Happiness Is A Choice So … Take Responsibility For Your Own Happiness
For many people, taking responsibility for their own happiness isn’t even a choice they make deliberately. Rather, it’s adopted without a great deal of thought.
You may not even realize it when you surrender your responsibility, since you might rationalize it by saying you had no choice in the matter. If happiness is a choice and you deserve to be happy, then how can you take responsibility to create a happier life?
Find Out What Makes You Truly Happy
Too many people chase superficial things that they believe will bring them happiness. From success and money to power and popularity, these will bring happiness only fleetingly, if at all. Your work needs to be aligned with your personal values. Waking up each day with excitement to do what is important to you will help increase your happiness and place the power for finding it in your own hands.
Stop Looking At Situations Or Other People As Sources Of Happiness.
It’s important to realize that while you may love someone deeply, he or she can’t complete you. No one person will make you happy all by themselves, and you can’t make someone else happy by yourself, either.
Instead of trying to use another person or your career as a source of happiness, you need to view your relationships and your career as outlets for happiness that already exists inside you. Then you can focus on how you can bring more happiness to others. This will bring more happiness to you.
Break The Cycle Of Negativity.
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, INTEGRITY is the adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: INCORRUPTIBILITY HONESTY, HONOR, PROBITY all mean uprightness of character or action.
INTEGRITY
People who lack integrity and authenticity often display these 10 behaviors:
1) They’re inconsistent.2) They’re not accountable.
3) They are dishonest and hypocritical.
4) They crave attention.
5) They’re not transparent.
6) They don’t respect boundaries.
7) They’re not reliable.
8) They lack empathy.
9) They lack humility.
10) They are overly charming.
You have probably noticed that after a person has gone off on a tirade, you become worked up and feel more pessimistic. Unfortunately, negativity can be quite contagious. Everyone needs to vent sometimes, of course, but surrounding yourself with people who complain a lot may makes you feel more negativity in your life. Let loose of those types of people and embrace positive people in your life.
View Your Setbacks As Teachers.
Instead of seeing negative things that happen to you, think of them as things that happen FOR you. Think of something negative that you have experienced recently, whether it was a loss, an accident or a break-up.
Ask yourself:
* Could I have done something differently?
* Was my response as positive as it could have been?
* What did I learn from this experience?
* What will I do if a similar experience occurs again?
Protect your personal integrity – it’s your most valuable possession.
If you live like you believe happiness can come from money, possessions or relationships, you may be willing to put your integrity on the “back burner” if it helps you to succeed.
If you do things that are not aligned with your integrity, you may lose sleep and you’ll never achieve sustained happiness. When you do good things, you’ll feel good. If you allow yourself to do negative things, you’ll feel bad.
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE FOR YOU – OR NOT.
You are, in your heart, responsible for the happiness you find – and make – in your own life.
Consider:
* You have control of your emotions.
* Don’t allow anyone or anything to rob you of your happiness.
* Drop the dramas as well as the negative people in your life.
* Choose activities that make you happy.
You can control your internal dialogue and avoid the negativity. It’s about learning how to process that negativity in a healthy way and look to the positives in every situation.
If Happiness Is A Choice — Choose Happiness
With so many thoughts in a day, it’s hard to imagine that you have much control over what races through your mind. A lot of those thoughts are inconsequential, you respond to a lot of these on autopilot. There are bigger ones, though. The ones that challenge you to make good decisions, the ones that feel negative and veer you away from the path of happiness.
You won’t always make the best choice, you’re human after all. As long as you’re choosing happiness, though, you’re on the right track. How do you choose happiness?
- Be grateful. Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools for enhancing happiness. It shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have.
- Embrace Flexibility. Life is unpredictable, and being flexible can help you navigate its ups and downs more smoothly. Embracing flexibility reduces stress and helps you maintain a positive attitude even in the face of change or adversity.
- Look for the silver lining and think positively. If you notice negative thoughts creeping in, correct them with something more accurate, which is likely to be more positive as well. Those negative thoughts are rarely accurate, they’re just your worst fears manifesting themselves in your mind to create anxiety.
- Smile! Keep Smiling! As tough as things are, smiling can help you improve your mood. That doesn’t mean you should smile on command when someone else suggests it, but making the decision for yourself can help you feel happier.
- Choose kindness to get a feel-good happiness hormone boost.
- Friendships are important but be intentional about who you spend time with. The people in your life should be supportive, they should uplift you, and they should care about you just as much as you care about them.
- Mindfulness is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to choosing happiness. Whatever method of mindfulness you prefer, it helps root you in the present and when you’re grounded in the present, it’s much easier to recognize your blessings and choose happiness.
Final Thoughts …
You will be as happy in this life as you choose to be. Be prepared to make that decision daily and remember, it takes dedication, effort, and time. Take the advice above, and you will start to feel happier. If you struggle, it’s because you’re allowing your emotions to control you, rather than processing them properly. You can influence and control your internal dialogue with positive affirmations.
It’s also important to note that struggling with anxiety or depression will make this a much different situation, and you shouldn’t avoid speaking to your doctor about mental health support or medication.
No one holds the keys to happiness in your life other than you. Don’t chase after superficial things that leave you still empty inside. The power to feel real happiness is in your hands.
Check These Out ….
Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine
10 Characteristics And Habits Of Happy People
How Positive Thinking And Action Can Influence All Areas of Life
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