Relax. Don’t take yourself too
seriously. Happiness is largely a
choice. Feel gratitude for all of
the good in your life. Smile.
Once you have enough to pay for
life’s basics think to yourself: “I’ve won.” Happiness is contagious: find
someone who is happy and stand close to them. Play. Create. Happiness
is attainable. Slow down and enjoy the scenery. Be spontaneous.
Happiness is perched on your windowsill, invite it in. Success is not the
key to happiness; happiness is the key to success. Surround yourself with
positive, life-affirming people. Make others happy. Have big dreams.
Enjoy the journey. Grab every single morsel of happiness which comes
your way. Be on the look out for moments of pleasure and wonder. Take
care of your body. Be happy right here, right now, while working
towards a better tomorrow. Forget about the Joneses. Forgive. Do for
others. Become absorbed in activities that cause you to enter the
“flow” state: that state where you forget yourself, lose track of time, and
stop worrying. Develop the habit of positive self-talk. Plant a beautiful
garden. Getsunlight and fresh air. Engage your mind in a puzzle:
jigsaw puzzles, sudokus, or crossword puzzles. Listen to music. Make
music. Quiet your mind chatter. Meditate. Practice yoga, tai chi, or
Qigong. Get a box of six Guatemalan worry dolls: before going to bed, tell
one worry to each doll and put them under your pillow; while you sleep,
the dolls will take your troubles away. Make smart money choices.
View difficulties as challenges to be overcome. Remember that it’s not a
good story if there aren’t any dragons. Get involved in a cause that’s
important to you. Have a cat or a dog; pet them often. Perform
random acts of kindness, anonymous or not. Surround yourself with
pleasant smells: jasmine, lavender, sandalwood . . . Put things in
perspective. Go for a brisk walk. Stretch. Go to a museum. Find a hobby
you love. Engage in pleasurable activities.
Spend discretionary income on
experiences, such as dining out
and travel, instead of purchasing
goods. Count your blessings.
Resolve to have a bad memory:
release the past. Be yourself,
however strange and weird that may be. Ask yourself: what can I do to
become happier? Read a good book. Climb on a tire swing. Be part of
something bigger than yourself. Embrace change. Simplify. Think big in
the long run, but think small in the short run. Remember the following
line from the film “American Beauty”: “. . . it’s hard to stay mad when
there’s so much beauty in the world.” Get rid of things that make
you unhappy. Make happiness a priority in your life. Do something
hedonistic: think afternoon at a spa or going out dancing. Be curious.
Engage in novel activities. Take on new skills. Learn new things. Think
back to when you’ve been happiest: what were you doing? Create
satisfying, meaningful connections with other people. Practice deep
breathing. Savor small authentic moments that bring you contentment.
Happiness is a state of mind. Have a small pleasure to look forward to
every day: coffee out on the patio, going through a favorite magazine,
visiting a beloved friend, baking cookies . . . Search for the sacred in the
ordinary. Do a cartwheel when nobody’s looking. Take George Eliot’s
declaration to heart: “It is never too late to be what you might have
been.” Laugh often. Ask for what you want. Hang a hammock; lie in it.
Find work you love. Let go of fear. Have courage. One of the greatest
gifts you can give to your loved ones is to let them see you living a happy
life. When you’re happy you give others permission to be happy as well.
Love. Entertain hope. Cope with difficult situations with ingenuity.
Spend time contemplating nature. Accept that sometimes you’ll be sad,
that’s just part of life. Make happiness the ultimate goal in your life. Fake
it until you make it: act happy. Create a serene environment. Resolve
to be a little bit happier today than you were yesterday. Tilt your head
back and let out a raucous peal of laughter . . .
(”The Earth is God’s Canvas” photograph is courtesy of Catch the dream)
(”The Pursuit of Happiness” photograph is courtesy of jonSpot)
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Kelly@SHE-POWER 08.06.08 at 7:49 am
Awesome list, Marelisa. This must have taken you ages to write. I’m going to print it off and stick it on the fridge so I can see it throughout the day and remind myself to have perspective about the little things that can too easily stress me out and upset my equilibrium.
Thanks
Kelly
Writer Dad 08.06.08 at 8:25 am
I really like how your formatted the post. Good job.
Writer Dads last blog post..A Billion Pixels and None of Them Wasted
John Young | We Have Contact 08.06.08 at 8:26 am
What a cool list - and one that I’ll definitely be printing out like Kelly mentioned! I’ll have to look this over when I get out of work and see how many I’ve actually done.
John Young | We Have Contacts last blog post..The Book And The Cover
Lance 08.06.08 at 8:44 am
How to be Happy - this is great Marelisa. Full of all sorts of great wisdom.
I love George Elliot’s declaration about it never being too late. That is excellent advice.
I also really find comfort in thinking about happiness being a choice. I have found this to be true in my life. And now that I make the choice to be happy, my life is so much better (and my outlook completely different) than when I have had moments of negative mentality.
Lances last blog post..Simple Fun
Avani-Mehta 08.06.08 at 12:16 pm
The poster format is cool. It doesn’t matter from where I start reading, it still makes sense. Each nugget that you shared is timeless and full of wisdom.
Avani-Mehtas last blog post..How To Manage A Long Distance Relationship
Ian Parker 08.06.08 at 12:21 pm
Awesome list!
I, too, am printing a copy. I think I’ll try to fashion it into a poster of sorts as well with my mediocre Photoshop skills. If I can manage to do so, I’ll send you a copy.
@Lance: I believe that happiness is indeed a choice that we make in our lives. It is not always the easy choice to make because sometimes so many obstacles seem to stand in the way. By making those obstacles less important, it is far easier to stay positive and choose happiness.
Ian Parkers last blog post..Microsoft-Free Desktop Planned
Vered 08.06.08 at 12:29 pm
I love it, Mare. It reminds me of our email exchange when you posted “How To Be Creative”. I think I didn’t really get it then, now I do. I am going through the text, trying to pick the one or two that resonate the most with me, but they are all so important, and together, create a sense of happiness.
Perhaps “laugh often” is my favorite.
Vereds last blog post..Cooking? That’s What Wives Are For! (Wordless Wednesday)
Urban Panther 08.06.08 at 3:36 pm
This is a fantastic summary of ways to approach life! Just some comments on statements that jumped out at me.
Surround yourself with positive, life-affirming people - was surrounded my an entire family of negative people for 16 years. My very essence was being sucked out of me. Never again!
Be yourself, however strange and weird that may be - got that one down pat!
Do a cartwheel when nobody’s looking - not even when nobody is looking. Could never do when. BUT I have been known to bounce around on the The Ten Year Old’s trampoline!
Hang a hammock; lie in it - a two person hammock, in our backyard, under a huge shade tree. It’s heaven.
Tilt your head back and let out a raucous peal of laughter - with the Lion around? DAILY!
Urban Panthers last blog post..Please don’t make me eat that
Mare 08.06.08 at 3:41 pm
@Kelly: I am going to turn this post into a poster and set up a little shop on cafepress, so putting it on your refrigerator is exactly the intent (I have another post in a poster format called “How to Be Creative”). I’m glad you liked it.
@Writer Dad: Thank you. It’s the second time I do this. I think I’ll do this again.
@John Young: Like I told Kelly, that’ what I want people to do with it, so that’s great.
@Lance: I think it does come down to a choice. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be miserable.
@Avani: Thank you. Nuggets of wisdom, I like that!
@Ian: It would be great to get an idea of how it would look as a poster, thank you. I haven’t gotten around to giving the project to a graphic designer yet, but I will soon.
@Vered: Your suggestion for the “How to be Creative” post to make it easier to read was very much on point (the words were too close together and some words needed to be in bold to make it easier to read). Thank you, and I’m glad that you like this one too
Mare 08.06.08 at 3:53 pm
@Urban Panther: When I was twelve I was a cartwheel expert, but I haven’t done one in a really, really long time. I need to find an open space and see if I can still do those. That two-person hammock sounds great!
MizFit 08.06.08 at 4:57 pm
wait.
you created that?!
I love it.
and am in awe.
LAWVE it.
MizFits last blog post..Viewer Mail.
chris 08.06.08 at 5:14 pm
People tend to overlook this factor or people don’t want to talk about it. But having a healthy sex life also makes a person happy.
Now what happens if you don’t have a sex life? Well, I suggest you get some…LOL
As always, a post worth printing.
chriss last blog post..Storms
Mare 08.06.08 at 5:24 pm
Hi MizFit: Yes, I made it! Thank you!
Hi Chris: I agree that a healthy sex life is important, but interestingly enough in the research I conducted to write this post, and the one that I have planned for Friday, sex didn’t come up. Don’t ask me what that means
Rita 08.06.08 at 6:29 pm
What a wonderful “poster” to be put on any wall! You have my favorite of all in there: count your blessings! Too many people bemoan things that go wrong - which is also a part of life - but they need to keep things in perspective. For me, the absolute best way to handle things is to count my blessings…and NOT just when things go wrong!
Rita
Ritas last blog post..Stereotypical Stereotypes – PART I
Mare 08.06.08 at 6:54 pm
Hi Rita. Counting my blessing is also high up on my list. I try to reflect on how much I have often, but at the very least I write down 10 things that I am grateful for every night in my gratitude journal.
Laurie | Express Yourself to Success 08.06.08 at 7:01 pm
This is so beautiful - thank you for writing and sharing it. I started noting the points I really liked and I ended up with almost the entire post highlighted.
Really - it’s lovely. Thank you.
Laurie | Express Yourself to Successs last blog post..Say No Series - Post III: The Rejected No
Barbara Swafford 08.06.08 at 7:27 pm
Hi Marelisa,
This post(er) is filled with so much value, but the part that stood out for me was, “Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success.”. That reiterates how it’s so important for us to follow our passion.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Interview With Lorelle VanFossen - Part 8 - The Future of Blogging
Mare 08.06.08 at 9:11 pm
@Laurie: Researching this was a lot of fun. I’m also going to use some of the research for a post on happiness I hope to publish this Friday. I’m glad you enjoyed it
@Barbara: So many people postpone joy until they have the outward manifestations of “typical” success, when it’s really the other way around: first you’re happy and then everything else follows.
Paula 08.07.08 at 1:26 am
Fantastic post. I will be saving it and referring to it every now and again. Making others is number 1 for me, it is the best way to let go of your own woes
Joel Falconer 08.07.08 at 7:02 am
These poster-style articles of yours are so refreshing, Marelisa. Everyone on the Internet who has seen fit to style themselves a writer seems to be obsessed with writing linkbait, not creating fresh content with fresh structure and form. Thank you for not being one of them. Or one of my clients who asks for that kind of thing!
Joel Falconers last blog post..How to Double Your Income with the Art of Delegation
Mare 08.07.08 at 9:59 am
@Paula: Thank you Paula. Making others happy is often the most direct route to feeling happy yourself
@Joel: Refreshing, that’s one of the things I was aiming for, thank you Joel.
Ann at One Bag Nation 08.07.08 at 10:14 am
Hi Marelisa:
The poster format is lovely and what a great idea to put it on cafepress.
There is a similar poster at my daughter’s school (you have to read it while using the toilet in the teacher’s lounge) and it ends with “call your mother” which always makes me smile!
Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Chaos? What Chaos??
Jenna 08.07.08 at 12:10 pm
I LOVE this post! It’s wonderful! Thanks!
Bamboo Forest 08.07.08 at 1:14 pm
“Guatemalan worry dolls”
OK, that was just interesting. Also “raucous” is a phenomenal word.
Great article.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..What’s The True Value of Blog Comments?
Kool Aid 08.07.08 at 1:47 pm
I love what you have written and I love the poster format. It reminds me of the “Everything I need to know, I learned in Kindergarten” poster (or whatever it was called).
I hope you get it to cafepress, That would be really cool!
Kool Aids last blog post..Transitions
Mare 08.07.08 at 3:15 pm
@Ann: “Call your mother”
That’s great!
@Jenna: I’m glad you liked it!
@Bamboo: They’re these tiny little dolls that usually come 6 to a box or bag. Every time you’re worried about something you share it with one of the dolls, put it under your pillow, and the doll takes care of the worry while you sleep. I think it’s a fun thing to believe in
@Kool Aid: You’re right, it is something like that. Thank you, I hope to get it into cafepress too
Melissa Donovan 08.07.08 at 3:15 pm
This is inspiring and uplifting, and would make a great poster indeed
Maybe you can sell it on Etsy or CafePress!
Mare 08.07.08 at 3:32 pm
Hi Melissa: I was thinking cafepress, but I had never heard of Etsy, I’m going to check it out, thank you.
Irene | Light Beckons 08.07.08 at 11:36 pm
Hi Marelisa,
Wow … I like this format! Love the way it all flows. You must have gotten hit by a huge inspirational tidal wave when you wrote this!
Irene | Light Beckonss last blog post..Breaking Inertia
Mare 08.08.08 at 1:10 am
@Irene: “huge inspirational tidal wave”, LOL. Actually, this is the second time I’ve done this. The first time it was for a post called “How to Be Creative”. So you see, I was hit by creative inspiration while writing about creativity
SeaBreeze 11.17.08 at 12:20 pm
I <3 this post - I hope you don’t mind that I linked to you from my blog.
Mare 11.17.08 at 6:28 pm
I SeaBreeze: Sure, link away. I had to ask on twitter what “<3″ means, but now I know that if you tilt your head to the right it’s a heart
P.O.M. 11.18.08 at 2:10 pm
Love it.
And needed to read that today.
Thank you.
P.O.M.s last blog post..Cha Cha Changes