“He who is contented is rich.”
LAO TSU
You and me are all after the same thing – Happiness!
We think that getting after more and more things will make us happier and happier. But the thing is, our thirst for more will actually make us more stressed out instead of gaining happiness.
The only way to be happy is to be happy with what you have and who you are.
I am not saying that you should stop improving yourself and be satisfied at your current position in life. What I am hinting is that you should start enjoying your life’s journey.
People have a common misconception that being dissatisfied is the only way to force yourself to be more productive. I think otherwise. You can be happy with what you have and still be productive and willing to improve yourself.
If you aren’t satisfied with what you have and are always wanting more, you will never truly be happy. There will always be something better out there. It’s important to be happy with what you have. Here’s how:
Express gratitude for what you have
No matter how much you have or what you have, there is always someone who has less. Many people would consider themselves to have won the lottery if they had even a fraction of what you have.
It is important, therefore, that you are grateful for what you have. If you remember that you are fortunate enough to have more than others, you will learn to be happy with what you have.
Don’t envy others
Just as someone will always have less than you do, someone will always have more than you do.
It’s easy to envy those who are always flying worldwide to travel because they have a lot of money.
It is likely that you will never have that kind of money. So why be envious?
If you focus on wanting something that you will never have, you will make yourself miserable. If you’re satisfied with what you have, you will be happy.
Remind yourself of what makes you happy
Constantly having reminders of what makes you happy will make you happier with what you have.
Take friends and family as an example. If you take the time to spend time with them or regularly look at photos of them, you will remember the positive experiences you’ve had with them.
You will be reminded that they make you happy.
Set goals for yourself
Just because you want to be happy with what you have doesn’t mean you have to settle.
Remember that your actions and experiences have gotten you to where you are today and that they will help you to achieve your goals.
Let go of negativity
If you can, cut out the negative things in your life that are getting in the way of your happiness. If you’re in a dead-end job and can quit, find another job. If you’re in a bad relationship and can leave, leave.
Letting go of negative things will help you appreciate the positive things in your life, teaching you to be happy with what you have.
Be invested in different areas
Having different interests and priorities will help you to be happier with what you have. Say your job is your entire life.
If you lost your job, you would be miserable and not know what to do next. But if you had a job and had fulfilling hobbies and a great social life, then losing the job wouldn’t be so devastating.
Ensuring that you have many things on the go helps you be happier with what you have, even if some things go wrong.
Found an infographic on 28 simple things you can do to be happier.
Bottom line
Happiness is a choice. You can either be happy with what you have, or you can be less happy and more greedy.
Either way, what you choose will affect your mentality. Your mentality will decide what you become.
If you’re a happy person, you’ll achieve more. So who do you choose to be?
A happy man or an unhappy man?
Comment below!
Also Read: 5 Tips on how to set realistic goals
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