Last Updated on November 23, 2018

They say that happiness is just a state of mind, while others believe that it is a lifestyle one embraces. Regardless of what you believe it to be, you can’t deny the fact that happy people and unhappy people are worlds apart. It’s not just about appearances; it’s the kind of aura that happy people have that just draws you in and makes you wonder: what do these people do? What makes them so happy that they radiate so much positive light?

1. Acceptance of things that cannot be changed.

There is so much in this world that you cannot control, no matter how hard you try. Learning how to accept this fact is something that happy people have mastered. After all, it is not only draining to lament and rant over the fact that life is sometimes unfair. It is also a pointless practice, with your frustration only building up for nothing.

2. Controlling their future.

Happy people are not bound by the usual norms that society follows. It is often the happiest people who do not care about the trends or the latest beliefs that other people set. They control what they do and refuse to let anybody or anything take this control away from their hands. They live their lives for a future they have shaped on their own, and not for what other people say their future should look like.

3. Telling the truth.

People who lie are often the unhappiest people who ever lived. They spend so much time worrying about which lies they told to which people, and how to make everything seem like the truth. Happy people save themselves from all this trouble. They simply tell the truth, no matter how ugly it could be.

4. Less clutter.

Too much clutter clouds the mind. This is something that you realize when you feel how relaxing it is to live out in the open and compare it to the feeling of being in a stuffed city apartment. This is why happy people often have fewer possessions. They know that material things, which they don’t really need to survive, will only weigh them down and the lack of it will leave so much space for them to unwind and focus on happiness.

5. Healthy living.

Not a lot of sick people are happy. In living healthy, you do not only make your body better, you also make your mind clearer and more active. Good food and regular physical activity also releases your happy hormones without the need to take in chemical-based medicine that claim to make you happy.

6. Meditation.

Nobody is perfect, and even happy people go through tough times. It’s the way that they deal with it that makes them different. Meditation is one thing that could help you unload all the bad vibes and go back to your normal state of being happy.

7. Building relationships.

Happy people know how to socialize and understand that they need other people to survive. Taking the time out to make memories with friends, family, and loved ones would always be an important part of a happy person’s to-do list, making sure that not too much time passes by without reaching out to the people they care about.

8. Choosing relationships.

Although building relationships is important, happy people also know that they also need to choose who to build relationships with. Having a million acquaintances will not even compare to having just a few real friends who will give you the right piece of advice when you need it the most.

9. Avoiding comparison.

Everyone has their own way of doing things, so why compare it with others? This is something that happy people understand and apply to the way they live. Feeling that you are better than someone else will alienate people away from you, while feeling that other people are better than you will lessen your sense of self-worth. Staying in the middle and accepting that you are unique as a person will allow you to appreciate everyone around you and give praise and encouragement where it is needed the most.

10. Enjoying the present.

Unhappy people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future. Happy people understand that the present is something that they can control and enjoy to the fullest. They don’t rush through a crowded street; they walk and breathe in the different sights. They don’t rush through every meal; they savor the flavor that comes with each bite.

11. Never making excuses.

When something goes wrong, unhappy people would always find other people to blame and make excuses for the part that they played. This only keeps you from moving on and grabbing the chance to make things better. Happy people show accountability and use the mistake to become better.

12. Finding the good in people.

Happiness is something that you show with the way you see other people. Unhappy people are always guarded and suspicious of people, making them miss the chance of establishing great relationships with great people. Happy people, on the other hand, find the good in every person they meet, allowing them to enjoy each experience.

13. Seeing problems as challenges.

A problem is not seen as an actual problem by a happy person. A happy person will call it a challenge, a lesson in progress, or even an opportunity. It will never be called as a problem because seeing it as such will make it seem hard and impossible to bear.

14. Letting the small stuff go.

The problems you experience now will be something that you’ll be laughing about a year from now. Because of this fact, happy people don’t dwell on the small stuff. Why spend hours, days, and weeks fretting over a simple thing when it can be forgotten in an instant?

15. Holding grudges.

If you can still remember every bit of detail of the wrong that one person has done to you a few years ago, then there’s no need to ask why you’re unhappy. Chances are, that person does not even spend a minute of his current life thinking about what happened, making the person in a happier state than you are. Let it go. It’s in the past. Nothing could change it, and there’s no sense for you to throw happiness away because of it.