When we see the word “happiness”, a lot of things would come into our mind. For some, it would mean living in their dream house. For others, it would mean landing on their dream job. Meanwhile, some may also equate happiness to being in the arms of their loved ones. Each one of us has a different concept of what happiness means. Different people find joy in different things. But there’s one thing common to everyone on this planet: everyone is in a seemingly endless chase to actually find happiness. So many people spend so much time and effort in pursuing the things which they believe would make them happy. It could be that dream job, dream girl, dream car. Sadly, many have wasted their lifetimes pursuing and sometimes even achieving these things without actually being able to find happiness. Why is this so? The reason is quite simple. True happiness, the thing that each person desires, is not found anywhere else, happiness comes from within. This means that many of those who do not come to know or realize this little secret, have been looking for it in all the wrong places. What we need to do to find happiness, is simply to learn how to be happy.

The following are tips on how we can learn to be happy:

You know yourself better than anyone else

Self-awareness is one important factor in finding true happiness. In order for you to be truly happy, you need to know what can actually make you happy. You know yourself better than anyone else and this means that you should not rely on others to tell you what will make you happy. If you don’t know yourself that well then it’s high time to exert more effort into your personality. Spend time with yourself and get to know yourself a little bit more. Find out what makes you tick, what drives you, what gets you going or makes you sick. Find out what good traits you have and which among your rough edges you would want to improve on. This will allow you to discover who you really are and what will truly make you happy.

Happiness is a choice

Another reason why happiness comes from within is that in order for you to be happy, you have to choose to be happy. Life comes with all its ups and downs. You can’t expect the sun to rise and set as you please. There will always be a time when all things seem to go wrong and fall out of place. So you have to make a conscious effort. You have to choose to be happy regardless of all the things that life will throw at you. Your happiness would come from within you because you have to remind yourself that you have to openly embrace life with all its ups and downs.

It’s all a matter of perspective

Happiness comes from within because there will be times when you have to change the way you look at certain things in order for you to be happy. Life isn’t perfect and the ability to cope with every difficult situation lies on how you are able to see things in a different light. Many of the difficult situations which cause people to become unhappy are usually constant. Take death for example. It’s constant and inevitable. It’s something that everyone has to deal with. If you are not able to change your perspective towards these facts of life, then you will always remain unhappy in each of these situations.

You are your Best Motivator

Motivation is also an important factor in attaining happiness. You find happiness when you are motivated to go on and enjoy life. It moves you and drives you to pursue the things that will bring joy to an otherwise boring, or dreary life.

Your life reflects what’s inside of you

Thoughts can determine your quality of life. Positive thoughts would also reflect a good quality of life. Some call it the law of attraction. You attract the things that consume your thoughts. So the more positive you are on the inside, the better your life turns out. Some view it as simply getting back what you are giving to the universe. As the saying goes, smile and the world will smile back at you. Others say it’s all about the kind of attitude you have towards life. Feeling good and thinking good thoughts would change your attitude towards life and make you a happier creature. Happiness comes from within because what’s inside you would affect the things happening around you.

Self-love equals Happiness

Finally, happiness comes from within because the happiest people are the ones who love themselves. Being kind to yourself and loving yourself a little bit more creates a happier outlook. Loving yourself also means not depending on another soul to fill the void. One of the major reasons why so many people are unhappy is because they tie their happiness to other people. They allow themselves to believe that it is the other person who can give them the happiness and satisfaction they need. And when that other person is unable to meet those expectations, they go into a downward spiral. The key is to realize that you should not tie your happiness to people or things. Your happiness should not be tied to anything or anyone else. You are in charge of your life and you have to take control. And don’t ever think that it’s selfish for you to believe that happiness comes from within and that you don’t need other people to make you happy. It is by fixing ourselves, keeping ourselves happy that we are able to improve the quality of our relationships, radiate happiness, and pass it on to others. It is actually by understanding that true happiness lies within one’s self that one is able to learn how to become more selfless.

Blogger, Life Coach, Reiki Master. Inspiring people to be Happy.