Are you happy?
Try asking it to your seatmate at work, to your sibling in the house or to your colleague during a business meeting and most likely, they’d chuckle for a while, shrug and say:
“I think so…”
“Siguro, oo. Sakto lang yata.”
“Ha? Back to work!”
This makes me wonder, why is it that being happy or even pursuing happiness is something regarded as cheesy, baduy or embarrassing.
As humans, shouldn’t we all strive to be happy?
Before we start talking about the things you need to do for you to be happier, do you think it makes sense to define happiness first?
Iba-iba ang meaning ng happiness.
For me, I really love this quote:
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig
Happiness needs to be a state of mind: something that comes from within.
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” – L.M. Montgomery
Happiness doesn’t just come naturally, though. For us to enjoy the perks of being happy, we need to practice doing these five things regularly:
1. Start saying “no” to things that don’t matter.
Never ever think that people will automatically like you more or respect you more if you always say yes to them.
Saying yes every time is just like saying, “Okay, please take all my time from me. I’m here to serve you, master. I exist for you!”
Saying no, on the other hand, commands respect and authority.
If you have the power to say no to a trivial request, you’re communicating that you’re secure and comfortable with your choice.
It’s like saying, “I don’t need to sacrifice all my time and resources for you. If you don’t respect my decision, then I can’t do anything about that. I’m not responsible for your happiness.”
2. Start taking responsibility for yourself.
Why will it make you happier if you stop blaming other people for your destiny?
Because it’ll make you realize that it’s you – not your government, not your parents and certainly not your neighbors – who has the power to change everything.
With God’s grace, you are in control of what you do with your life.
Make everything count. And be accountable.
3. Start focusing on the “good things”.
What you focus on, magnifies.
Let’s say you went travelling to Singapore.
You loved everything.
The people were nice.
The food? Scrumptious.
And all the sceneries took your breath away.
“Balik tayo ulit dito!”, you tell your family.
But then when you came back here in Manila, someone from NAIA tried to extort money from you.
Every time you recall that Singapore trip, instead of focusing on the amazing things that you experienced, you focused on one bad thing – and it ruined your mood altogether.
Don’t you want to focus on the good things instead?
4. Start loving yourself more.
“Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.” – Heraclitus
Comparing yourself to others is insulting yourself.
There’s always someone prettier, sexier, kinder, smarter and better than you.
Accept that fact and move on!
You can never compare yourself with others because you don’t know their lives.
Yes, you’re earning P30,000/month and he’s earning P300,000/month.
But do you know his expenses? His efforts that he exerted? His debt that he has to pay?
Stop being obsessed with the grass on the other side.
Water your own grass so it’ll become greener.
5. Start travelling.
Spend money on experiences, not stuff. It’ll make you happier. 🙂 Material things may come and go, but your memories on your trips will last forever.
Travelling made me realize that the world is big enough and beautiful enough to be explored.
You worked hard for this money – shouldn’t your money do the same for you?
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