Beyond all things, the root of all our goals and dreams is true happiness. We want all the things that we imagine will eventually bring us to that place of pure blissful joy. Saying and doing are two very different things and although you may not have reached those peaks you’ve planned for yet, you are on route; and one day I believe you will look back at the struggle and it will truly be the most beautiful memory.
Remember, nothing worth having comes easily, and the most beautiful things have the most tragic story of struggle behind them. Every flower has been through a rain storm.
Here is a little list of things to do every day to help remind yourself that although the best years of your life may be still ahead of you, your ‘today’ is overflowing with heart warming beauty if only you open your eyes.
- Be grateful.
Practice gratitude; every morning when you wake up, think of all the amazing things you are thankful for. You can even be thankful for your sight, your hearing, your body, and your voice. These are things that some people around the world have woken up without. - Meditate.
Every day, spend ten minutes with a blank mind, or at least an attempt at it. Think of nothing but a black screen. Focus on your breath or on a mantra. Be in the present moment and let all your worries float away from your mind. - Write.
Write poems, write random words, write what you see, write what you hear. Keep a journal and a pen with you always, and write when the feeling strikes you. Not only is it very good for your mental health, but you will be thankful for it one day many years from now when you’re able to read all those little thoughts you had in your twenties. - Smile.
Think of happy things that make you laugh. Keep people around that bring you up and lose the people that make you feel nothing but down and dark. After all, “you are the company you keep.” Smile at a stranger and pass someone else some happiness. Laugh when you want to laugh and let your laugh come from your heart. - Be generous.
Give someone a helping hand, donate to charity, be there when someone needs help. Helping others has been proven to boost our happiness because it makes us happy when others are happy and even more happy when we know we were the cause of that happiness. - Be in the present.
The past is the past, don’t hold on to it and don’t feel sorry about it. Accepting the past and living in the present moment is another key to finding happiness. If you’re spending all your time thinking of the past and regretting choices you made, you will feel depressed. If you spend all your time thinking of the future, you will just feel anxious. Living in the present is the perfect balance. BE IN THE NOW. - Be active.
Don’t forget to run, jump, and skip. You are lucky to be capable of these things and you should use them to their full potential. Daily exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you feel all happy and bubbly. Remember when you were a kid and you were always running and laughing, do that. Just run around and laugh for the sake of your inner child. - Practice acceptance.
Accept things for how they are. Don’t stress over the things you cannot change. Don’t get upset over the things that happened unexpectedly. Although sometimes these things may feel like a burden or an obstacle, they usually end up being a blessing and giving us a lesson which helps us later on in life.
9)Don’t waste time.
Time is the most precious thing on the planet. You can’t buy time, no matter how rich you are. I’m sure you could spare a few extra hours out of your day and learn a new skill or practice a new language or even work on that book you always wanted to write. Be aware of the minutes you waste, and learn to prioritize. - Treat yourself.
Lastly, spoil yourself. Celebrate the little things. Be kind to yourself and reward yourself for how hard you work and for how great you are. Get a massage, get out of the city, buy yourself a gift, treat yourself however you feel would make you feel appreciated and accomplished.