Don't ignore your dreams; don't work too much; say what you think; cultivate friendships; be happy.Those are all great, but I've found that remembering to "be happy" makes a real difference in my day to day. The key point is realizing that it is a choice. Though, it's not quite as simple as "go-go-be-happy" and you're all smiles. It's something you can't quite control, except perhaps indirectly. Here are few things that may help you do that.
Focus on the good. If something makes you happy, think about it. If you achieved a goal, think upon it and be happy. If fortune smiles upon you, smile back.
Don't let the bad get you down. This is basically a double standard. Circumstances are good? Be happy. Circumstances not good? Don't be unhappy. This one might be the most useful. Everyday something happens or we think about something that should probably make us upset, stressed, worried, or sad. Maybe it should or could, but what if it didn't? Is there really any benefit to, say, worrying about a project at work that is behind schedule? What if you just decided not to worry about it and instead, decided to be happy?
It's all relative. This one is a bit weird. Imagine a kid who plays with sticks, a beat up soccer ball, and an old raggedy teddy bear. All else equal, do you really think he'll be any less happy than the kid with every toy in the toy store? Are rich people happier than poor? I think I'm trying to suggest that happiness is relatively independent of circumstances. All you have is the present so you might as well enjoy it.
It's OK to not feel so happy for a bit. Sometimes you just feel blah. Our brains have lots of chemicals and stuff we (or at least I) don't understand. Sometimes I like to sing the first two lines of that Cake song "I'm not feeling alright today, I'm not feeling that great." And that's OK.
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