Ever wondered about those people who seem to be able to always roll with the punches and be happy no matter what the circumstances (we all know at least one)? Are they out of touch with reality, or do they know something that you don’t?
I was curious, so I began to ask “happy” people what they thought their secret was. Here’s some of the answers I got. See if using one of them in your own life might help you be a happier person too.
1. Happy people are in control of their lives. They choose where they live, where they work, how much they smile, what they eat. They choose what time they get up, how they spend their money, when they’ll balance the checkbook. Don’t underestimate how choosing the small things in your life creates an environment that you want instead of one dictated by circumstance.
2. Happy people know that their bodies are connected to their minds, and they must take care of both. Eating better, sleeping enough, getting some exercise all ties into a happier frame of mind. Watch what goes into your body as well as what goes into your mind.
3. Happy people don’t treat life as a win-lose game. Instead, they know how to treat life as a learning experience. Very few things are written in stone. If something’s not working, try something different. Don’t keep beating your head against the wall just because “that’s the way you’ve always done it.”
4. Happy people know how to live in the present. Bad things have happened to everyone, but why would you want to relive a bad experience over and over and over? Let the bad in your past go, and look to the good things that you can create in the present and the future.
5. Happy people expect that “life happens” (yeah I cleaned that up a bit). If you anticipate the best, yet prepare for the worst, you’ll always be in the driver’s seat. You won’t get blindsided by a mistake or circumstance that you can’t control. You won’t feel helpless. You’ll feel prepared.
6. Happy people create a step by step plan. Waiting for things to happen to you might work. Including the lottery in your long term financial plans might work. But don’t underestimate the power of small steps in your life. Just saving one dollar a day equals a debt free Christmas at the end of the year.
7. Happy People know how to move on from mistakes by learning and looking ahead. Don’t stop in the middle of what you’re doing and focus on the mistake. It will paralyze you from moving forward. Move on by focusing on where you need to be, on what’s important at that time. Analyze the mistake later when you can learn constructively from it, not beat yourself up about it.
Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates is the author of several e-books and e-courses designed to help people live happier, healthier, easier lives. Sign up for her ezine, “Make It Happen” at http://www.reallifecoach.com.
