Looking for a Happier Life? Consider These Ten Ideas!

1. Say “thank you.” Say it 100 times a day. “Thank you for holding the door.” “Thank you, God for this food.” I am grateful for the air in my lungs and the roof over my head. Gratitude will make you Love that annoying relative and turn the job you hate into an opportunity for growth. Gratitude not only adds happiness to your life, but it opens the floodgates of abundance.

2. Forgive yourself. Yeah you screwed up. A lot. We all do it. You can’t change the past. Why let it hold you back? Look in the mirror and say these words: “I know you were doing the best you could with what you had to work with. I forgive you.” You will be shocked by how much lighter you feel.

3. Forgive everybody. Forgive everything. This will change your life. I know it sounds crazy and impossible, but just imagine it! How free would you feel if all that anger was just gone. Set it free. Let it go.

4. Write it down. Keep a journal. Writing forces your brain to look at your thoughts and emotions differently. Write it down and you are forced to look at the situation objectively. Nobody wants to write anything anymore. Yeah, I know. Just do it. Write down a problem and the answer is more likely to come to you. Write down your stress, your anger, and your broken heart. You will feel better.

5. Look with fresh eyes. Practice looking at your world differently. Try to see a problem through the eyes of your competitor. Take a different route home. Read a magazine you expect to hate. The world is much bigger than you think.

6. Be here now. Mindfulness: being fully aware of one’s environment using all five senses, in the present moment. The past and the future are beyond your reach. This present moment is all you have. It contains wonder and joy and magic. Don’t miss it worrying about what you can’t control.

7. Listen up! Nobody really listens anymore. Stop and listen. Listen to the people around you. Allow yourself to be drawn into their stories. You can be a huge blessing to someone simply by listening. Listen to the sounds of your family, your job, and your life. It’s the coolest soundtrack in the world and it’s so easy to miss.

8. Deal. Don’t procrastinate. Everybody has problems. Find a dedicated time each day or once a week to sit down and figure sh*t out. A truck load of peace and happiness will unload on you when you make a habit of organization and strategy.

9. Dream. Play. Imagine. Stop worrying about the rules of looking like a responsible adult. Laugh. Be silly. Buy some crayons. Walk through a park. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Give your stressing, fretting brain something fun to do. It will actually work better after a break.

10. Love. Love everything and everybody. It doesn’t matter if they deserve it. Love for no reason. Imagine how much mental energy you would save if you never had to make any judgements! Love everybody and let God sort out the details.

For more simple ways to be happy, check out my book: