We all know that happiness is one of the most difficult feelings to achieve. But it can be hard to be happy with what you have in a tough situation, or when we’re surrounded by negativity.
It can also be hard to be happy with what you have when others appear to have so much more than you.
It’s very important to remember that someone else’s success isn’t your failure.
What makes you happy changes over time, and it may not happen as often as we would like. However, when we do find what brings us joy, it can be difficult to maintain because life doesn’t always go the way we want it to.
A lot of people are unhappy because they don’t have the things that they want or need, and it can feel like there is nothing you can do about this situation. But there are ways to find happiness, even through a tough situation!
When you stop wanting things that aren’t a necessity to happiness, that’s often the time you’ll find you can be happy with what you have.
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What exactly is happiness?
Happiness is a complex emotion that can be viewed as a complete mental state. It’s not simply being “happy to be alive”, or “what about children who have it worse than we do?”.
Happiness is linked to our expectations, moods, attitudes, goals and psychological needs.
When people speak of happiness, they often refer specifically to emotional well-being. The two go hand-in-hand but social scientists make a distinction between them: contentment implies satisfaction with one’s present situation; happiness entails personal feelings best labelled as joy, pleasantness, delight or cheerfulness
It is not a permanent state of being, but rather a moment-to-moment experience. People are happy when they are enjoying something that is happening now; it brings them joy and lightness, love and pleasure. Happiness can be as short as a second or last for the rest of your life
We all know what makes us happy in simple terms, but it’s not always easy to feel that way, or to maintain such a state of mind
I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking. Sometimes, it’s hard to find when you’ve lost your spark. It can be easy to slip into negative thinking and difficult feelings
If you are struggling with how to be happy with what you have right now, here are 7 steps you can take to get yourself back on track.
How to be happy with what you have: 7 Secret Steps
Stop comparing yourself to others
There’s a common misconception that we have to ‘keep up with the Jones’ in order to be happy. That we must have the biggest and best of the best; the biggest house, the nicest car. That we need to dress well to be considered happy.
There’s a lot of pressure to be like everyone else for that reason, but this is the wrong way to think about things.
You are unique and that makes you special (naturally). By comparing your life with others you make your happiness dependent on someone else’s success, which isn’t fair or beneficial in any way.
Happiness is not measured by what one accumulates in their life.
Your path to happiness will be different from anyone else’s, so why bother trying to follow anyone else? Let go of comparison because it can rob you from true joy.
Change negative thought patterns
Negative thoughts can produce feelings of stress and anxiety because they prompt us towards imagining the worst.
If we don’t try to control our thoughts, they will move freely and most likely towards the negative spectrum of things because it’s how human beings are programmed.
We all have these thought patterns, but you can change them by becoming more aware of your thought processes. Change what we think so that it makes us feel better about the situation when you don’t necessarily have anything else working in your favor.
You don’t need to let go of your true thoughts entirely (because that would take away from who you truly are) but instead begin to redirect those thoughts on a positive path rather than criticize yourself over something you cannot control or change.
Embrace the moment
No matter how bad a situation seems, there’s often little you can do to change it. You have to find ways to express your emotions and what’s happening within them in the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future.
You are stuck with whatever is happening right now, so why not make the best out of it? There isn’t anything you can do to go back and undo what happened, but there are ways that you can reevaluate how you choose to address this problem.
Letting go of your frustration, sadness or anger about not having something else will allow for more happiness to emerge as time passes because when we are unforgiving we tend to ruminate over things more often than not. Rumination leads towards more negative thoughts and that leads to unhappiness.
Spend less time on social media
Almost everyone’s life on social media shows the good, and less of the bad. It can be easy to think that others have their lives in order and have everything they need as they look so happy.
But think about the real life versions of these people and how often they post when something bad is happening in their lives.
Instead of using social media to compare yourself to others because you can’t see every part of everyone’s lives, spend more time living your own life on your own terms.
Only share what you want others to see, which in turn will make you feel happier about who you are rather than what other people are doing.
Accept what you have
You can’t control everything in life, so the best thing you can do is accept it, stop trying to change things that cannot be changed, and move on.
It’s not always easy to let go of things we want because they are often tied into our emotions (e.g., wanting a job promotion will lead us to feeling happy because we’ll get a raise) but this doesn’t mean that you should run after these things at all cost.
You don’t need anything outside of yourself to make you happy. All you need is inside of yourself. You are your biggest cheerleader for happiness. That said, remember that when something great does come into your life, it’s okay to be happy about it!
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light – Albus Dumbledore
Make time to enjoy the simple things in life
When things get hard, remember that you have the choice to be happy. You might not feel like it, but there are so many things that can make you happy, such as taking some time to enjoy the simple things in life.
You don’t need a lot of money or possessions to be happy. In fact, oftentimes when someone gets a large sum of money they end up spending it on people who won’t help them become a happier person.
Happiness can mean doing the little things you love, such as taking a bath, reading a book, spending time with your family or going for a walk in nature.
Focus on ways to be happy with what you have rather than focusing on what doesn’t.
Be in the present
The moment you let go of complaints about the past and future is when your life starts to get really good! Yes, the past is important because it allows us to learn from our mistakes (and successes), but dwelling on it or using it as an excuse won’t help you feel better about your life. The same goes for thinking too much about the future.
When we spend so much of our time focusing on what could happen or worrying about negative events that might occur, we are not living in the present moment and that’s when we lose sight of how happiness works.
If you’re looking to find happiness in your life right now, this is where you want to start: make sure that throughout your day you take some moments to appreciate whatever it is that makes you happy!
Conclusion
The true secret to happiness is being able to recognize and appreciate what you already have.
Take time to be grateful for what you already have on a daily basis, whether that’s your family or simply your own health.
Being grateful for what you already have, the good in your life and all that you are grateful for is what will bring more happiness to your life. It will change your mindset and help you to be happy with what you have.
What are some ways you have been able to find happiness?
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