How to be Happy

Are you happy?

If not you can be. If so, you can be happier.

You can be deeply, profoundly happy. It’s up to you.

Real happiness isn’t momentary, random, circumstantial—something you happen to stumble into occasionally. It’s an approach to life, a way of being, a moment by moment practice.

True happiness is a state of contentment, satisfaction, and pleasure—a deep, enduring sense of well-being and abiding joy. It’s being our best selves, who we’re meant to be, living fulfilling, meaningful, soulful lives. 

And we have to work for it.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” said, “People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly.”

Do you want to be happy? Really? Truly? Happy?

Then you have to work at it, practice it, participate relentlessly in it. Make happiness a habit. You can you know. It’s up to you.

Happiness, true zenful peace, contentment, and joy are within your reach.

Research suggests that when it comes to happiness 50% is set (a result of genetics, etc.), 10% is circumstantial (a result of your job, bank account, where and how you live), but 40% is completely determined by us (by our approach to life, by our choices, by our cultivating our own contentment.

Think about it. A large portion of your personal happiness is completely up to you. If you’re not happy, you can be.

Here’s the key: You will only have the happiness you think you deserve and that you’re willing to work for. If consciously or subconsciously you don’t think you deserve to be happy you won’t let yourself be happy. 

The only difference between those who live with a sense of love, worthiness, and belonging and those who don’t is those who do believe they are worthy of love and belonging and those who don’t, don’t.

If you don’t live with a sense of worthiness and belonging, reprogramming what you believe and how you think is crucial to you becoming truly, deeply happy.

If you believe yourself worthy of happiness, of love and belonging, and yet still aren’t consistently happy, chances are what you need is a change of approach, to begin making small adjustments, to start working harder or smarter or both on your habits of happiness.

You can be happy. It’s up to you.

There are many ingredients to being happy. Here’s just one.

Connection.

To be truly happy, you must be connected.

True connection is the result of vulnerability and authenticity. We can only connect at the deepest levels when we are our most genuine and when we create a safe place for others to be their most genuine with us.

We were created to connect. We need connection. We thrive on it.

Begin connection more deeply with others today. Be your most authentic and accept them fully and unconditionally as they do the same.

Be and not seem—as Emerson said.

Share yourself with others, let them share themselves with you and watch your happiness multiply.

 All who joy would win Must share it -- Happiness was born a twin. ― George Gordon Byron, Don Juan