Top Ten Ways To Be Happy

I believe that everyone wants to feel happier -- sometimesnthey just don't know where to begin. So here are tennsure-fire ways to increase your happiness quotient - andnachieve your goals more easily than before!

1. Don't expect perfection from yourself or anyone else.
Don't forget this is planet Earth. And don't expectnperfection in working these happiness tips, either. Leanninto them everyday, and your life can change. Progress isngood enough.

2. Accept. Stop judging

When we judge ourselves, our circumstances, or other people,nit leaves no opening to settle into and accept "what is." Ifnyour circumstances seem too severe to accept, try to resistnless. And less. You will give yourself emotional space tonmove toward acceptance and change at the same time. Soundsnlike a contradiction, but that's the beauty. It isn't.

3. Stay in the present

Do not waste time and energy regretting the past or worryingnabout the future. Worry is a drain. We might think thatnworry teaches us or motivates us, but calm presence is thenbest source of happiness, wisdom, and positive action.

4. Be grateful

When we put our attention on all the good in our lives, thengood tends to increase. Remember to be thankful for thensmall blessings, the everyday things. At the University of
California at Davis, psychologist Robert Emmons found thatnthose who wrote in a "gratitude journal" weekly experiencednbetter health, more energy, and for patients withnneuromuscular disease, less pain and fatigue. The more theynfound to be grateful for and the more detail they describednin their journals, the greater benefits they experienced.

5. Decide to be happy

Having the intention to be happy, regardless of currentncircumstances, attracts conditions that support you. The oldnsaying that "like attracts like" even works with yournintentions. They act like a magnet and draw to you more ofnwhat you are already resonating. If you want to be happy,nmake happiness your first desire.

6. Be self-authorized

Stop making choices based on what others believe you shouldndo, think, or be. Stay true to your own innate knowing ofnwhat is best for you. Speak your truth in a kind manner. Letnothers be responsible for their reactions.

7. Choose how you feel

We often say that something or someone "made" us feel ancertain way. And yet, as we watch people react sondifferently to the same event, we see with our own eyes thatnpeople choose how they feel. Learn to pause. Take a momentnto choose how you wish to react and feel. You may bensurprised at how much leeway you have!

8. Examine your beliefs

Often things in our life we accept as facts are reallynself-defeating beliefs. Once you find these beliefs are notntrue, they will shift and dissolve. Beliefs influence everyndecision you make.

9. Expand your options

Allow for more possibilities in the present and future,nregardless of past experience. Drop the word "can't" fromnyour self-talk. Allow yourself to dream big. On a weeklynbasis, write down all your desires, and let the sky be thenlimit. No one has to see this list but you!

10.Create what you desire

Rather than putting all your energy into pushing away thenthings you don't want, direct your energy into creating whatnyou do want. Come up with even just one action step - andnthen the next - and start building the life you desire.

Happiness is worth your time and attention because feelingsnaffect every choice you make, every action and reaction.
They, along with the hidden self-defeating beliefs thatnunderlie them, create your life. They affect your brainnchemistry, your immune system, your ability to fightndisease, and your longevity. They can make the differencenbetween creating a relationship of mutual acceptance andnrespect, or going your separate ways.

So, go ahead, dive in. Don't feel guilty for wanting morenhappiness. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "By being happy,nwe sow anonymous benefits upon the world." And ourselves.