Life is a precious gift given to all, yet not everyone has the strength or wisdom to appreciate and enjoy every moment. Sadly, a recent survey by Gallup, a performance-management consulting company, revealed that the number of people who are sad or in pain have increased over the last ten years. This research exposes the unfortunate truth that unhappiness affects people worldwide.
But to succumb to depression is to accept defeat. Instead of letting life get you down, the results of the survey mentioned above should even give you a reason to strive for a more meaningful existence. Happiness is a daily decision you make if you want to improve your life and make a difference. You can start by a making a firm resolve to do the following things everyday.
Commit to doing a good deed.
Kindness goes a long way because the positive action benefits both the receiver and giver. It boosts your confidence by knowing you can brighten someone’s day, and at the same time, create a positive influence. So why not make it a daily goal to do something good for others? It does not have to be a burdensome task. It can be as simple as lending a hand to someone in need of assistance or being more patient to someone having a hard time.
Commit to see the good side of everything.
You cannot expect for things to always go smoothly or for people to always be on your side. To fully enjoy every moment, you should try to not allow negative people and situations to dampen your cheerful spirit. You may not be able to avoid gloomy people or situations, but you can choose to focus on the good side of things.
If you stay positive, problems come with valuable lessons and losing something opens an opportunity to find something new. Another thing that will help you focus on positivity is realizing that the negative things or people have nothing to do with you. This means that you can ignore or avoid them. You can also overcome the negative energy with your positive outlook.
Commit to loving yourself more.
If you seek happiness in others, you may end up hurt and disappointed. Your joy should come from within. You can nurture your inner happiness by doing things that you love everyday. Life is tough enough, so don’t be too hard on yourself. You can always push yourself to do better, but don’t forget to be gentle with yourself. Take a break if you are tired or find ways to reward yourself after a long, exhausting day.
Commit to learning.
Famous scientist Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” This quote from a man whose discoveries greatly benefited society states that wonderful things happen when one is always eager to welcome and study new ideas. Learning is a lifelong journey and the vast world will never run out of things for you to discover.
So keep your eyes open for new knowledge and skills to learn. If you find joy in learning new things, you will never lose that sense of wonder which is essential to seeing the beauty of life. Your dedication to gain more knowledge will contribute to your overall satisfaction in life.
So many people are in despair and it isn’t hard to fathom why. Life is not a walk in the park, and sometimes it seems easier to just live in misery day after day. It takes courage, determination and commitment to fully experience the joy of living. To enrich your life, you need guts to rise above failures and disappointments. It may sound difficult to stay happy in a grief-laden world, but it is a challenge worth pursuing.