Happiness is a state we all want to achieve but it is often only a temporary sensation. The feeling of joy and excitement is usually fleeting as life will inevitably expose us to a whole range of emotions. While we’re often programmed to think that happiness is the most important thing to seek, fulfilment is often more sustainable.
There is no magic formula for happiness. In life it is important to look for the kinds of experiences that bring you joy – only you can truly make yourself happy. Gratitude and appreciation for all you have, together with acceptance of your unique qualities, can help you think more positively about yourself.
Finding Purpose
Believing we contribute to the well-being of others tends to make us feel better about our own lives. Most of us want to believe we are part of something bigger than we are because we find it fulfilling. Pursuing things that matter to us or that we are passionate about moves us towards what we value, helping us to achieve goals that were guided by these ideals .
We should try to be generous in life. Helping others without expecting anything in return will bring it’s own rewards. The secret to creating real meaning can be found by devoting time and attention to the ones we love and even those who we don’t even know. Making someone else happy can bring joy and fulfilment to our own lives. What could be better than knowing we have made a difference?
Simple Pleasure
It’s essential to savour our daily experiences, no matter how dark our situation sometimes seems, there is usually a jewel hidden somewhere if we choose to look for it. If we’ve learnt anything over the last 12 months it’s to start enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Whether it’s an unexpected freebie or giveaway – it’s always good to get something for free , a great meal, the perfect cup of coffee or the endorphin rush of a good workout. By learning to appreciate the little things that bring us joy, we can add to our sense of fulfilment and well-being on a daily basis.
Being Open to Change
It can be equally important to challenge ourselves to grow. We can help ourselves by making it a priority to step out of our comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if we fail, at least we’ll have tried to learn something new. Life is meant to be a big adventure, so we should get out and explore it! After all, if we never try new things we’ll never know what we’re capable of.
Gratitude can make us feel as if we are experiencing a new layer of life, it is the starting point of anything and may be the secret to our happiness. Instead of being consumed with negativity we need to aim to keep a positive perspective, be creative and find gratitude in the moment.
The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and by giving to others, it helps us to appreciate the things we may have taken for granted. There is something very special about gratitude – it’s a useful tool for reflection and a great place to start on the journey to fulfilment.