What do you really want from life?
I mean really, really want. If you sit down and think about why you want anything, you can almost always discover that the main reason is that you want to feel a certain way.
It could be to feel peace of mind, fulfillment, purpose, or even freedom.
You may think you want money, but what does money give you? Freedom? And what does freedom give you?
On and on it goes and if you dig deep enough, you’ll realize that all you truly want is to feel good. I’m not saying this is the case for everyone, but it is for most.
When you’ve read this article, you will have 11 concrete tips on how you can dramatically crank up the happiness level in your life.
And with that said, let’s get to the 11 simple ways to infuse your life with bliss, happiness, and joy, shall we?
1. Clarity
You easily have the potential to be happy right now. Try this: Imagine yourself in a pool trying to hold a beach ball under the water.
It’s hard, isn’t it?
As soon as you let go, it will float back up to the surface where it belongs. We as humans are much the same way, because when you remove all the negative layers you have collected since childhood, you will naturally feel happy and blissful.
However, you have to be clear about what it is you want from life. Now, obviously happiness comes from the inside, but the more you know what you want, the happier you will be.
2. Set Goals
The first step to clarity is to set specific goals.
Most people never set any goals at all, because they’ve been told not get their hopes up and not go after their dreams, because it’s easier to settle for less than to be disappointed.
Or is it?
Realize that these thoughts are not your own, because they’ve been handed down from your ancestors and parents and teachers since the beginning of time.
It’s time for a change.
3. Imagine Your Ideal Life
Once you have your goals set, visualize them and imagine living them right now.
When we’re children, we constantly daydream about things such as what you want to do when you grow up, and how much fun you will have.
If nothing else, this will make you feel much better and happier. Even so, there’s a lot of research on the power of visualization using your imagination that cannot be denied.
4. Cultivate the Positive Habit
It’s easy to think negative thoughts, but realize the way you think today is nothing but a habit.
There are people that think mostly positive thoughts and there are people that think mostly negative thoughts.
This can be changed and should be changed if you want to infuse your life with grace, joy and happiness.
As you continue reading this article, you may have noticed starting to feel better and better yourself, haven’t you?
It’s all about the words I’ve used in this article. I’ve focused mostly on the positive and on making you feel better.
5. Change Your Sources
One of the best ways to cultivate positive thinking is to change your sources.
By this I mean stop watching TV, stop hanging around negative friends, and stop reading stuff that makes you feel not totally amazing.
Start reading personal development material that motivates, inspires, and encourages you to become more.
You have the potential to become much, much more than you think. When you change the input you give your mind, you change your life.
6. Give
Another great way to infuse your life with positivity is to give people what you want to get.
Have you ever helped somebody, or given somebody something that made them so happy they thanked you profusely or even hugged you?
How good doesn’t it feel to make someone else happy? I don’t know how good it feels for you, but I know it feels amazing whenever I do something nice for someone else.
This can mean volunteering, helping children, or coaching people in something that you are very good at.
7. Embrace You
You are a unique human being.
We are bombarded with advertising and marketing messages that makes you feel less because that is what makes you want to buy, and that is what keeps companies running.
But realize that you are perfect as you are, and there’s no one like on this planet. You are here for a reason and you have a purpose to fulfill.
When you accept yourself, you immediately begin to feel better and begin to focus on the positive future ahead of you.
8. Ignore Everybody
Ignore everybody and follow your heart.
It’s very easy to get confused with all the conflicting information out there, because your heart is telling you one thing while many so called “experts” tell you to do something completely different.
I’m not telling you to not learn from people. I’m just suggesting that maybe you know more than you think you do.
9. Take Action
One of the most common characteristics of happy and successful people is that they are constantly taking action towards their goals.
Once people stop pursuing their goals, their lives don’t feel the same anymore. In fact, most people do not have any goals at all, which explains a lot of the unhappiness today.
Make sure you have goals, and make sure you’re taking action toward them even if you don’t know if you’re on the right path.
10. Embrace the Uncomfortable
To become a living example of happiness, you must love personal growth.
Almost every growth experience comes dressed up in work clothes, which is often uncomfortable. But each of these experiences is what will ultimately help you grow.
Once you realize this, you embrace uncomfortable events and experiences, because you know that they are there for a reason.
11. Find Your Passion
Finding your passion can be mysterious. However, it is usually only as hard as you make it out to be.
You see, there is no one perfect passion for most people. We all have several interests and often those interests lead us on a path instead of taking us to a destination.
It can be helpful to think of your passion as a goal to aim at but not one that you will always reach.
You can easily increase the happiness in your life if you truly want to. As you decide to do so, you will immediately feel better and new ideas will start flooding into your mind.
What I am trying to convey with this article is this: You can feel good now, if you would only make the choice.
Photo by Shandi-lee
Hey Henri,
Great article.
I find a lot of happiness in imagining my ideal life, it is my goal and I know I will complete it soon.
Since I see it so clearly and vividly it becomes very easy to focus upon.
Once you find your passion though most of the rest becomes unnecissary.
You are doing what you love and that makes you so happy you never want to stop.
Hey Daniel!
I couldn’t agree with you more, and it sounds like you’re heading in the right direction. So keep on rocking!
All those are great points. Live your dream, enjoy the journey, don’t give up.
I would have to agree with follow your heart and ignore everyone else. Each individual person has their own unique path in life and only “you” get to navigate your way there.
Henri,
Your articles always open my mind to something new and exciting and always make me think. When I was younger and growing up (not that I’ve stopped growing) I used to think about my future here and there but never did anything about it for the most part. A part of me feels as though I’m not good enough and I know that’s because I’ve let negativity into my life so deep that it feels almost dead impossible to get rid of.
Your articles always make me feel as though I get one more chance at true happiness if I really want it. Keep writing. Keep going. Never give up on what you really want.
Thanks for the constant reminder.
Hey Eric,
Thanks for reading and for the awesome feedback. Truly appreciated!
We all have some negative beliefs. It’s tough to grow up without them. You can let go of them. It may take some work though, but it’s worth it!
While I like all of these suggestions I am really drawn toward 8. Ignore everybody and 9.take action. So often we decide to listen to everyone else that we end up doing something we don’t want to do and in the end, become bitter, not really understand why. By not necessarily ignoring everyone but rather going with your gut, you can be more confident in your actions and therefore become more motivated to take action!
Again, great list of suggestions :)
Good stuff. Take what resonates with you from this article and go with it, because that’s usually what is relevant in your life right now.
I liked the post. What I liked was that all 11 suggestions are things that come from within. Not medication, not external sources, but rather listening and exploring ourselves. Awesome. Thanks
Hey Henri. Thanks for the great article. I agree that having clarity is vital to creating success in life and to live happily. I usually find that clarity by meditating every day.