Happiness is, in some ways, the ultimate pursuit in self-improvement. Unlocking greater happiness can transform your life in more ways than just changing your mood. As you begin to experience a positive life you will find motivation comes easier, self-esteem grows, and that you will become a force for good in the lives of your loved ones.
Finding happiness doesn't have to be complicated, all you need is to put together the right group of ingredients and start taking control of your mental space. Try these simple techniques to begin changing your life for the better.
1. Appreciation & Gratitude
There’s a surprising amount of research on happiness, and one thing it all concludes is appreciating what you have to thankful for will increase your well-being and make you happier.
Taking a few minutes each day to write down three good things that happened to you has been proven to have lasting effects on your overall mood. People who engage in this activity regularly report more positive emotions, and greater well-being than those who don’t. All it takes is a few moments each day to focus attention on the good in your life.
2. Savor the Moment
Having positive experiences is also central to happiness, but you can amplify their effect by making the effort to savor them. There is no special technique involved, all it takes is recognizing when something good is happening and telling yourself to enjoy it.
Keeping yourself aware of positive experiences as they happen will let you live these moments longer, and feel the full force of their benefits.
3. Live with Purpose
This one may be easier to explain than to achieve, but living your life with purpose has massive benefits for life. The idea here is based on three principles.
•Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
•Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
•We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stand we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.
The root of this idea is that you have the freedom to discover whatever meaning you feel is important. It is not an easy process but the benefits are worth the effort.
People who live with meaning and purpose show higher levels of mental well-being that go beyond just happiness to include higher self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism, hope, curiosity, and more positive daily social interactions.
Central to finding greater happiness is living life with greater mindfulness and awareness. It’s the awful secret about happiness that it doesn’t take a huge amount of effort, or any special techniques, it is just all in how you choose to look at things.
Andrew Brown is a long time coach and trainer with over 10 years working with people and organizations to take control of their motivation and communication as part of finding greater success.
His website, www.unogradutempore.com, is focused on helping people reach their full potential by understanding the latest research in intelligence, self-confidence, self-esteem, creativity, meditation and mindfulness.