HOW TO LIVE HAPPY LIFE

                                        

HOW TO LIVE HAPPY LIFE....

Many of us still hold onto perceptions and ways of thinking we’ve had since our childhood. The way we process situations, our morality, and character are all elements primarily influenced by our childhoods. This can be a beautiful thing as it helps us to navigate our way through life and make responsible decisions.

However, this can have an adverse effect if you’ve experienced a childhood of negativity and toxicity. Environments like that can foster a negative self-image and low self-esteem that some people happen to carry into their adulthood. For example, if you were raised in a competitive academic household and nothing you did seemed to be good enough to your parents, you might find that you are still comparing yourself to others and judging yourself harshly. There are practical approaches to leading a happy life despite the kind of life you might’ve had prior. Here are just a few ways to reclaim your happiness and lead a happy life:

1. Do not compare 

You might be comparing yourself to others without even realizing it. Comparisons don’t have to be verbally addressed. You can compare subtly by looking at another person and measuring yourself to their standard. By comparing yourself to another person’s standard of being, you may find yourself always trying to live up to that person’s standard. This is an endless and empty pursuit of happiness where a person tries to fulfill themselves with what they think will bring them a happy life. However, nothing could be farthest from the truth. In fact, many people who try to live for others find themselves miserable or even more insecure.

To lead a happy life, you shouldn’t compare your success or progress to other people. Understand that you are in your own league, and the only competition you should hold is competing to improve upon your personal best. Let’s say you own a business, you shouldn’t compare your sales with the number of sales of another company. Instead, seek to do better than your last record of sales. This will save you from any potential disappointment and future discouragement. Also, you must let go of the standard you think you should uphold, especially if you know you won’t get any fulfillment from that goal. Perhaps those goals are not yours but someone else’s.

2. Know thyself

To obtain a happy life, you must know yourself. In the movie “The Matrix,” Neo went to an oracle. Above the doorway leading to the oracle were the words “Know Thyself.” Some of us let our pasts define us, and others of us look to the future to tell us who we really are. The truth is only in the power of now and knowing that you can create the life you want to live. The oracle told him of the possibilities as one should understand that nothing is written in stone and that one’s capabilities are endless.

How can you get to know yourself? One way is to isolate yourself from the most influential variables in your life. This could be friends, family, culture, religion, or even society. All of these entities tell us what we should be and what we should seek to obtain our happiness. We then feel guilt or shame when we haven’t received it because we think we didn’t do enough. Living a happy life shouldn’t ever feel like a strain, something to resist, nor something you must conform to. Isolation can be achieved by going on a short retreat or merely choosing to not allow others to have such a bearing on your perceptions. By doing this, you allow yourself to see what you truly want out of life and not what others want for your life. This is one reason why monks practice detachment and solitude. By obtaining solitude, you can live better among society and loved ones without feeling pressured to be a certain way. You will have discovered what fulfills you and what does not.

3. Be selfless

Materialistic things don’t equate to happiness as we’ve seen many rich people still exhibit things like depression. The complexity of the human mind also relies on other factors when it comes to happiness. Sometimes more money can breed more problems. For instance, with more money, you may have people approaching you to use you for their own monetary gain. Thus, you might not know who to trust or who’s truly authentically in your life for you and not your money.

Selflessness could help you live a happy life as it takes the emphasis away from collecting things that you don’t necessarily need. Instead, your attention deviates from helping others, and this can help you to appreciate what you do have. Sometimes people don’t realize how great their lives are because they are focusing on things that don’t truly matter to them. You can think about the people you have in your life, the support system, and all of the basic necessities you have. By taking inventory of what you have, you’ll have a clearer perspective of what you may need to become happier.

4. Be selfish 

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It’s a necessity.”

Mandy Hale

On the other hand, being selfish could help those who are accustomed to being too selfless. Giving is good, but it can become detrimental when people are giving away the things they need. For example, you may want to help loved ones with an errand; however, you realize that you have something else to do at that time. If you find yourself putting other peoples’ needs before your own, this can be what’s preventing you from leading a happy life. As much as we want to help, we must help ourselves first. In situations like these, you shouldn’t feel guilty for being a bit selfish. In fact, a little selfishness is a requirement for living a happy life. You must be willing to prioritize yourself before anyone else. This is to ensure you are never left without. Even giving has its limits.