HAPPINESS - After searching and seeking for something that can give me a purpose in life, it’s so overwhelming to understand and know exactly what it is. What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning? Why am I here? Lots of people get into the same habits or follow others in being the same way, doing the same thing and talking in a similar manner. But each one of us is individual and we all have our own purpose and being. What’s yours? I know that I am a creative person that loves being outside with nature, I love painting and cooking but because of the lifestyle I was leading it left me no time at all to keep perusing my first loves. This part of my personality gave me happiness and I somehow lost touch with that along the way. But the good thing is, I’ve now found it and indulging myself in things I enjoy almost every day! I believe the purpose of life is to find that ultimate happiness and once you realise this, it’s just amazing. I absolutely love my days when I sit and sketch or paint, they are much more often than ever before. I love my trips cycling around my hometown or on holiday, it gives me a sense of freedom. I also love spending all that quality time with my family especially my children it just makes me so happy. I’m very grateful for what I have so it keeps me content and anything else is just a lovely surprise bonus. Most of all I always make a point of saying ‘thank you’ or I add a silly happy emoji on the end of my messages/ emails. I think that it would make someone’s day or make them smile and if I can do that it also makes me smile. You can really enjoy life if you are content with who you are and are doing the things that make you happy. Because a happy you is happy family and happy life!
Here are 5 things that have been researched from Live Science to help you with a better Happier life. If you would like further information then please follow the link below: http://www.livescience.com/9824-5-happier.html
1. Be grateful – Some study participants were asked to write letters of gratitude to people who had helped them in some way. The study found that these people reported a lasting increase in happiness – over weeks and even months – after implementing the habit. What’s even more surprising: Sending the letter is not necessary. Even when people wrote letters but never delivered them to the addressee, they still reported feeling better afterwards.
2. Be optimistic – Another practice that seems to help is optimistic thinking. Study participants were asked to visualize an ideal future – for example, living with a loving and supportive partner, or finding a job that was fulfilling – and describe the image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few weeks, these people too reported increased feelings of well-being.
3. Count your blessings – People who practice writing down three good things that have happened to them every week show significant boosts in happiness, studies have found. It seems the act of focusing on the positive helps people remember reasons to be glad.
4. Use your strengths – Another study asked people to identify their greatest strengths, and then to try to use these strengths in new ways. For example, someone who says they have a good sense of humor could try telling jokes to lighten up business meetings or cheer up sad friends. This habit, too, seems to heighten happiness.
5. Commit acts of kindness – It turns out helping others also helps ourselves. People who donate time or money to charity, or who altruistically assist people in need, report improvements in their own happiness. Lyubomirsky has also created a free iPhone application, called Live Happy, to help people boost their well-being.
Author - Kavita Basi