Things that make me happy

Uncategorized 6 Minutes

“Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.”  Jim Rohn

Growing up I thought that happiness was something that happened to me, cause and effect.  My mom gave me ice cream, I was happy.  Unfortunately, this meant my happiness was always dependent on someone else.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product of a life well lived.”

If Happiness is a choice and the by-product of a life well lived, then happiness is not dependent upon someone else, but rather, within my control.  Whether a life is well lived largely comes down to the choices one makes, particularly the things on which we choose to focus, how we elect to see the world.

I realized that while I had a readily available mental list of the things that annoy me or frustrate me, I didn’t have the same clarity for the things that make me happy.  If happiness is a choice, then I thought it worthwhile to be certain of the things on which I could focus that would make me happy.  

It was an enjoyable exercise pondering the particulars of what brings a smile to my face, a sense of contentedness to my soul. After much deliberation, I have come to the following list of things that always make me happy:

1. I love to motivate people, to inspire them, to provide a positive example in this world; and I get often asked how I keep being so confident, optimistic and motivated all the time.

The answer is helping others.

You get the biggest motivation from helping others

Sure, I have and I encourage Positive Habits that make your life better because we are what we do daily. But I strongly believe compassion is the noblest feeling you can put in your heart. Compassion is the purest because you give something expecting nothing in return. It’s a fuel for unconditional love, it’s a fuel for gratitude, it’s a fuel for the ability to see hope in future. Acts of kindness don’t have to be big to be meaningful. Small donations, listening to somebody with a lot of troubles on their heart, a nice meal for that kid you’ve seen on the streets; these acts of kindness might seem small, but that’s how we give shape for our love for God.

2. Being loved: while I can cut negativity away from my life, I love being surrounded by positive people who support me and love me for what I am, who I am. I love my family and friends passionately in return. I didn’t know what love was like until I experienced it. Having such strong feelings about another person shook me to my core. It made me re-evaluate my beliefs. I learned what it was like to really care about someone. Everything I had believed, everything I stood for, suddenly disappeared. I found a whole new world opened up for me. I was no longer closed-minded. I became a yes person. I learned the meaning of never say never. I had a new outlook on life. Being loved makes you feel inspired. It gives you a can-do attitude that you can approach anything, anywhere, anytime. Being in love gives you motivation. Your attitude is optimistic and always positive.

3. Writing: When I took to writing I had no idea I could write as much. I had no idea how creative I was or how it was going to one day become what I love doing. As I wrote, not only did I reach my readers who related to me and connected, it healed me also. When I write, I share a little piece of my soul. And nothing makes me happier than giving back to the world that has already given me so much. I write to take all the terror, tragedy, comedy and banality of life and wrestle it into something I can understand. Writing is a wonderful way to discover and experience life’s pains and joys. Writing is an amazing tool to deal with pain and find God’s comfort in the midst of it. Writing is a way to discover and express fun and creativity. … Writing makes me feel happy because it helps me to connect with my inner feelings and share those feelings with others to, hopefully, help them to understand life better and to not feel alone.

4. Traveling: Nothing opens your horizons more than traveling. The world is huge though I am still on my journey. Travel enhances your mental well-being. Whether you are travelling for business, or on a one-week family holiday, or have to pursue a life on the road, travelling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories. Here are the reasons why travelling makes me happier:

  • Being away makes you appreciate home and family: Being away from things we often take for granted — family, close friends, home — makes us appreciate them more.
  • You find self-confidence by dealing with unexpected situations: There comes a time when everyone must deal with an unexpected situation when they are on the road. Whatever happens, there is a way around the problem and knowing that you can deal with these situations is a big boost to self-confidence and therefore your happiness.
  • You make new friends: It’s much easier to make new friends on the road than it is at home, where people are less inclined to chat to strangers on a cab or strike up conversation in a coffee shop. When people are away from home, there seem to be less boundaries to cross and making friends becomes much easier.
  • Getting some ‘you’ time: Our breathing space is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence. Travel helps revive that space. Having a moment to take advantage of peace and quiet and to simply ‘be’ allows us to let go of stress and tension and just enjoy being in the moment.
  • Sunshine while travelling generally puts us in a better mood: You enjoy and feel sunshine more when you are travelling. And of course sunshine and warmth generally place us in a much better mood. Though, this is more of a short-term boost, but a healthy glow makes everyone feel better and that lasts for a few weeks even after the trip is over.

5. Shopping: Studies have shown that shopping actually causes your brain to release more Serotonin, which is a chemical that makes you feel good! So there you go. The next time you are having a bad day, maybe you can seek a mood boost with a little shopping.

  • It takes your mind off things: Shopping takes time and concentration whether it is being done online or in your favorite store. You have to think about what you want or need and then find the most appropriate item to meet your requirements. You are focused on what you desire and not on the stressors in your life
  • It boosts your confidence: A beautiful dress or the perfect shade of nail polish can make you feel amazing. No one would argue that. There is nothing wrong with letting a new item give you a little boost now and again, but do be careful to not let the things you own be the only way you can feel good about yourself. Yes you look good in that outfit, but you are amazing either way!
  • You are in control : You are the one calling the shots when you walk into a store. The clerks are there to help you out and you are the one making all of the decisions. Everyone likes to be in charge now and again. If you have been feeling like everything is out of your control lately, a day of shopping could help with the frustration.
  • You get to spend time with people you love: If you are like me, you probably like to invite your best friend, mom, sister or partner along with you. We all know that time with your favorite people can make you feel good and remind you what is important.
  • It’s is gratifying: Some of the studies about shopping and happiness suggest that simply wanting an item without ever purchasing it can make you feel good. But we all know from experience that finally purchasing that item is so satisfying.
  • It’s can contribute to your self image: The way you present yourself to the outside world is important. You are creating an outwardly projected image of yourself with every item you purchase. Effectively creating the image you want to feels good.
  • It is refreshing: Everyone likes having new things every now and again. Whether you want to bring a new look to a room or your wardrobe, shopping to incorporate something new into your life is always refreshing.

We can’t be happy all the time because life will always throw things our way that make us feel sad, hurt, angry, frustrated and scared. One thing I’ve learned, though, is that during these times, there’s always something you can do to get the happiness vibes going. The good thing is that most of them aren’t difficult or expensive.

If you need a pick-me-up, try doing something from my list. Better yet, take some time to come up with your own happiness list and refer to it whenever you need a boost. You’ll be surprised how little it can take sometimes to turn your mood around.

Published by True Living

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93 thoughts on “Things that make me happy”

    1. Thank you so much for reading. I am super happy and excited that this was helpful to someone. My goal is to cheer people up, be there for them, support and encourage them in any possible way that I can. Happiness is something everyone deserves. I have no doubt that you especially deserve to be happy. I am glad I could be of help. Feel free to always reach out to me if you ever want to. Rooting for you 🤍

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  5. A wonderful post. Keep that positive attitude and dish out kindness to every stranger you meet. You can make someone’s day happy. Being happy chases away the unhappiness. Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Thank you so very much for your kind words, I really do appreciate and it means a whole lot to me. I always want to make people happy and put a smile on their face. Wouldn’t stop till I have done that 😊.

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  6. Thank you! You are truly doing well. I was deeply encouraged by this post specifically. I followed you, I am excited to see your posts in the days to come. Be a vessel of happiness because the world needs people like you. Write with your heart and I am rooting for you too! Thank you for believing that I deserve happiness too. I am just too tired right now but I know God will get me through this. 🙂

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you feel encouraged. I followed you right back also. I look forward to reading more beautiful post by you. I am definitely not going to stop till I put a smile on everyone’s face cause that’s my major priority. To be a source of joy to everyone who needs it. Whatever you feel right now or whatever that is wrong, just trust God, there’s nothing he can’t do. Just believe in him, I guarantee and trust you that everything is going to be okay. You will scale through all of this don’t worry. I am here if you ever need me 😊. Or you can feel free to email me @ trueliving356@gmail.com. Will definitely reply you.

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      1. Thank you so much for that wonderful reminder. I surely need that! Indeed, God is powerful. Even my situation makes me feel like He’s not, He never changes. He is who He is. This shall pass soon. I’ll hang tight. Thank you for offering your help to me, means a lot really. And I know one day you’ll get that goal, I can feel the purity behind your words. With the right heart and ton of passion, reaching your goal is not impossible.

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      2. Thank you so much for believing in me, it definitely means a whole lot to me. It will pass like you said, just hold on tight and keep having faith. Everything will definitely be alright. I just know within me that you can achieve whatever you want to with God on your side. Don’t worry about anything, just keep being you and keep doing what you do best.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot to me. We should all have a list of what makes us happy definitely. I am looking forward to reading more of these posts about happiness. It’s always an inspiration. 😊. Can’t wait to see your post.

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  16. Thank you for sharing your insights ,loved them and some of them makes me happy too.I have learnt and experienced that when I am sad or stressed or upset in life there are somethings which make me happy .Dancing,Nature walk sitting under a tree ,singing..I believe we have to transform the energy of sadness into something else .We have to stop energizing that thoughts which are not serving us by giving energy to something higher .

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    1. This is so great. I honestly can’t agree less with what you’ve written. We can Chanel all our positive energy into what makes us happy. Instead of feeling down and sad. I am sure there are slot of things that can make us happy. I love singing too but unfortunately I don’t have a good voice for it 😃. I hope you make a list of what makes you happy too 😊.

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      1. Thank you ,I’ll sure try to do that and share .On the other hand ,I don’t have a good voice too and I’m not good in dancing too :)but I just do it .It is for ourselves not for any audience so just sing.

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  18. Wonderful post of thoughtful richness. I like your ideas on why shopping is so enriching. I like to think too that shopping takes me back to my true core nature of humans as hunter gatherers. Thus I feel the joy of truly being part of what I was created to be. Cheers. Thank you!

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  20. Great pointers especially during this Pamdemic time, the part about travelling is so deep I am far awag from home right now coz there are no flights since May due to COVID & miss home so much when things you take for granted are taken away you definately appreciate it more now then before!

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    1. I am so sorry you are affected by the pandemic. But I am sure it has helped us realize one or two things. I hope we can always remember what it taught us. Thanks for reading 😊

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  21. Was smiling all the time with a “oh yeah from inside ” … made me happy while reading through . I should bookmark it as “come back and read it again” column .Nothing more to say.

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  23. A helpful, well-written post. I can relate so well to this: “I write to take all the terror, tragedy, comedy and banality of life and wrestle it into something I can understand.”

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  29. I started a gratitude journal three years ago, writing down each day just one or two things to celebrate from the previous 24 hours. It’s certainly contributed to my happiness as I pay attention to God’s blessing in my life. The blessings have always been there; I just wasn’t as aware. You are right: “There’s always something you can do to get the happiness vibes going. The good thing is that most of them aren’t difficult or expensive.” Gratitude to God is one of those “somethings!”

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    1. I honestly can’t agree less with you. If I am to write down my blessings on a daily basis it would never be enough to thank God for all he does. Even the little things I take for granted, I honestly don’t know how to be grateful. For breath, for health, for life, for protection, for provisions, these things seems easy to us, but it’s a lot. We all can be happy and we don’t even have to spend so much to be happy. I agree with you.

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  30. You have a really nice happy list. Thanks for sharing the post, it’s inspiring. I like the definition and explanation of compassion. I agree, it’s a core and pure feeling.

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  34. Smart idea to make a happiness list, T.L! I started a gratitude journal almost 3 1/2 years ago. Each day I write down one special moment or thing for which I’m thankful to God. It’s another way to choose happiness, appreciating what’s already a part of my life. Gratitude does impact happiness!

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