What if I told you that it’s possible for you to be happy? No, you don’t need a book, a seminar or even medication. As I sat in my social psychology class, I realized that we could be happy without money being a necessary component. In this guide, you will find that being progressive, planning ahead and being social actually work to your benefit.
Goals: As cliché as it sounds, keeping your happiness in tact is as important as eating your daily serving of fruit. The point of goals is to make you happy by having something to set your sight on constantly. Like shopping, happiness after a goal is temporary as the need for a new “toy” or “high” burns through you and — once again — you are at point A. Also, this constant goal setting helps you achieve bigger goals in the long run because it keeps you motivated, and brings more profound happiness.
Knowing yourself: Easy enough, right? Honestly, I bet that there is a good amount of kids who change their majors because they found themselves heading toward careers their parents wanted them to attain. In fact, I’ve heard of a couple cases like this, and it’s not a good way to go. That diploma and 78 work hours are not going to make you happy if that’s not what you want to do. Did you know that the average person goes through eight careers in a lifetime? Why do you think that is? The reality is that sometimes we think that money, or making others happy is going to make us happy, but it’s not.
Social networking: Facebook? Maybe, but the point of this is that you must maintain a stable group of friends who will be there to support you. This stability gives you something to focus on if, perhaps, you lack or lose something significant in your life, such as a job. Emotional diffusion is healthy for you because it helps you find a way to express and control what is stressing you out.
Little pleasures in life: It is actually healthier to have constant, milder happy experiences than rare and extremely euphoric instances of happiness. Treating yourself to indulgences a couple times a week is better than splurging on a gadget once a month. These smaller instances allow you to enjoy the bigger experiences, while the brief and more extreme instances of happiness blurs your ability to enjoy your day, even when you might have smaller instances of happiness.
Intrinsic honesty: Not as bad as it sounds. What I mean is admitting to yourself your own mistakes and being aware that you are in control of your life. It turns out that people who make excuses for themselves end up feeling like they can’t be of any assistance and that, in life, they are the victim. They don’t try because they feel like their actions won’t make a difference. Instead, start focusing on growing from your mistakes. Have you heard the expression, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger?” Well, the reality is that if you grow on your weaknesses, you can feel proud and it will help you avoid destructive behaviors that come with acquired helplessness.
As Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School bus always said, “Take chances, get messy and make mistakes!” Life isn’t perfect; it’s when it is perfect that you are in trouble. So go out there and let these tips help you become happy.
Uzo Umeh is a junior communications studies major and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
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