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December 19, 2013

7 Ways to Happiness. ~ Laura Farrell

Warning: naughty language ahead!

The people who appreciate the thoughts, mind and ideas of others are the ones worth investing in.

Ask yourself what you love and find it.

There’s always something we don’t forget about. It continuously consumes our mind in the most unusual places and at unexpected times. At first there is no explanation as to why it has consumed our thoughts, but it’s there and it usually stays there. This is the moment when we found what we desire. Finding what we love doesn’t happen overnight and you shouldn’t expect it.

Often times, what we love usually finds us. Once it’s found there’s no denying it. Don’t ignore it and realize it brings us happiness. Admit you love it. Mainstream or not, it is a part of who we are and we must try to obtain it. Even if we don’t obtain it at first, passion and persistence will only make our desire stronger the second time around.

Neglecting our desire will create an unhappy lifestyle. Our life will be consumed with questions such as, “What if?” rather than “How did I make this better?” Chasing the thing we love will eliminate the notion that time is being wasted on things that don’t matter in our life. Instead, life will feel more fulfilled.

Money is an object and only an object.

Money makes us feel secure, successful and comfortable. Luxury items and beautiful things that decorate our lives can buy a moment of happiness. This moment is created from instant gratification.

Possessing something new can make us feel happy for an extended period of time, but not a lifetime. Focusing on money makes the mind greedy, creating comparison to others based on a price tag rather than character.

The people and things that bring happiness into our lives take a backseat when money is the focus. Investing more time into the things we love, will allow others take our passion more seriously.

It’s no secret that happiness doesn’t always come with a hefty paycheck, but it can. Hard work and dedication create both money and happiness in the grand scheme of things. Money however, can only create happiness that is seen on the outside not from within.

Work with people, not for them.

People who dominate others don’t respect the people they are dominating. They act with entitlement and power and belittle those they believe are beneath them. People who don’t show respect are not worth our time. The people who appreciate the thoughts, mind and ideas of others are the ones worth investing in. They will not dominate but work as equals.

Doing what another person pleases because they believe they are right creates a mindless person. We will become what our dominator wants or expects us to be without even realizing it. We will compromise our happiness and ability to speak our mind. Allowing a person to dominate us will stop us from thinking or standing up for ourselves. We will compensate for the happiness of those who surround us.

People benefit from different perspectives. Hearing different perspectives will help others to understands things. If everyone is dominated by the same idea, there is no room for new ones to spark.

An asshole will always be an asshole.

The person who talks about himself first, focuses on his problems, tunes everybody else out and believes their needs are most important. The person who makes himself look better at the expense of others and blames other people for their wrongdoings. These are the assholes in our life.

Unfortunately there isn’t a way to avoid them and it’s likely there will always be one in our life. This doesn’t mean they have any value in our life nor should our attention be directed at them. They will fight for attention, but there is more power in shrugging them off.

Their negative energy is a vicious cycle. Let them believe they are continuously winning, this is most important to them.

Their actions will speak louder than words. A happy person isn’t afraid of their fears or mistakes. They can own up to them, admit them and realize that has made them a stronger person. Despite an assholes’ distorted perception, the happy person is the one who is standing on top.

Be honest.

It seems obvious, but it often takes a little dishonesty to realize the power honesty holds. A lie can be the answer to a quick-fix when avoiding confrontation of the truth, but the aftermath of lie is often filled with guilt, embarrassment and even sorrow.

The aftermath can pose more anxiety over time than in the moment when the lie first took place. A happy person can face the possible confrontation, they understand a lie can present a bigger threat. A lie can threaten a person’s integrity, character and motives. A happy person will resist the short the term gain of a lie and realize honesty pays a bigger reward in the end.

Be kind.

People treat others how others treat them. People will always remember how another person made them feel. Usually the people who are associated with warmth and kindness are the ones that stand out most in our minds. They are the people we will most likely remember. Those who were unkind may cross our mind, but will remain a memory of the past.

If those unkind people were to return in the future, people aren’t going to give them the time of day. In the long run, being kind has an unspoken way of paying off in the end.

Leave when it no longer interests us.

When life begins to feel like a routine, when we continuously ask ourselves when it will be over, boredom has consumed our life. This is a time to move forward.

Whatever is boring us is most likely bringing us down and causing negative energy in our life. Often, boredom can make us feel as though time isn’t being spent wisely. Confront what makes us feel bored and uninterested and define it.

To move forward we must realize what it is that no longer has an interests in our life.

Uninterested lives are unhappy lives and our unhappy lives can make those around us unhappy too. Inform them it’s a time for change. They may be willing to help. People understand things can run their course. Continuously going about life pretending we’re happy can cause more damage than admitting that our mind is no longer intrigued.

As time goes on and change occurs, we can often appreciate the things that are still present in our lives more so than we once did.

Never stop exploring.

New experiences, new scenery and new faces are all part of the adventure of exploring. Experiencing what is new to us can create a happier person after we’ve explored it. Even the slightest exploration can help our mind understand or learn something new. New experiences can allow us to learn about ourselves, those around us or even those we don’t know.

Exploring is about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and expanding horizons.

This doesn’t mean it has to be linked to travel. Exploring can be as simple as picking up a different genre of book, taking a different route home, trying a different style cuisine or going to a different clothing store. The more we are continuously finding something new, the more we are exploring and the more we are intriguing our mind.

Creating new experiences can create fulfillment, as we believe we know more and have seen more. When returning to the things we find comfortable, we often have a greater appreciation for them and a greater understanding for why we like them. Often, exploring can teach us more about ourselves than the thing we decided to explore.

 

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Assistant Editor: Richard May / Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Brian Snelson / Flickr.

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