How to Find Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy, but do you know how to find happiness?  Where can we find happiness?

If you ask someone – what is happiness?  You will probably get all sorts or answers because no one know exactly what happiness is or what does it means to be happy.  If you ask them – how to find happiness and most people will not be able to give you an answer.  The reason is they just don’t know.  Some might say, “If I have a million dollars, I will be happy.”

Here is a definition by Wikipedia: Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

A lot of us knew that having money doesn’t really brings you happiness, but we still prefer to have more money.  We still want to make more money.  My brother once told me, “It is better to have money and miserable than have no money and miserable.”

Do you agree with him?

I am going to teach you how to find happiness.  It is actually not difficult if you know how, but you have to change yourself.  It involves changing your belief system, your outlook on life and also your behavior.

Here are my 7 steps to happiness.

Step 1 – Exercise and eat healthy

You need to start on your body first.  When our body feels good, we will feel better about ourselves.  You need to do exercise every day and don’t overeat.  In today’s society, most of our health problem come from over-eating.  We don’t really need a lot of food to keep us alive.  Scientific studies found that people who live a long life only eat up to 70%-80% full.

Exercise is very important.  It helps to keep our muscle strength and also help us to relax.  You will sleep better when your body is tired and you feel better when you get up in the morning.  I found that when I don’t exercise I feel tired during the day.

Step 2 – set your goal and decide to be happy

Everyone know that, in order to achieve anything, you need to have a goal.  It is the same when you want to find happiness, you need happiness as your goal.  The concept is simple, but it is hard to understand – how do you set happiness as a goal?

When we want to make more money we can set an amount as our goal.  In finding happiness, you cannot set an amount.  What you need to do is remember this sentence below.

I will be happy, no matter what happens in my life.

This is your goal and you need to remember this, always.  No matter what happens, for examples when your car breaks down, you lose your job or your father die.   You need to be happy and keep a positive outlook on life.

You might ask me, “How can I be happy when my dad is dead?”

Good question.  Can you tell me what your dad want you to do when he passed away?  Would he want you to be happy?  Or would he wants you to have a miserable life? Of course, he wants you to be happy – so you need to follow his wish and live a happy life.

“I want you to live your life as normal and be happy after I die,” I told my son.  “Live your life as nothing has happened.”

I have another article – The Meaning of Death.  Which will give you my opinion of death?  Death is actually not that frightening as you think it is.

Step 3 – Understand yourself and know what you want

Like setting a goal, you have to know what you want.  This is the hardest step you have to do.  We can understand other people easier than to understand ourselves.

Find something you love to do and you are half way there.  If you don’t have an interest, you need to go and find one.  You might have to try different things, follow your heart.  The most important thing to remember is to try.  If you don’t try, you don’t know if you like it or not.

If you already know what you like, that is good.  If you don’t, keep trying something new until you find what you want.  There are lots of information on the internet, keep looking.  Happy people know what they want in life.

Step 4 – Understand The Meaning of Life

Do you know why you are living in this world?  The most important aspect of finding happiness is you need to understand the meaning of life.  You need to know why you are here, and why you are doing what you do.

I give you an example.  Imagine that we are playing a game.  Before the game, no one tells you the rule of this game.  Do you think you will enjoy playing this game when you don’t even know what is going on?  What are you suppose to do?

Then someone come over and tell you all the rules and the purpose of this game.  You now know what to do and you start to participate in the game.  You get better at it, and you suddenly found yourself enjoy playing this game.

Life is the same.  To be happy and enjoy life, you have to know what you are supposed to do.  If you don’t know what is the meaning of life.  I have an article – The Search for the Meaning of Life.

Step 5 – Learn to Love

Once you know what is the meaning of life.  You need to learn to love.  You need to learn how to love other people and how to love yourself.  You will be a miserable soul if you don’t know how to love other people and also you don’t know how to love yourself.

To love means putting no condition on the one you love.  For example, if you love your son you will not care if he failed the exam.  As long as he is happy and health.

To love yourself you will not blame yourself when you have not finished the washing or cleaning the house.  When you feel tired, you just rest without putting extra strain on yourself.  You will not feel guilty when your income is barely enough for your family, you have tried your best.

True love has no conditions.  When a girl say she loves you, it is not because you have the money or because of your are good looking.  It is the kind of love that we all wanted, isn’t it?

You will not be a selfish person and be willing to help others.

Step 6 – Keep Learning

You need to keep learning new things and keep up with the world.  So that you won’t feel left behind.  When you keep learning, your mind will be active and efficient.  You can communicate with young people.

To know more about the benefit of learning, you can read my other article – Why We Should Never Stop Learning.

When you keep learning, you will find more interesting things.  You will be happier when you are active.  You will understand more about this world and it’s people, and you will understand more about life.  Of course, you will know how to find happiness.

Step 7 – Enjoy Life and be Yourself

Learn to enjoy life.  You don’t need money to enjoy life.  There are many activities which doesn’t need much money.  For example, having a nice cup of tea together with your friends.  Go bush walking with your family, or sit together with your friends and tell stories.

Go and visit the local garden and learn to enjoy nature – plants, flowers and trees.  You will be surprised to find there are beautiful things everywhere.

One of the most important thing you need to do is be yourself.  You don’t have to change yourself to suit your friends.  When you show your true self, you will be more alive.  You don’t have to please everyone, because no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to please everyone.

I hope you enjoy reading this article.

Signing off

-MisterWailor