12 Things to Do in Order to Be Happy

This is what I know and practice in order to be happy.

You’ve heard the saying : “Don’t put the key to happiness in someone else’s pocket.” I hope one (or more) of these suggestions will help ease life’s many burdens.

1- Be optimistic

Be optimistic (Photo – commons.wikimedia.org).

Some of my friends have lovingly called me “dangerously optimistic.” They gave me this title because even in the face of despair, I can usually find some ray of hope to hang onto. But this isn’t a gift I was born with. This is something I work at, pay attention to, and consider a spiritual practice. And it means it is an area you can cultivate, too.

― “Be Dangerously Optimistic” by Tera Landers.

2- Follow your gut

At times you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.

― Actor Alan Alda

3- Make enough money to meet basic needs

A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.

― Jonathan Swift

4- Treat your body like it deserves to be happy

How much time have I wasted on diets and what I look like? Take your time and your talent and figure out what you have to contribute to this world. And get over what the hell your butt looks like in those jeans!

― America Ferreira

5- Stay close to friends and family

Family and friends (Photo – Erik Przekop).

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.

― Mother Teresa

6- Be compassionate

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

― Plato

7- Have deep, meaningful conversations

Conversation. What is it? A Mystery! It’s the art of never seeming bored, of touching everything with interest, of pleasing with trifles, of being fascinating with nothing at all.

― Guy de Maupassant

8- Smile

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.

― Paramahansa Yogananda

9- Find a job that you like

Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.

― David Frost

10- Forgive

It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.

― Maya Angelou

11- Make friends

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

― S. Lewis

12- Always find time to make music part of your day

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.

― Bob Marley

It’s your destiny. It all starts and ends with you.