How to Be Happy

In 7 Easy Steps

Would you like to know how to be happy in 7 easy steps? Happy people don’t just feel good, they are good for other people too. Studies show that happy people give more and practice universal virtues more. Feeling happy is good for us too- improving our health by improving the body’s chemical balance. Science confirms what spiritual leaders and philosophers have always known. Happiness is good and you can learn how to be happy using these 7 easy steps.

1. Develop close relationships with friends and family.

2. Choose work you like to do and is meaningful to you.

We can generate those exhilarating, peak moments by engaging fully in something with clear goals that we are good at and that challenges us. When our accomplishments can be used to benefit others or to generate a paycheck, they can be doubly satisfying.

3. Choose hobbies you enjoy.

Just like work, our hobbies can generate those peak moments and satisfying engagement too.

4. Choose your thoughts.

We become what we think about most often. Happy people actively choose to think these happy thoughts:

a. Optimism

Optimism is the belief that things work out for the best most of the time. Optimistic people focus on the solution more than the problem because they know the solution it is there.

b. Appreciation

Appreciation is often the ability to see the positive in something more strongly than the negative. It is the ability to notice and admire what is good.

c. Gratitude

Gratitude goes beyond appreciation in not just noting what is good, but feeling good fortune or grace at experiencing good things.

d. Forgiveness

Happiness as an emotion moves us towards things or people we appreciate. Hate and anger move us away. Forgiveness is letting go of the hate and anger- not to condone something bad, but to accept that it is just one aspect of our existence and to move our focus to what is right and good.

5. Choose to Give

Study after study has shown that happy people are more likely to give to others and that giving to others makes us happy. In fact, we often find we are attracted to people who give to others. Whether you give your time, attention, money or happy approach to life, routinely giving to others is a good choice for creating a happy life.

6. Choose a Spiritual Life

Studies have shown some correlation between strong spiritual beliefs and higher life satisfaction. Churches also tend to become communities that also provide people with rich social connections. However, in an organized church or not, every major religion in the world values many of the same virtues like compassion and appreciation and these positive emotions are all closely associated with happiness.

7. Choose to manage your health and your money enough to stay out of chronic pain and poverty.

Rich people and middle class people, healthy people and unhealthy people all report about the same level of happiness, but people in chronic pain or living in poverty are less happy. Once you reach a certain level of health and wealth, more is not better, just about the same.

These easy steps show you how to be happy by making happier choices for your life. You will be happier by leaving work on time and meeting your friends than staying late to chase that raise or bonus. Choose a job you enjoy that involves work you are good at instead of one that you dislike just because the money is a little better. Or, if you have an unsatisfying job, find hobbies that use your talents and strengths. So now that you know how to be happy, make some choices for happiness today.

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