Some people think happiness is impossible if things are happening they don’t like, but leading a joyful life is a choice. Learn how you can do what will make you happy even if things are not perfect and how to be happy even in the most difficult of times.
Have you ever met someone who seems to be happy all the time no matter what happens to them, and you wonder what their secrets to happiness are? Would you believe that you could be just as happy as they are, no matter what you're going through? It's true. Happiness really is a choice and life doesn't have to be perfect in order for you to be happy. Join SpiritualBlossom To find out the secrets to being happy. Learn exactly what happiness is and what it is dependent on. Find out if you can be happy even when times are hard and how to do what makes you happy. Finally, discover the secret to choosing happiness every moment of every day. The secrets to being happy won’t be secrets anymore after you learn all about happiness with us.
What is Happiness?
Happiness just means an emotional feeling of satisfaction or pleasure. The word itself is used in different ways. Some people express momentary happiness because of an event such as winning a game. Other people define happiness as a long term state of being. If you are perpetually unhappy with your life for example, you will typically either complain a lot to other people, or keep your complaints to yourself but be fully aware of being in a constant state of dissatisfaction. It is not possible to be satisfied with everybody who you meet or with every situation that you find yourself in, but it is possible to find some pleasure in life no matter what is happening.
Verywellmind.com reports there are two basic components to happiness. First is the balance of emotions. The ability to manage your negative emotions while enjoying positive ones goes a long way in keeping you happy. Second is life satisfaction. This has to do with being generally pleased and satisfied with the things that are happening in your life. The philosopher Aristotle introduced the word eudaimonia, which is believed to express true happiness. He said everything we do in life is aimed at a final feeling of happiness and satisfaction in life and it is our highest goal. His definition of happiness can be achieved by practicing virtues, engaging in challenging activities to grow as a person, building great relationships and seeking a strong community connection, being a lifelong learner, and balancing all things in life. So, to some people like Aristotle, happiness is a long term state of being that must be worked for. Read more from Verywellmind.com here: Happiness: What It Really Means and How to Find It
What is Happiness Dependent On?
Some people spend their entire lives searching for happiness while other people believe that happiness is not something you chase, something that you choose. Is it possible to be a happy person if he were dealing with financial difficulties? Is it possible to be a happy person when you're going through a breakup? Is it possible to find things to be happy about when you are suffering some kind of a major setback in your career, or your health has declined? Some people would say that happiness during difficult times like these is impossible. Other people say that there is always something in life to be happy about no matter how bad things are. Even when times make you grieve, you can face it. Find out how to face grief here: Conscious Grieving: Why Facing It Matters
What decides your happiness depends on your point of view. If you believe that you can't be happy until you get the house of your dreams, what happens if you never get that house? Does that mean that you will never be happy for your whole life? If you believe that you could never be happy until you find your soulmate, what happens if you've already met your soulmate and you don't realize it? Does that mean that you will never experience happiness for your entire life? If you believe that there is always something that you can be happy about, you will find some form of happiness somewhere in life no matter what. So happiness really depends on how you view it.
What if Times Are Hard?
Is it possible to feel any happiness at all when you're going through hard times? Some people find it impossible. Their entire focus can become about beating whatever difficulty is facing them and they refuse to see any joy in life until they overcome things. It's true but sometimes when you work very hard on something focusing all your time and energy on it you can accomplish it faster. Sometimes though, no matter how hard you work on something it still takes a very long time for things to get better. Think back over your life. Has there ever been a time when everything was perfect? Even if things were great, maybe they could have been better. Does that mean that you should just be perpetually dissatisfied with life in general?
There's always something to be happy about. If you don't feel good when you wake up, you can be happy about the fact that you did wake up and you have another day to enjoy. If your day is not going well, you can be happy that there is hope that things will get better. If you just went through a horrible breakup, that is certainly nothing to be happy about, but you can be happy about the fact that you have supportive friends and family who will get you through the tough times. Maybe you got outbid on the house that you wanted to buy, and that's definitely not something to be happy about. However, once you find another house and you settle in there, you will be very happy to have your own house. When you're looking for things to be happy about, make sure to say yes to the right things. Learn how to do that here: The Magical Things That Happen When You Say Yes
When times are difficult, those are the times when it's most important not to give up or allow difficulties to defeat us. When times are tough, those are the times when we have to learn to be tougher. We have to reach deep within ourselves and find our inner strength. One of the things that can help us find that strength is whatever makes us happy. After a breakup, go do things you enjoy. It will not make the pain from the breakup go away but it will remind you that you have a wonderful life even though you're single. If you are laid off from a job you love, make sure to continue your passion of gardening while you're hunting for a new job. It will remind you that there is more to life than your job that you miss.
How To Do What Makes You Happy
If doing what makes you happy is so important, just how do you do that? There's not any one answer to that, but there are a few techniques that you can keep in mind. Make yourself a priority when it comes to happiness. Sure, it's important to make other people a priority but to be happy prioritizing yourself matters. Don't feel guilty about the things that make you happy, and just go for it!
Prioritize Yourself
Some people believe that it is terribly self-centered to focus on themselves, but you matter just as much as everybody else who you care about. When you're trying to find ways to do the things that make you happy, if you don't believe that your happiness matters, you won't go after the things that make you happy. It's very important to make the people who you love a priority, but the universe holds great abundance. There is enough time to make the people who you love happy and to also make yourself happy. There will be times when you have to make sacrifices for your children, for your career, for your family, and for your community. That doesn't mean that your whole life has to be spent and constant sacrifice, allowing nothing for yourself. Make your own happiness a priority. You deserve it. This is one way that you can cultivate self-love, and you can find out more about that here: Practicing Self Love
Don’t Feel Guilty
Everybody wants to be happy, and there is no shame in that. Some people will discourage you from doing the things that make you happy and tell you that you should feel bad for focusing on yourself. Sometimes, even if people don't tell us to feel guilty we just do. If you spend your time feeling guilty about what makes you happy, it will be very difficult if not impossible for you to do what makes you happy. When you do healthy things that make you happy, it makes you a better person. It makes you a stronger person who has more to give to other people. So allow no guilt about being happy. You deserve happiness.
Go For It!
Once you make yourself a priority, even if that means balancing your happiness with other people's happiness, and you set aside any feelings of guilt that you may have about pursuing your happiness, there is only one thing left to do- go for it! Cook your favorite food even if somebody says it's too fattening. Take those swimming lessons you always wanted. No, you're never too old. Go ahead and get remarried even though your adult children don't understand. Indulge in collecting the toys from your childhood even though your parents think it's silly. The little things that we do can bring us great joy and isn't that what life is all about? Happiness creates its own form of magic, and you can bring that and all other kinds of magic into your life every day. Read about how to do that here: Using Practical Magic in Everyday Life
How to Choose Happiness
Choosing happiness whether it be happiness in the moment or long term happiness in general can be done even if times are difficult. Some people have their own methods for choosing happiness every day, but there's a few simple things you can do to choose being happy over being unhappy. First, focus on the positive things in life and then when there are difficulties, don’t be dismayed, but problem solve. Finally, remember what is most important. If all you do is three things it will help you to be very happy.
Focus on the Positive
It's easy to forget the good things in life when we're frustrated about something, but it's important to try and remember all of the positive things that we have . If you're having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, or even a bad year, remember bad times will pass. Even when there are difficulties, there is always something wonderful to look forward to and be thankful for. Every day that we have is a new opportunity, and even if we've made a mistake we can learn from it and grow. If you spend all your time focusing on the things that you're frustrated about you will lose sight of all the things that you have to be thankful for. Try to find the positive side to a difficult situation. For example after a breakup, remind yourself that you were in a dead end relationship and this frees you up to find someone who truly loves you.
Problem Solve
It doesn't pay to ignore difficulties, no matter how many positive things you have to focus on. When times are hard, don't approach problems as things to avoid. Think of them as things to be solved. It can be overwhelming at first when faced with problems and you might struggle to know just what to do. If you can't find a solution on your own, reach out for advice from the people who you love and respect. Sometimes you don't need anyone's advice for dealing with problems, you just need to control your own emotions long enough to think rationally of a solution. Yes, sometimes the solutions lie within us! Learn about controlling emotions here: The Ten Best Ways to Control Emotions
Remember What Is Important
Sometimes, the key to happiness is remembering what is most important and focusing on just that. If your family is more important to you than anything else, don't let difficult neighbors make you unhappy. If your career is more important than anything else, don't let the fact that your ex didn't understand the amount of time that you put into your work get you down. The things that make you happy should come first when you are pursuing happiness. Other things matter too, just don’t put less important things first.
Happiness really is a choice. You can choose to be happy even if things aren't perfect and you can even choose to be happy if things are just bad. It's not possible to be happy about things that are painful or difficult, but it is possible to be happy to be experiencing life even if life is tough. Don't wait on certain things to fall into place in order to be happy. There's plenty to be happy about now. Be happy that there is hope for a brighter future even if today seems dark. Be happy for the good people you have in your life even if you're grieving the loss of relationships. Be happy about new possibilities even if certain things fall apart. You can be happy no matter what's happening. You just have to choose to be.
Are you going through dark times and you could use some guidance from a psychic? We are here for you all day every day, so don't hesitate to reach out for support.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for The Green Egg Magazine and PaganPages.Org emag.