Despite what you may have been telling yourself up to this point, life is one giant mess of subjective opinions, and that is because we are all unique beings. We all lead different lives with different experiences and different outlooks shaped by different influences, and that means whatever makes someone else happy doesn’t necessarily make you happy.
That’s sort of the problem; happiness is just one of those massively misunderstood words and, as such, people spend their entire lives chasing this intangible state, usually with material things or by wishing this would have happened differently because that would have led to happiness. It’s an illusion. Instead, happiness is less about seeking things out and more about improving your lot. It is about improving your life. It is about knowing that we can go from where we are to where we want to be and that no dream is impossible.
With that in mind, we have pulled together a list of ways that you can improve your life. As you will see, some are big and some are small, but all of them will have a lovely, tasty, positive impact on you. That’s a promise.
- Have A Cuddle Your Fears
One of the things that always holds us back from doing what we really want to do is our fears. It is being too scared of something, whether that be failing or falling short or whatever. But fears aren’t real. Not really. As such, you should face them head on and conquer them. By comparison, the worst thing you can do is hide from them or ignore them. So, if you do one thing today, try writing down exactly what it is you are afraid of and then try and figure out a solution; try and work out what you can do to change this. The word liberating shoots to mind.
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- We All Make Mistakes
The thing that makes people so amazing is the fact they are people. Not robots. But people. People capable of making mistakes on a tri-hourly basis. That isn’t the problem, though, especially given making mistakes is how we all move forward. A problem arises when we don’t admit to them. You’ll be amazed at where the words “I’m so sorry,” can lead. They can build bridges, start new friendships, grow relationships, and see things take an entirely new course. That is one side of things; the admitting your mistakes to others side of things. But just admitting your mistakes to yourself is super-duper important too. It’s having that chat with yourself instead of doing the ostrich thing of burying your head. Admit your mistakes, know where you are and then use this to move forward and improve your life.
- Relieve That Stress
Everyone is soothed by different things. We are all relaxed by different things. We all have different ways of managing those moments when the stress builds up. What you have to do is find out exactly what works for you. It could be that you only feel truly relaxed when you are sat in your favorite chair, strumming your guitar. It could be that you are always a bit cranky and unproductive when you haven’t slept well, in which case you should read this and find out how your sleeping position could be affecting your sleep. Maybe sports is your release, whether that means going for a run or joining a team. The point is, by dedicating some of the time from your crazy-busy schedule on a regular basis (we’re talking every day or every week), you will find you feel much less stress and a lot more content (aka happy). A less stressed life is a much-improved one.
- Escape The Negative Trap
Anyone that has been an adult for longer than three weeks will know that life ain’t the walk in the park we were told it would be by Disney. There is so much struggle and hardship and pain and unexpected curveballs, which makes it very easy to get caught in that snare of negativity. It’s that feeling constantly being behind or having stuff to do or thinking about things that should have been done or dwelling on the things you cannot change. However, if you really want to improve your life, then you need to stop thinking like this and start focusing on the positive parts of your life; the things that make it good. We don’t want to get all The Secret on you, but positive thinking attracts positive changes. You sort of subconsciously make decisions and take actions that are shrouded in positivity. This change in attitude won’t happen overnight, but if you get into the habit of replacing each negative thought with a positive reminder, you will find you start to embrace a more positive outlook on life in the long-run. This is goooooood.
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- Kindness Is What Kindness Does
Another tried and tested means of making a positive change in your life is being kind to others. Those around you, those you work with, your loved ones, your friends, your family and even total strangers that you meet by chance. To give it to you in no uncertain terms: if you engage in kind acts then you will become happier yourself. “How is this possible?” we hear you asking. Well, it is all to do with your moral compass. It is all to do with the fact when you are kind to others, you feel good about yourself as a person; you realise you have done a good thing and this makes you feel more optimistic and positive and amazing. Now we’re not saying you need to build a house for someone in need or start donating huge sums of money to a local charity. Instead, you could just buy the person in the next-door-cubicle a coffee in the morning, or pay the toll fee for the person in the queue behind you, the person that let you in at that busy junction. You could offer to drive someone to the train station or just ask a cashier how their day is going. The little thing in life can sometimes have the biggest impact, and this is one of those times.