5 Habits of Habitually Happy People
by Lynn WL
Ok, so my sister Tania has shared with you 3 simple steps to living a happy life, and she gave me an assignment (yeah, that's what older siblings do to the younger ones, lol) to kinda pick up where she left off. So here I am :) But instead of continuing with number 4, I'm gonna share with you a few important habits or traits of people who live a happy life.
1. Make other people happy.
I'm sure you have helped others in many different ways big or small. Did you notice how you felt afterwards? I bet you were happy! So you should make this a habit.
It doesn't have to be anything big like helping someone with a major project. It can be something as simple as carrying someone's bag or opening the door for them. Practice random acts of kindness. Yes, even to strangers!
How else can you make another person happy? By sharing your own happiness with them. In fact, all you need to do is show you're joy by laughing or smiling. Did you know that smiling at others is one of the simplest ways to show kindness? Happiness is contagious. When you see someone happy you will become happier yourself.
You can also tell good jokes or act silly and make others laugh.
2. Express your feelings.
If you like something or someone, let others know about it like, "Wow, look at that beautiful flower!" or "You certainly look gorgeous!"
We all know things don't always go well all the time. Even happy people get upset or sad from time to time, and that's perfectly normal. The key is to turn around as quickly as possible so we get back to our natural state of joy. But here we have to be careful when expressing or feelings to others that we don't actually escalate any negative situation.
When your sad don't be afraid to cry. Yes, this goes for guys too! You don't necessarily have to cry in front of others if that embarasses you. Go to your room or find a private place and cry you're heart out :)
Its kinda funny how people sometimes ask me, "Do you ever cry?" because I'm always happy when I'm with them. I often answer them with another question, "I'm a girl, what do you think?" and they usually laugh. Crying is a great way to release negative emotions and bring you back to joy.
3. Practice self discipline
When you were little you're parents and teachers often disciplined you and make you do things that you didn't like but they said were important or good for you. As you grow older this happens less often but you may still experience it at work or school like when you have to meet certain deadlines. Your forced to do certain things or suffer the consequences.
But what happens when your by yourself, when there's nobody to tell you what to do? Its easy to just let things go and do whatever you like, but often times it ends up with regret when you have to deal with the consequences.
I can say this from personal experience. I used to procrastinate alot and not do my homework or study for a test until the very last minute, and as a result I would fail the test and get a bad grade. That itself made me feel terrible, and the endless scolding from my parents made me miserable. I wasn't a happy camper then! :)
So over time I have developed self discipline. Well ok, I'm not perfect yet as I still procrastinate every now and then, but I'm much better now, lol. I can tell you self discipline is not the easiest thing but the reward is great, and with practice you can do it!
4. Avoid exposure to negative energy.
There are different sources of negative energy, and each of us is affected differently, so you need to know what things turns you off or puts you in a bad mood, and make an effort to avoid them. But there's one source of negative energy that's quite common and affects alot of people, and that's TV! Many people are addicted to it and they don't even know that its negatively affecting them in many ways.
The news is especially bad (surprised?) because like 90% of it is negative, from your local crimes and accidents to natural disasters to wars and terrorism. Then there are shows that promote violence or invoke anger, fear or sadness. All of that is not conducive to living a happy life.
Tania and I could have had a TV in our rooms as our parents actually offered it to us when we were older, but we chose not to have it. We told them the reason and they were like surprised but agreed with us, and said they could also learn something from us kids :) They actually considered getting rid of the TV in they're room. Well, they decided to keep it but they watch it less often. At least that's what they told us, lol.
Tania and I do watch TV on occasion but we go to the media room, and only watch shows that are educational or entertaining in a positive way.
The same can be said about the internet although there are plenty of wonderful things on there as well. So be discreet and choose wisely what websites you visit, what videos you watch, and what games you play. Also, avoid being addicted to the internet.
I know its easier said than done, especially with smartphones and everything, and Tania and I are guilty of it ourselves as were often glued to our phones even when were with others. Mom always scolds us when we do it like in a restaurant or when other people are talking. She says its disrespectful and takes away from the joy of sharing the moment with people we care about. We agree but its a hard habit to break :)
5. Be spiritual
Ok, don't freak out on me now! :) I'm not telling you to be religious as being spiritual is different than being religious. It simply means getting in touch with your inner self or finding things outside of the physical/material world that bring you peace, love, and joy. This is also known as mindfulness.
If you belong to a particular religion, that's fine. Practicing your faith is one way to be spiritual. But you don't even have to believe in a god to be spiritual. If your non-religious (like my family and myself), you can do it in different ways.
Meditating is a great way to achieve that. We don't go to church or anything, but our family meditates together every morning for about 20 minutes before breakfast, and I do it on my own for like 10 minutes every night before bed. Many studies have shown that meditation has numerous benefits both physical and spiritual. I won't go into the techniques as there are many resources online. Just look it up and give it a try.
If meditation is not your thing, you can still develop mindfulness by like walking in nature and feeling the serenity, and just appreciating all that's available to you in life. This will increase the level of your happiness.
Learning personal growth/personal development (which is what this blog is all about) and finding your life purpose are also forms of spirituality. So yeah, you can still be spiritual and derive happiness from it even if your an atheist.
From paradise Hawaii this is Sharleen (a.k.a. Lynn) reminding you that life is magical. So...
Aloha, and let's make it a magical day!
Ok, so my sister Tania has shared with you 3 simple steps to living a happy life, and she gave me an assignment (yeah, that's what older siblings do to the younger ones, lol) to kinda pick up where she left off. So here I am :) But instead of continuing with number 4, I'm gonna share with you a few important habits or traits of people who live a happy life.I'm sure you have helped others in many different ways big or small. Did you notice how you felt afterwards? I bet you were happy! So you should make this a habit.
It doesn't have to be anything big like helping someone with a major project. It can be something as simple as carrying someone's bag or opening the door for them. Practice random acts of kindness. Yes, even to strangers!
How else can you make another person happy? By sharing your own happiness with them. In fact, all you need to do is show you're joy by laughing or smiling. Did you know that smiling at others is one of the simplest ways to show kindness? Happiness is contagious. When you see someone happy you will become happier yourself.
You can also tell good jokes or act silly and make others laugh.
2. Express your feelings.
If you like something or someone, let others know about it like, "Wow, look at that beautiful flower!" or "You certainly look gorgeous!"
We all know things don't always go well all the time. Even happy people get upset or sad from time to time, and that's perfectly normal. The key is to turn around as quickly as possible so we get back to our natural state of joy. But here we have to be careful when expressing or feelings to others that we don't actually escalate any negative situation.
When your sad don't be afraid to cry. Yes, this goes for guys too! You don't necessarily have to cry in front of others if that embarasses you. Go to your room or find a private place and cry you're heart out :)
Its kinda funny how people sometimes ask me, "Do you ever cry?" because I'm always happy when I'm with them. I often answer them with another question, "I'm a girl, what do you think?" and they usually laugh. Crying is a great way to release negative emotions and bring you back to joy.
3. Practice self discipline
When you were little you're parents and teachers often disciplined you and make you do things that you didn't like but they said were important or good for you. As you grow older this happens less often but you may still experience it at work or school like when you have to meet certain deadlines. Your forced to do certain things or suffer the consequences.
But what happens when your by yourself, when there's nobody to tell you what to do? Its easy to just let things go and do whatever you like, but often times it ends up with regret when you have to deal with the consequences.
I can say this from personal experience. I used to procrastinate alot and not do my homework or study for a test until the very last minute, and as a result I would fail the test and get a bad grade. That itself made me feel terrible, and the endless scolding from my parents made me miserable. I wasn't a happy camper then! :)
So over time I have developed self discipline. Well ok, I'm not perfect yet as I still procrastinate every now and then, but I'm much better now, lol. I can tell you self discipline is not the easiest thing but the reward is great, and with practice you can do it!
4. Avoid exposure to negative energy.
There are different sources of negative energy, and each of us is affected differently, so you need to know what things turns you off or puts you in a bad mood, and make an effort to avoid them. But there's one source of negative energy that's quite common and affects alot of people, and that's TV! Many people are addicted to it and they don't even know that its negatively affecting them in many ways.
The news is especially bad (surprised?) because like 90% of it is negative, from your local crimes and accidents to natural disasters to wars and terrorism. Then there are shows that promote violence or invoke anger, fear or sadness. All of that is not conducive to living a happy life.
Tania and I could have had a TV in our rooms as our parents actually offered it to us when we were older, but we chose not to have it. We told them the reason and they were like surprised but agreed with us, and said they could also learn something from us kids :) They actually considered getting rid of the TV in they're room. Well, they decided to keep it but they watch it less often. At least that's what they told us, lol.
Tania and I do watch TV on occasion but we go to the media room, and only watch shows that are educational or entertaining in a positive way.
The same can be said about the internet although there are plenty of wonderful things on there as well. So be discreet and choose wisely what websites you visit, what videos you watch, and what games you play. Also, avoid being addicted to the internet.
I know its easier said than done, especially with smartphones and everything, and Tania and I are guilty of it ourselves as were often glued to our phones even when were with others. Mom always scolds us when we do it like in a restaurant or when other people are talking. She says its disrespectful and takes away from the joy of sharing the moment with people we care about. We agree but its a hard habit to break :)
5. Be spiritual
 |
| Meditating |
If you belong to a particular religion, that's fine. Practicing your faith is one way to be spiritual. But you don't even have to believe in a god to be spiritual. If your non-religious (like my family and myself), you can do it in different ways.
Meditating is a great way to achieve that. We don't go to church or anything, but our family meditates together every morning for about 20 minutes before breakfast, and I do it on my own for like 10 minutes every night before bed. Many studies have shown that meditation has numerous benefits both physical and spiritual. I won't go into the techniques as there are many resources online. Just look it up and give it a try.
If meditation is not your thing, you can still develop mindfulness by like walking in nature and feeling the serenity, and just appreciating all that's available to you in life. This will increase the level of your happiness. Learning personal growth/personal development (which is what this blog is all about) and finding your life purpose are also forms of spirituality. So yeah, you can still be spiritual and derive happiness from it even if your an atheist.
From paradise Hawaii this is Sharleen (a.k.a. Lynn) reminding you that life is magical. So...
Aloha, and let's make it a magical day!
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