7 Great Tips For Finding Lasting Happiness

Happiness is something that every man and woman desires and works towards attaining.
No matter what it is that you want to bring more of into your life, finding happiness is all about taking an honest look within and being willing to make the changes necessary to get what you want.

When you can be honest with yourself and the world around you, then you can take things in the right way and work positively towards what you want to achieve. One good way to learn about yourself and the world around you is to turn to the past. They say the past is doomed to be repeated if people fail to learn from it, but there are also good lessons we can gleam from our ancestors.

Take a look back in history and you will find that there are some great ideas about how to find greater happiness that have arisen over the years. We will explore seven great tips about finding lasting happiness. Taking some of this advice to hearts could help you on your journey to happiness.

1. Appreciate the little things.

“That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” – Henry David Thoreau

When you take the time to appreciate the little things in life, you’ll realize just how important and pleasurable they are. Desiring expensive things seems to be normal in today’s society. Many people are so materialistic that they just seem to never stop wanting more stuff. Even when you get the newest smart phone, car and that fancy Internet-enabled television, will you be truly happy? Stuff is nice, but that is not what happiness is all about. Happiness is about having people to share smiles and laughs with on any given day. It is enjoying the summer’s sun and feeling comfort from a cool breeze. No amount of stuff is going to fill a void in your heart. Learn to find joy in life in the simple things, and appreciate those around you.

2. Do that which makes you happy.

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Many of us desire financial success, but is getting a hefty paycheck really something that alone is going to make you happy? Just having money will not bring happiness into your life. In order to be happy with what you are doing you need to be doing something that you like. When you work towards achieving goals in a field that you are passionate about, your life will seem so much richer. Even if you were wary about taking that teaching job because they don’t make as much money as you would like, if that is where your passion lies then you should deny yourself that career path. The act of helping mold the minds of our youth might be the thing that brings you the greatest joy. Making a difference in a child’s life is a great achievement after all.

3. Get up and go for it!

“Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Although sometimes actions can have negative consequences, you can’t let the fear of that keep you from doing something. In order to achieve happiness in life one needs to be able to take action towards achieving their goals. Remaining stationary in life will only serve to bring depression and restlessness to a person’s spirit. Don’t be afraid to go after something that you want. Even the act of pursuing something that you want to achieve can bring a certain level of happiness. Knowing that you are working towards something that you desire in life will bring positive emotions with it. Remember that nothing ventured is nothing gained. When you do make it to your goal the feeling of joy you will feel will be absolutely great.

4. Find people to share your life with.

“Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it.” – Bernard Meltzer

You will never be truly happy if you do not have people to share the joys of life with. Life is something that is richer when you have people around you to share experiences with. Just having friends to shoot the breeze with can be something that can make a person happy in and of itself. When you have great friends, great family and a romantic love of your life then you feel much more like a complete person. If you lack these people in your life, then do not fret because you can attract great friends into your life. If you have people in place then appreciate them and show them that you are grateful for their presence.

5. Appreciate what you have.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig

If you cannot be content with that which you already possess, then you will forever feel like you are chasing something elusive. When you have a spirit of always wanting more, it will never be satiated. You need to be grateful for that which you already possess. Realize that you have a life of abundance already, and that all the joy you need is already surrounding you. You need only embrace an attitude of gratitude to feel the happiness present in life. Don’t take what you have for granted. The people in your life and the things you are blessed with are important, so treat them as such.

6. Live in the here and now. 

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.” – James Oppenheim

Remember that you live in the present. What you do today will affect your future. You cannot just wait for the future to come to you, and hope that it will be a happy one. You must live in the present, embrace it and make it into your ideal life. Happiness is something that you create for yourself. It is not something that you wait for or should worry about not having done in the past. Your happiness exists in the here and now. Seize it with conviction.

7. Your outlook on life matters.

“Most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

Happiness is something that exists within the mind. If you can maintain a positive outlook on life, then you are far more likely to attain happiness. Looking at things from positive angles allows you to see the good in things. If you stay pessimistic then you will definitely feel unhappy, and like things are not how you wish them to be. Try to be a happy person. Look at your life with eyes of positivity. When you make up your mind and state clearly that you are determined to lead a happy life, then that life will be attracted towards you.

Source: Joel Chue & Chris Cains

Enjoy

34 Ways That You Can Be Remarkable

Are you feeling inspired by the remarkable athletes who performed in the 2012 London Olympic Games? This is a great little guide to remind us that we are all unique in our own little way and that it is so important in life to remember how boring it is to slip into mediocrity. We all do it from time to time and find ourselves all living a little less or giving a little less.

The #1 Guide On Being A Remarkable Human Being

Live Your Own Life

There is nothing remarkable about someone who is constantly trying to be like other people. Be yourself and be the best you that you can possibly be.

Be Authentic

Mean the things you say and do. Authenticity is not very common these days but when it is there, it shines through your words and actions and is very powerful for creating bonds with others.

Come Up With Your Own Sayings

Come up with your own quirky and original sayings. People will take notice and it may even catch on. By coming up with your own original sayings you stand out from everyone else who just uses clichés.

Leave Others Better Than You Found Them

Make it a habit to leave people in a better state then you found them. Happier, healthier, stronger, wealthier. This is a major way of being remarkable.

Help People Without Wanting Anything In Return

Volunteer to help other people out. Give some of your time, money or resources to help a fellow human being and expect absolutely nothing in return.

Don’t Try To Be Perfect

Be creative and abstract instead of trying to live up to other people’s expectation of perfect. You can achieve great and beautiful things without them living up to the general consensus of perfect.

Face Your Fears

People who avoid things because they are scared will never be remarkable. Face your fears and conquer them. Do you think Lance Armstrong would have been remarkable if he had given up cycling after he had cancer

Take The Plunge

Be that person who does what others won’t do. If others are too scared to attempt something that you are not scared to do, just go out and do it with all your passion and energy.

Question The Norm

Just because something is done by millions of people around the world in a certain way does not mean it is the right or the only way to do something. Question the norm and don’t be afraid to do something differently.

Expose Yourself

Get up on stage or in front of people. Risk putting your ideas and creativity out in public, available for criticism and humiliation. What if Jay Z would have been to scared to perform in public and kept all his talent and his art in the basement.

Start Your Own Tribe

Be a leader instead of a follower. Build up a community or tribe of like minded people who will follow you and use your power to make a difference for the better in this world.

Say NO To Things

If something goes against your principles or you don’t really want it, say NO. You might risk offending some people, but most will respect you for having strong boundaries and sticking to them.

You Are Enough

Have the mindset that you have all the assets to be remarkable. You have talent and you have a gift. Share it with the world.

Be Optimistic

Optimism and smiles are contagious. Make the world a happy and positive place.

Be Confident

Know what you want and be confident that you are going to get it. I think that all remarkable people share the trait of confidence.

Be Humble

Arrogance and vanity are not traits to associate with people you respect and think highly of. No matter how good, famous or wealthy you are, stay humble with both feet on the ground.

Create Something That Brings Joy To Other Peoples Lives

Art, a painting, a video clip, a film, a song, a poem, a book and so on and so forth. Be artistic and express your talent in a form that it can be shared with everyone without the expectation of getting rich from it. It’s your gift to the world.

Invent Something That Everyone Needs

The disposable razor or a cigarette lighter for example. There could be one little thing that seems so simple yet will make the lives of millions of people so much easier.

Take Something That Works And Make It Better

The Japanese are pretty good at this. They took a normal train and change it into the fastest train in the world (bullet train). Take a normal and existing concept and make an exceptional change to it.

Start A Movement

People look for a leader, someone who takes charge and takes initiative. Someone who has good intentions and wants to make a big change for the better. Be that leader and start a movement to change something that is not right in this world.

Fight For Peace And Freedom

All around the world there is so much unnecessary war and suffering. It seems impossible for one person to make a difference, but if everyone thinks like that, things will never change. Stop a war or change violent policies of a country and you will be remarkable.

Preserve Our Planet

Rainforests are being destroyed, species wiped out, oceans overfished and beautiful ecosystems perish. Make a difference and start a movement to do something about the destruction of our planet.

Help The Hungry

There are so many people dying of hunger all around the world every single day. Do something to make a lasting difference. One idea I had was to get every person travelling on a plane to forfeit their meal for the hungry. A combined effort by all passengers would result in thousands of meals a day that could be given to hungry people all across the world.

Push The Limits (break a record)

If you can do something that nobody else has been able to achieve, then you will not only get noticed but you will certainly be remarkable. You may just be the psychological inspiration for many others to get past the level that was always thought of as unbreakable.

Revolutionize An Industry

Waltz into an industry or niche with a great idea or new perspective and put that idea in motion. If you can improve or revolutionize the way an entire industry does something then you are pretty remarkable.

Tell Compelling Stories

Stories are an amazing way to share knowledge and experiences with others. If you know how to create compelling and fun stories, you can make a big impact on the lives of others. That’s remarkable.

Think Better

Be a step ahead of everyone else. Think faster, better or more efficiently.

Read More Interesting Things

The more you read, the more you shape your personality. The more interesting things that you read, the more likely you are to become an interesting (and remarkable) person.

Don’t Be Boring

One requirement of being remarkable is that you are not boring. Be original, fun and get things done.

Stop Making Excuses

Either do something or don’t do it at all. Don’t be someone who always has excuses to stall doing something or justify why you didn’t do something.

Never Settle For Average

Never be content with average or mediocrity. When other people give up and settle, carry on going and be better than them.

Do What You Say

If people can rely on you and they know that when you say something that you will do it, you are well on your way to being remarkable. If you make a promise, keep it.

Don’t Aim To Be Remarkable

As contradictory as it sounds, most remarkable people never set out to be remarkable. They did what they loved and were really passionate and that is what got them to being remarkable.

Gimmicks Fade

What’s fashionable soon becomes unfashionable. While you might be remarkable for a time, if you don’t reinvest and reinvent, you won’t be for long. Instead of resting on your laurels, you must commit to being remarkable again quite soon.

This is what Seth Godin wrote about being remarkable:

• “Remarkability lies in the edges. The biggest, fastest, slowest, richest, easiest, most difficult. It doesn’t always matter which edge, more that you’re at (or beyond) the edge.
• Not everyone appreciates your efforts to be remarkable. In fact, most people don’t. So what? Most people are ostriches, heads in the sand, unable to help you anyway. Your goal isn’t to please everyone. Your goal is to please those that actually speak up, spread the word, buy new things or hire the talented.

There is a difference between being remarkable and between being noticed. For instance, running down the street naked will get you noticed but it certainly doesn’t make you remarkable. However, if you were to run naked down the street of big cities all across the world to raise money for the homeless, then you may have a very good chance at being remarkable.

Source: Joel Chue & Chris Cains

4 Steps To Change

These four steps are important to learn and implement, because they allow you to take your power back and step into being a deliberate creator.

1. RECOGNIZE:

Identify what the situation is and how it takes you away from that joyful being that is your true nature. Describe the entire situation or circumstance that surrounds you feeling less than joyful. The minute you become aware and can recognize that you are out of the state of well-being, you have the power to change. Be real and honest so that you can clearly look at it and so that you can change it—not just this one time, but forever.

2. ACKNOWLEDGE: 

Part A: Who is responsible for creating this? Okay, if you have been working with the Law of Attraction and Deliberate Creation, I hope you said, “I did”. You create everything in your reality, wanted or unwanted, no exceptions. Instead of judging yourself and beating yourself up for this situation, which is never productive or useful, let’s figure out WHY so we can change it for the future.

Part B: Why did you create this? What would you have to believe to create this type of situation in your life? Write out a list of ten reasons that you would have created this. Don’t censor it. Just allow your consciousness to flow from the pen onto the paper. Then go back and read each one and ask yourself, “Is this true? Does this resonate as truth to me?” You may have a few reasons why you would have created it. But now you are aware and you can do something to change it.

3. FORGIVE:Instead of beating yourself up for the reason or the limiting belief that you just discovered, forgive yourself. Truly love yourself enough to forgive so that you are bringing a different energy to yourself and to the situation. Forgiveness is so healing. Once you do this step then you can go onto the final step.

4. CHANGE:

How do you want to feel? What do you want to create? What do you want to believe? Then take a moment to step into the vibration of that new energy. If you want to feel powerful in your life, step into that feeling of being powerful. Even if you have to make it up, shift the energy so it feels better to you. This is where you can use different techniques and processes such as EFT. Remember everything in your outer reality is a direct reflection of your inner reality. If you want the outer to change, you need to shift from the inside. This means moving, shifting and changing your energy. From that change the energy of like frequencies will be attracted into your life.

You have the power to make these changes and to become neutral to the things that take you away from that power. Start with the small things that are not as energetically charged. Once you develop the skill with the smaller things then move onto the things that are a deeper issue for you, or have more of an energetic charge to them. This will help you have more confidence in your ability to shift the energy, and create your life the way you desire.

Quick Tip:

Fear and excitement and different names for the same emotional charge and the key to embracing change lies in shifting how you define your feeling of fear (when it comes to change) to a definition of excitement.

Let me show you how fear and excitement are the same thing (but which definition you attach to means the difference between failure and success)…

Imagine walking up to an Olympic athlete right before their event and asking them if they were scared. I guarantee you they would say something to the effect of, “Nope, I’m excited, I’m ready to go.”

Why? Because, if they define themselves as scared, their instinct will be to shut down and stop moving, fear by definition typically paralyzes us.  However, when they name it as excitement, there is so much positive change, that they are amped up, but ready to move.

The next time you feel scared of change, say this, “I’m not scared, I’m EXCITED and ready to move!” You’ll be amazed at the momentum this shift will create!

Source: Christy Whitman