All men strive for it. There have been countless movies, books and seminars on how to achieve it. Some say you can’t buy it. Here’s how guys can be happy.
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We all strive for it. There have been countless movies, books and seminars on how to achieve it. Some say you can’t buy it, others beg to differ. The common ground that we all strive for in our businesses and lives is the endless pursuit of HAPPINESS.
Often times, we let the little nuances in life get the best of our moods.
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So how do we achieve happiness when our brains are defaulted to be sticky tape for the negative and scotch guard for the positive? It’s very simple. We have the ability to be mindful of our thoughts, choose our moods and filter what we allow our brains to absorb. You have the ability to be as happy as your hearts content, by filtering what you allow your mind to process. Here are five ways that you can optimize your happiness.
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1. Have An Attitude Of Gratitude
Your worst day is somebody else’s dream. Often times, we let the little nuances in life get the best of our moods. We are all guilty at one time or another of sweating the small things. We have the ability to choose our thoughts, so why do we let such insignificant things control chapters of our day? We do this because we become dissected from reality from appreciating the positive things that we have in our lives. We look at the glass half empty, instead of half full.
Here are a couple of thoughts to help you put things in perspective:
- Next time you get mad because someone cuts you off in traffic on the way to your next meeting; be grateful, the guy who just lost his company would trade places with you in a second.
- Upset because your kid did something stupid? Be grateful that your kid has his or her health to be able to make you mad. The parents of the children on the cancer floor would be glad to deal with the normality’s of having a healthy kid to make those same mistakes.
All in all, always practice the art of gratitude. Once you learn to be grateful for the present, you will be able to push forward and learn to be content with the successes life has in store for you.
2. Say Thank You
Practice giving thanks. Saying “Thank You” can have a profound impact on how you go about your day. The basic foundation of being grateful for what you have, has a lot to do with the thanks you give to others. Make sure you make the extra effort to thank the barista who serves your morning coffee, the bank teller who helps you with your money and most of all your family for doing what they do.
Be deliberate and authentic and tell your husband or wife that you are appreciative of the things that they do. That little thank you can validate the praise someone needs to feel good about their existence.
Lastly, giving thanks to someone makes you feel good and realize it’s not just about what others do for you, it’s about what you can do for others to make their world a little bit brighter.
3. Pay It Forward
I came from humble beginnings. I was raised by a single grandmother. A lot of people helped me along my journey. I am grateful for where I am at, but I will never forget where I came from. I recognize there are a lot of people along my journey that paid it forward and helped me get to where I am today. It makes my heart happy to do for others as others have done for me. If you are trying to lead a more fulfilling and happy life, you should really participate in paying those good deeds forward. We can make all the money in the world, but at the end of times, all that matters is the good you did for this world.
Make it a point in your life to pay it forward, for the things in your life that you have been fortunate enough to have success with. Don’t hesitate to buy a homeless man a cup of coffee, pay for a meal for a soldier who defends your country or help a young person on their quest to find their swing in life.
I promise, the more you serve from the heart, the more good will returned to your life!
4. Smile
Life is like a rollercoaster. One thing we have the ability to control are the number of times we smile throughout the day. I challenge you! Try being mad at the same time you are smiling. It’s nearly impossible. The more you smile, the better you will feel.
How do you get better at smiling? Just like you get better at anything else, you practice. Practice smiling at your spouse upon opening your eyes in the morning, practice giving the random person in front of you, in line, at the coffee shop, a warm smile to start the day and then smile at the guy who cuts you off on the freeway and see how that makes you feel.
We often take for granted that we can’t control the uncontrollable, but we can control our response to it by choosing to smile.
5. Hug Someone
Next time you feel like you’re having a bad day or need a pick me up, reach out and hug someone!
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There is just something about giving or getting a hug that makes one feel better. There have been research studies done that people who actively participate in hugging their loved ones were 35% happier than their anti-hugging counterparts.
If you are looking to optimize your happiness, practice the art of hugging, it is the best alternative to any type of mood enhancing drugs. Hugging also is a catalyst for love. As humans, if we can optimize our one of our natural human needs, we are one step closer to leading a life as a happier individual! Next time you feel like you’re having a bad day or need a pick me up, reach out and hug someone!
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Photo: Flickr/ Ben Raynal
Well said Chris! Thank you for the excellent reminder! 😉