If You Want to Be Happy...

By Martine Brennan

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If you want to be happy…

You need to know yourself,
You need to do the things you enjoy doing,
You need to appreciate the good things in your life,
You need to help someone else,
You need to know that who you are and what you do makes a difference.

Know yourself
Write a list of the things that you like and the things you dislike. Get into the details. For example I like silence in the car on my way to work in the morning. I dislike morning talk shows. I enjoy belonging to a team at work and I dislike being in charge (or vice versa.) I like visiting with my friend. I enjoy a tidy house/garage. I enjoy long walks and I dislike contact sports. I feel good when I get up a few minutes earlier in the morning and I don’t have to rush to work. When you know yourself then you can…….

Do the things you enjoy doing
I live near the sea and most of my clients tell me they love to walk along the beach. When I ask them “when was the last time you walked along the beach?” they usually say “I can’t remember!” Now don’t tell me it takes a degree in psychology to figure this out. Are there things that you really love to do but haven’t done for a long time? What did you enjoy doing when you were a child, or before you had children or took this new job? Imagine how good you would fell if you played golf/tennis again? Could you slip a little gardening, maybe twenty minutes worth, into your day? Start today! When you do things you enjoy doing every day you can….

Appreciate the good things in your life
How about the security guy at work who greets you every morning with a smile? Doesn’t he give you a boost first thing every morning? Do you appreciate your lovely home? Do you value your wife or husband? Are you thankful to have cupboards full of food? Isn’t it lovely to sit down for dinner with your family at the end of your working day? Don’t you just feel great when you mend something that is broken? Finish the sentence “I am a lucky man/woman because……. When you value all the good people and things in your life you can…..

Help someone else
Start with little things. In Ireland, we have a parking system where you put some money in a machine and you are given a ticket which you place on the dashboard of your car. Next time the ticket has not expired, give it to an elderly person entering the car-park as you leave. Be creative! Find someone you can help every day. Open a door for someone. If someone is lost, walk a little way with them until they are on the right road. When you do this you will make someone smile and then you will ..

Know that who you are and what you do makes a difference!