Everyone wants to be happy. But waiting for happiness to occur magically without investing any work is a false hope. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “The Constitution only guarantees you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
So, how can you catch happiness and make sure that you keep it? Here’s what you need to know about building a happiness plan to last a lifetime:
Happiness is a choice
Why do some people seem happier than others? Are they simply born that way?
No. Happiness isn’t a genetic disposition. We all have the capability of happiness and sadness, joy, despair, passion and listlessness.
Happy people are those who make the conscious decision to be happy, day after day. Just like eating a healthy diet, the key to success is making more good choices than bad. If you consciously discipline yourself to choose happiness, everything around you changes.
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Happiness is an attitude
Happiness isn’t ever a permanent state — it ebbs and flows like the tide. No one can be happy all the time — everyone experiences high and lows — but at the core of a happy life is the principle of gratitude.
Nurture a grateful attitude and you will have a happy life. As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others.”
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Happiness is a commitment
It takes immense strength to be happy. Life isn’t simple or straightforward, and there will always be bumps in the road. To be truly happy, you have to be tough in your commitment.
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It doesn’t take any strength of character to be a cynic or to be negative, but it takes real effort and tenacity to be consistently enthusiastic, positive and fired up. Nurture that tough attitude and resolve to be happy.
Happiness is a by-product
Happiness is the result of getting a lot of other things right in your life. It’s important to shift your focus from being happy to having one happy day at a time. String enough happy days together and the result will be a happy life.
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Happiness is awesome
It can be easy to think that happiness is just for the lucky few — those who were born on the right side of the tracks or who have luck on their side. Stop making these excuses.
The truth is, happiness isn’t just for other people, and it’s not dependent on them, either. Your spouse or your children might make you happy, yes, but true happiness is all about how you feel inside.
You don’t have to put it off or fool yourself into thinking that losing that last 10 pounds or making those 10 extra sales will finally make you happy.
Choose positivity and embrace happiness. When you do, other people will appreciate the good energy you emit, and you’ll get it back in turn. Happiness is infectious — so make up your mind to be happy and start spreading the joy today.
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Brian Buffini is the Chairman and Founder of Buffini & Company. You can follow Brian and Buffini & Company on Facebook.