenty of excuses to avoid being honest with themselves about who they are and what they really want from life. Make the choice to own up to your true potential and step into your brilliance.
2 Let it go
Don’t waste energy trying to change or alter things that are well beyond your control. Instead, focus on the things that are in your influence and find a peaceful acceptance of the rest.
3 Live for now
Don’t live in the past, blaming your current reality on experiences from childhood, early adulthood or even last week.
At the same time, don’t be so busy dreaming of your future that you overlook or waste the opportunities that are presented to you today. It’s important to accept the past, dream of the future, but live in the moment.
4 Expect the best
If you believe things will turn out well, they usually do. Likewise, if you expect to be disappointed or let down, it’s highly likely that will be your experience. Being optimistic is not about being naive or ignorant about potentially negative outcomes. On the contrary, optimism is about expectation: expect the best from life and it will deliver.
5 Back yourself
One of the most important ingredients in creating any success in life is to believe in it. You need to learn to believe in your dreams, your ideas and yourself.
Other people will always try to lead you away from your dreams, not because they don’t want you to be happy, but because they are governed by their own fear, self-doubt and limiting beliefs. When you truly believe, it’s amazing what becomes possible.
6. Give all you can
Be generous, not just with the gifts you give, but also with how you give of yourself. To be generous you need to give your time, energy and spirit. Be generous in your assessment of others. What you give will determine what you receive.
7 Get out of the way
So many people don’t take ownership of the myriad possibilities in their lives. They constantly blame other people, other times and other situations for their circumstances. The only person who can really hold you back in life is you. Overcome your limiting beliefs, ideas and attitudes and give yourself permission to truly shine.
8 Be grateful
Very few people genuinely don’t have enough money to get by and yet so many affluent, healthy people constantly
talk about all the things they don’t have.
A poverty mentality is a serious affliction. When you focus on how much you already have, your true desires will be easily met and you will also discover how little you genuinely need.
9 Keep it up
It won’t always be easy to do, be or have everything you want in life, but if your desires are genuine, over time these things will begin to come to you with ease.
Don’t give up or choose a more complacent path should this take longer than you might have wished. If you are committed to being the best you can be, then you’re already becoming that person.
10 Be brave
If you want to be the best you can be, you need to do the right thing, not the easy thing. I don’t mean right or wrong in a black or white, moralistic sense; rather the principle of courage revolves around doing the right thing for you and having the courage to do it, even if at the time it feels like the hardest thing in the world.
+ This is an edited extract from The Happiness Code by Domonique Bertolucci (Hardie Grant, $19.95).
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/news/steps-to-lifelong-happiness/story-fnejnnxf-1226514162687#ixzz2CqbLPyAk
