Choose happiness – default to happiness as your choice.
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Abraham Lincoln
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s definitely easy to feel stressed and depressed: at the same time.
Yes, you may wake up feeling optimistic and looking forward to a brand new day, but wait…
Oh, it’s traffic?
The MRT broke down?
Your boss hates your work?
So you’re back to being grumpy and sad all over again.
I’m not an exception to this rule. I even remember just last week when my keyboard was acting out. I was a hurtful ball of destruction the whole day just because I couldn’t type properly!
After meditating for a while (and drinking a few cups of green tea), though, I’ve come to realize that achieving happiness – just like achieving financial freedom – is a conscious choice.
It doesn’t come naturally.
You’re supposed to practice it all the time so that you experience its greatness each day.
How do you start? Here are five simple and intentional ways that enable you to choose happiness – starting today:
1. Be thankful for what you have.
Here, practice gratitude and actually count your everyday blessings.
If we focus on something, it becomes a greater deal than it actually is. So let’s focus on the positive.
Don’t focus on the ugly traffic – just be thankful that you’re still alive and still enjoying life with your loved ones who are still with you. (Some people don’t have the luxury of fighting with their siblings anymore because of unavoidable circumstances…)
2. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Personally, I find that everytime I eat junk for breakfast, I end up feeling like junk for the whole day. So instead of eating instant noodles, bread and Nutella on breakfast, I fix myself a cup of green tea and lots of servings of fruit instead. 🙂
3. Volunteer your resources to help out the needy.
Don’t wait for a super typhoon to hit the country before you volunteer!
Everyday, you can just find people who need your help – in teaching about financial literacy, about English, about reading, writing or just plain conversing with them.
Knowing that you can help make the world a better place is better than nothing, don’t you think?
4. Smile – even when you don’t feel like it.
There’s a scientific study which says that your feelings don’t influence your facial expression.
It’s the opposite. Your facial expressions may influence your feelings in the first place.
So the next time you find yourself in an argument with someone, try smiling (to yourself, not to your face!)
It may just make you feel better. 🙂
5. Move!
Exercise and move around your office or your house. Dance to a song that you’re into.
You know that exercising releases endorphins that make you feel better about yourself, so what are you waiting for? Move and sweat, kahit isang song lang. You can do it!
—–
Choose to be happy. You owe it to yourself.
—–
Want to get started managing your money/budgeting/investing? Contact me, your trusted financial advisor, through the following:
Email: liannemarthamlaroya@gmail.com
Twitter: @MsLianneLaroya
Mobile: 0916 737 8741
Email: liannemarthamlaroya@gmail.com
Twitter: @MsLianneLaroya
Mobile: 0916 737 8741
And we can even meet personally for a FREE financial planning session! Let me know so we can finalize a schedule that works.
If you find this post helpful, please SHARE it to your friends. Who knows, you might help them by educating them. 🙂 Thank you, wonderful people!
Live wisely,
Enter your email address to receive FREE budgeting tips, investing updates, self development advice, freelancing tricks and life-winning techniques – all effective, all FREE and all straight to your inbox!