“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Abraham Lincoln
Is happiness a choice? Yes! Many happy people realize happiness is a choice and it’s up to them to intentionally choose it every single day.
Happy people are not held hostage by their circumstances and they do not seek happiness in people or possessions.
They understand that when we stop chasing the world’s definition of happiness, we begin to see the decision to experience happiness has been right in front of us all along. Research in the field of positive psychology continues to reinforce this understanding.
But simply knowing that happiness is a choice is not enough. Fully experiencing it still requires a conscious decision to choose happiness each day. How then might each of us begin to experience this joy?
How to Choose Happiness Today
Embrace one new action item, practice all of them, or simply use them as inspiration to discover your own. Here are 12 ways to choose happiness today:
1. Count your blessings. Happy people choose to focus on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative. They set their minds on specific reasons to be grateful. They express it when possible. And they quickly discover there is always, always, something to be grateful for.
2. Carry a smile. A smile is a wonderful beautifier. But more than that, studies indicate that making an emotion-filled face carries influence over the feelings processed by the brain. Our facial expression can influence our brain in just the same way our brains influence our face. In other words, you can actually program yourself to experience happiness by choosing to smile. Not to mention, all the pretty smiles you’ll receive in return for flashing yours is also guaranteed to increase your happiness level.
3. Speak daily affirmation into your life. Affirmations are positive thoughts accompanied with affirmative beliefs and personal statements of truth. They are recited in the first person, present tense (“I am…”). Affirmations used daily can release stress, build confidence, and improve outlook. For maximum effectiveness, affirmations should be chosen carefully, be based in truth, and address current needs. Here is a list of 100 daily affirmations to help you get started.
4. Wake up on your terms. Most of us have alarm clocks programmed because of the expectations of others: a workplace, a school, or a waking child. That’s probably not going to change. But that doesn’t mean we have to lose control over our mornings in the process. Wake up just a little bit early and establish an empowering, meaningful, morning routine. Start each day on your terms. The next 23 hours will thank you for it.
5. Hold back a complaint. The next time you want to lash out in verbal complaint towards a person, a situation, or yourself, don’t. Instead, humbly keep it to yourself. You’ll likely diffuse an unhealthy, unhappy environment. But more than that, you’ll experience joy by choosing peace in a difficult situation.
6. Practice one life-improving discipline. There is happiness and fulfillment to be found in personal growth. To know that you have intentionally devoted time and energy to personal improvement is one of the most satisfying feelings you’ll ever experience. Embrace and practice at least one act of self-discipline each day. This could be exercise, budgeting, or guided-learning… whatever your life needs today to continue growing. Find it. Practice it. Celebrate it.
7. Use your strengths. Each of us have natural talents, strengths, and abilities. And when we use them effectively, we feel alive and comfortable in our skin. They help us find joy in our being and happiness in our design. So embrace your strengths and choose to operate within your giftedness each day. If you need to find this outlet outside your employment, by all means, find this outlet.
8. Accomplish one important task. Because happy people choose happiness, they take control over their lives. They don’t make decisions based on a need to pursue joy. Instead, they operate out of the satisfaction they have already chosen. They realize there are demands on their time, helpful pursuits to accomplish, and important contributions to make to the world around them. Choose one important task that you can accomplish each day. And find joy in your contribution.
9. Eat a healthy meal/snack. We are spiritual, emotional, and mental beings. We are also physical bodies. Our lives cannot be wholly separated into its parts. As a result, one aspect always influences the others. For example, our physical bodies will always have impact over our spiritual and emotional well-being. Therefore, caring for our physical well-being can have significant benefit for our emotional standing. One simple action to choose happiness today is to eat healthy foods. Your physical body will thank you… and so will your emotional well-being.
10. Treat others well. Everyone wants to be treated kindly. But more than that, deep down, we also want to treat others with the same respect that we would like given to us. Treat everyone you meet with kindness, patience, and grace. The Golden Rule is a powerful standard. It benefits the receiver. But also brings growing satisfaction in yourself as you seek to treat others as you would like to be treated.
11. Meditate. Find time alone in solitude. As our world increases in speed and noise, the ability to withdraw becomes even more essential. Studies confirm the importance and life-giving benefits of meditation. So take time to make time. And use meditation to search inward, connect spiritually, and improve your happiness today.
12. Search for benefit in your pain. This life can be difficult. Nobody escapes without pain. At some point—in some way—we all encounter it. When you do, remind yourself again that the trials may be difficult, but they will pass. And search deep to find meaning in the pain. Choose to look for the benefits that can be found in your trial. At the very least, perseverance is being built. And most likely, an ability to comfort others in their pain is also being developed.
Go today. Choose joy and be happy. That will make two of us.
Meredith L. Eason says
Thank you for what you’ve shared. it’s very useful for health. So esasy to do it.
TraceyAnne says
Fantastic article, I am also a true advocate of power of Meditation! So much so I think Drs should be prescribing meditation as standard practice instead of always dishing out antidepressants. I am such a strong believer of making happiness ourselves that I wrote my own 5 simple tips and tricks on how to be happy: http://www.traceyanne.com/how-to-be-happy-5-easy-steps/
ren says
Love these articles…would like to see the how to declutter, how to minimize practical articles also.
Elly says
Spoken as someone who has never experienced major mental illness. Oh if only we could just CHOOSE to snap out of it with your steps. How silly of me!!
Da Troof says
Hey Elly, I think you missed #5.
Heidi says
With or without mental illness, these steps may help improve your life, not necessarily fix it. I have physical pain everyday that interrupts my life often, but doing these types of things on a regular basis do make my life better/happier. Chronic pain can play with someones mental health if not careful (and it has) so I have to choose to take care of all the other factors in my life. It’s not always easy but it is definitely worth it. Best wishes to you Elly on your journey to wellness. And thank Joshua for the reminders :)
Bill says
I too suffer a mental illness. Learning to meditate properly, and the daily practice of it , is of wonderful benefit.
Kirsty says
There’s no part of this that says we should just ‘snap out of it’. It’s just trying to help us with mechanisms and thought processes that might be supportive of happiness.
Katrina says
Best wishes ELLY. Just do your best each day. I hope you have family and friends to support you.
Lisa Roye says
I too have mental illness as well as chronic systematic illness and #12 has worked for me as well as the 1-11.
Now that I think of it, it’s just another 12-step program the twelfth is the enlightenment. ????
“How can I use my what I’ve learned from my suffering to help others?” May be the most important calling for us humans.
Lisa Roye says
*Still a work in progress. I have some deeply depressing spells; I choose somehow to not LIVE in them. ????
Cindi says
Good for you, Lisa! It is definitely not an easy process, and thankfully, the writer doesn’t claim that it is. But we can choose some of the things we think about and do each day, and that can make a huge difference. Not a cure, but a difference. Love your attitude!
Elizabeth says
I thought the EXACT SAME THING!! I used to read articles like this and I finally realised the advice applies to people without physical( and yes there are physical causes for depression, hormones, parasites, genetics etc etc )causes of depression. The guy means well, but unfortunately for me my family thought as he does and abandoned me in my darkest hours. I was diagnosed with a gut parasite and my depression lifted after 20 YEARS! I lost everything to this illness but now I have so much grief and hurt for how I was abused by screaming family members, I never knew people could be so horrible!! So now i have depression from the trauma of being abused by so called “happy” people!!
Mandi says
I know this post is old but Read the book “Healing the soul of a woman” by Joyce Meyer. It’s such a great book for how to heal yourself while letting go of the past!
Murielle Marie says
Absolutely love and try to live by these actions. Try to promote them with my clients in my coaching practice as well. Beautiful and sound advice, with yourself as the center of your life. I love that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this!
elma van den berg says
Wonderful wisdom! Practise it. It is wise and brings joy!
Moses says
I love your post. Thanks Joshua. :-)
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caroline says
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Esther says
Thanx Joshua,
Was feeling low about a certain situation in my life, but reading this blog has encouraged me in more than one way. I am going to choose to be happy, and practice some of these intentional actions.
God Bless you.
claire says
Great advice! I have to try hard to remember to do these things apart from smiling and being nice to other people as I’m good at that already :-)
fasi says
article is good, but you can not be like that all the time.
claire says
Even on your darkest days you can still at least think of something good! Just stay positive