How To Be Happy Always

Many today are searching for happiness in all the wrong places. Each day I hear people say things like, ‘If I could just get that job...’, ‘If only I could afford that house...’, ‘if I could just win that contract...’, ‘If I..’, ‘If I..’, ‘If I..’.

The more you carry such mentalities, the harder it becomes to achieve your dreams. Nothing disappoints a man like wanting the right things for the wrong reasons. You don’t need things to be happy; you need to be happy to have things.
Sometimes I wonder why something so easy to find could be so elusive to many. God never tied our emotional well-being to external factors. If he did, everyone would be constantly unhappy.

What then is the true source of happiness? How can we ensure that our happiness is not tied to some pay check, economic condition and other people’s action or inaction?
The answer is in what you focus on. The happiest people on earth are not happy because of what they have or don’t have. They are happy because of what they focus on. Focus on self and you’ll keep having enough reasons to be worried and depressed. Focus on others and how to help them, and you’ll be happy.

Look Away From ‘You’

You may not be where you want to be but you can be grateful that you are not where you used to be. Take attention off yourself and begin to look for ways to make someone else happy. This doesn’t have to cost you so much. You can start with little things like the ones I have highlighted below:

1. LEARN TO SMILE.

Learn to smile especially to those who are not smiling themselves. A smile accompanied with remarks like, ‘I love you’, ‘I’m so proud of you’ or ‘It’s so good to see you’, would go a long way to brighten someone’s day. Add a hug to it when you can.
The sick, rejected, lonely and downtrodden are all around us. They need our love and smile. You will definitely feel better each time you make someone else happy.

2. OFFER SINCERE COMPLEMENTS.

It’s not that we don’t admire people enough; it’s that we never voice out genuine complements to help others feel better about themselves. Most people are struggling with low self esteem despite the enormous talents and potentials they possess. All they see about themselves is what they are not. And that is because nobody ever complements their strengths.
Therefore be more generous with praise. Don’t let any day pass without offering at least people around you. Tell someone how pretty she is, tell your hosts how great you admire their home or office... even as an employer you can complement a staff for his consistency and punctuality. Write a love letter to an old friend. Don’t lose an opportunity to praise someone publicly.

3. GIVE AWAY SOMETHING OF VALUE.

The foremost American Billionaire, John D. Rockefeller recovered from a terminal disease when he started giving a large part of his fortune away. You may say, ‘But I don’t have that much money’. But my response is ‘what do you have?’
Here’s is what to do. Look for something of value in you that could benefit someone else. Can you sing well? Then sing to a group of friends or kids in your neighbourhood. If you’re very funny, offer to tell jokes at a friend’s birthday party. You can pay the primary school fees of an indigent pupil or buy an acquaintance a cherished book. It doesn’t really cost much to cultivate your own happiness.

4. OFFER SOMEONE A LISTENING EAR.

About five years ago, a multi- millionaire singer committed suicide in her mansion. The interesting thing is that she left a note that implied that loneliness was the reason for her action. You can imagine how a listening ear and some visits could have saved that precious life.
It could be someone going through a troubled marriage, a bereaved person, or someone in the middle of a career move. Whatever case it is, the importance of giving the person a listening ear cannot be over emphasized.

5. LEND SOMEONE A HELPING HAND.

Volunteering is a great way of bringing happiness into someone’s life. It could be as simple as cleaning, cooking, or running errands for a widow or any seemingly helpless person around you. It could be babysitting for someone who just put to bed or delivering a nice lunch to someone having a bad day. Whatever it is, you will be happy when you make someone else happy.
Start giving your life away today and you’ll discover how much of happiness you could provoke into your life.