As a culture, and society, we talk at length about happiness as a motivator, as something we need to pursue. And this can be a good thing, when we pursue things that make us happy, we should be able to create happiness, but it can also be a harmful outlook on the subject as well. There’s a far more powerful way to view happiness, on that will have an immediate impact on your mind, body, and even on your bank account.
This outlook is what we shall discuss, and how to create happiness in the present is what we shall discover.
Why It’s So Important to Be Happy
I know you know you should be happy.
I mean, the whole point of living, in one respect, is to be happy. We create happiness through different avenues, whether it’s giving, creating, or trying new and exciting and fun things. But do you know the “urgency” that is tied to being happy?
Happiness isn’t an elusive future goal that we need to create, find, or stumble upon; rather, happiness is something we should be in order to have more money, a better body, and a better life. Happiness isn’t the end of the rainbow, it’s the most important tool of your current and future success. If you’re not happy now, you won’t build the life you want to build in the future. If happiness is eluding you now, money, fame, and power won’t bring it into your life. Happiness needs to come first for everything else in your life to be able to arrive.
Most people define their success with a dollar amount. When I make X amount of dollars, or, When I have X amount of homes and my company reaches the Fortune 500, then I’ll be successful. Here’s the problem with that line of thinking…
If your happiness is defined by a dollar number, an achievement, a milestone, or some future goal that you’re currently working hard to achieve, what you’ll find is that even when you reach that dollar amount or the status you so passionately crave, you’ll be left with more of an empty feeling, one of loss, not the elation that you always dreamed would accompany you when you reached your milestone.
You’ll find that you want more, and that your mission isn’t “done”, that you still have a lot of work left, you still have more to create, and you still have more to do. It’s also counterproductive to define your success with the end of something, like the end of a goal, a path you’re on, or a dream fulfilled. You’ve achieved what you want. Now what? How are you supposed to be happy with your life if your purpose is over, finito, dead?
It’s so important to be happy in the present, and to do what makes you happy, not only because you’re going to enjoy life more, make a greater impact, and have more fun, but because you’re going to do more, make more, and be more.
Happiness is contagious.
People love happy people. They want to spend more time around them, and they want them to succeed. You’ll have an army of people who will help you reach those goals in your life that you deem most important (we’ll talk about how and why you need to set your goals with a certain intention a bit later). By being happy you’re also going to have more energy, be more motivated, and find much more clarity because your happiness is guiding your life, not your selfish desires, or monetary goals and aspirations.
When you’re guided by what makes you happy, decisions become much easier to make. Happy people have also been shown to be far more creative than unhappy people. The correlations between happiness and wealth are not there – evidence shows no real difference in happiness between people making $5,000/month and $5 million/month, as long as their basic needs are met – yet people who genuinely love what they do, and work hard, make far more than people in the same line of work who don’t love what they do.
Happiness isn’t something you’re going to find in the future. You need to understand this It’s something you’re going to create in the present, right now, because of this article, and because you’re a smart enough person to know that more money, success, or fame, aren’t going to make you happy if you’re not already a happy person.
How to Be Happy NOW
We’ve established that happiness is something you have to create in your own mind and heart before you find whatever successes you want in life.
It’s being happy that will make you more successful, not being more successful that will make you a happier person.
Alas, we’re at a crossroads, a precipice, a fork in the road. One one side we’ve defined happiness as our future state, when we’re successful, rolling in the dollar bills, beautiful bride by our side, and the world in our palm. Now, however, we’ve discovered that this mode or definition of happiness won’t work. What we’re stuck with is more questions than answers.
If happiness isn’t accomplished by how we thought it would be, then how do we become happier people right now?
First, You HUSTLE.
Having a purpose and working as hard as humanly possible to achieve that purpose, will make you happy. In life, what you’ll often find is that it’s the journey that is both the most rewarding, fulfilling, and happiest time of your life. It’s when you’re in the arena that you feel most alive, not when you’ve reached the finish line and your hand is being raised or you’re trying to climb from defeat.
Hard work will make you happy, immediately.
Laziness breeds envy, sadness, and a feeling of worthlessness.
There are those who think that “living in the moment” means doing whatever you please. They feel that doing what you love is doing whatever you like. They’re wrong. This point of view isn’t a recipe for happiness, rather, a great way to lie on your deathbed crushed by regret, loneliness, and emptiness.
“Whatever you want” isn’t a good compass. Some days you’ll want to sit on your ass and watch TV. Other days you’ll want to strangle your boss, cheat on a test or your spouse, or sleep in and buck your responsibilities as a man.
If all you do is “whatever you please” you’ll never do what you love.
If you only “do what you please” at any given moment, you’ll never create self-worth. Without self worth you can’t truly be happy. You’ll also never create your own path and your own way in the world. If you spend your life completely dependent on others, emptiness and an internal void will be your roommates.
To be your happiest, you have to do what you love for the majority of your moments on this earth. But doing what you truly love is a BIG THING. You don’t love being mediocre or average, you like being great, ambitious, and excited about what you’re doing. You like being challenged, pushed to do more and extend your reach beyond your grasp.
There’s a myth that exists world wide that tells people that happiness is easy. It isn’t. It’s harder than self-loathing, it takes more work than worrying, and more courage than being dependent and lazy. It won’t be easy. You NEED to hustle. Doing what you love is hard. It requires long hours, sacrifice, and risk. You’ll have to work when others sleep, when others vacation, and when you’d rather sit on your ass. But you’ll be paid handsomely for it both in the self-worth you’ll create, and the life you’ll create for yourself.
If, right now, you’re doing a job you hate, do what you love in your spare time. There’s always time you can dedicate to work, always. This, however, still doesn’t mean you should be lazy doing the job you hate. You’ll just end up hating it more. Hard work doing anything creates happiness.
Second, You Need to Take Control of Your Thoughts.
“Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.” ~ Napoleon Hill
You have control over the thoughts you put into your mind, as well as the ones you choose to follow and focus on.
This is an immensely powerful fact that few recognize or do anything about. This also means that you have control over your happiness. Continue Reading on Page 2 >>>>
