Increasing Happiness

Increasing happiness. Are you happy? No joke. Are you really happy?
If not…why? You know that happiness is your choice, right? Mind you, I’m not trying to be a jackass here. I just saying that happiness is as easy as making a decision to be happy.

It’s really about focus, attention, and selection. Ask yourself. What am I focusing on? What am I constantly thinking about? Where’s my attention? Additionally, increasing happiness is about detaching your happiness from external situations or circumstances.

Let’s jump into these ideas and toss in a few other things to think about in order to make you the happiest dang person this side of the Mississippi. Onward.

1. Never talk in a discouraging or negative way. Don’t complain, criticize or judge. Never talk negatively, even to say you’re tired. You see, our words are really instructions to our subconscious as Dan Kennedy put it.

2. Don’t compare yourself to others. We are all unique. You are not superior to others. You are not inferior to others. You are you. You were designed by God. He created you for a purpose and made you with specific talents and gifts that you’ll use to accomplish that unique purpose. So, it goes without saying, that naturally you will be different from others. You weren’t made to be like everyone else. You weren’t made to be like anyone else. So…do your own work, your purpose, well. You want something to focus on, focus on that.

3. Don’t take things personally that aren’t even personal by any stretch of the imagination. So, its raining and gloomy out. There’s traffic. This or that happened at work. Why take these personal, thinking that the big guy upstairs has it out for you. Out in the world there are so many moving pieces. Why tie your happiness to only certain instances. Why state that all the stars need to be aligned in order for you to be happy. And keep in mind you don’t have any control over these stars. That’s a true crap-shoot. I mean you’re completely giving your power over to happenstance. Everyday you wake up, you essentially are being TOLD how to feel and have no choice in the matter. That’s no way to live.

4. Don’t tie your happiness to contingencies such as “when this happens” or “if I get this, then I’ll be happy”. The fact of the matter is once that moment you’ve been waiting for arrives, you’ll soon desire something above and beyond that. That’s our human nature. Desire is never ending.

5. Always have a goal that you’re focused on achieving. This gives you purpose and direction.

6. Smile. I know you said you weren’t happy but just do it. The mind and body have an ongoing connection where the mind affects the body and also the body affects the mind. Let me ask you, do you run or workout? If so, I’ll bet some days you don’t feel like it. But for some reason you just get ready and go running or go to the gym and once you get started your mind rejoins the team and you’re happy you did it. Same principle here. As well, this brings me to my next point…

7. Run, workout, do some cardio. Get active, exercise 3+ times per week.

8. Focus on the positive things in your life. Increasing happiness requires that you be thankful and grateful for all that you have. Look around, you have so much. If you disagree, look harder. You have talents and God-given gifts inside you. The thing is you’re probably not using them. Why not? Moving on, here’s the prize, here’s the reason to ALWAYS be happy and grateful…wait for it…Jesus Christ died for you, God’s grace has forgiven you of your sins, bringing you in connection with God and giving you eternal life with Him. You want happiness, there’s happiness. There’s true peace.

9. Take your cues from inside yourself and God. Not the media, not the government, not friends, not family. Now, it’s OK to listen to their advice, but come decision time, look inside. Here’s a surefire way to be unhappy – try to please everyone and make your happiness contingent on their happiness. You know it without me even saying it, but you can’t please everybody, so focus on pleasing yourself and God. That’s all that matters. As well, doing this gives you confidence and the sense of empowerment which will lead to happiness.

So, it really boils down to the simple matter that your happiness lies inside you. Not out there in the world. It’s not attached to some accomplishment or situation or circumstance. External forces and stimuli shouldn’t dictate you and your happiness. It comes from within you. Choose to be happy. Focus on things that make you happy. Be happy. Once again, the ball is in your court, it’s your choice. What’s it gonna be?

Cheers to your increasing happiness,

Ron Kawatsky