Secrets of a Happy Life

Never, ever have I believed of having a specific list for living a happy life. What exactly makes for a happy life? What I have noticed when reading or having conversations with others, is that there are some common threads that happy people share. The kind of threads that no one sets out using a book with a written list of things to do in order to be happy. These are things that happy people just do. It seems to come naturally. 

I thought that I would share some of these ideas that I have picked up on. Some of them do come naturally to me, while others are most definitely work in progress, and that is okay! Why? Because I am aware of them. That is the key.

They are in no particular order, except for me, myself and I. The so called secrets that I feel are most important to me are listed first. After all, it is my blog. (Speaking of which, my blog will begin next week appearing on Monday only. The reason being is that I need to work more on my novel to send off for editing and then a children's book that is ready to explode inside my brain.)

Happy people seem to:

• Pay no attention of what others may say about them and even less attention of what they may be thinking. They have not walked in your shoes. Be at peace with yourself.
• Stop stressing over the little stuff. They are proud of what they have accomplished, some good and maybe some not so good...what is important is the now. The small stuff will meld itself into the big picture eventually. They never let it frighten them.
• Always laugh a lot, especially at themselves and situations that seem to just pop up out of nowhere. 
• Be proud, inside and out. A well-maintained appearance and outlook states confidence.
• Stay up to date on newsworthy items so that they are able to be a part of many different conversations. Talk less and listen more. There is no need to be confrontational. Just agree to disagree. If they have a strong belief, others do not need to be accepting of it, nor do they need to be accepting of theirs. Live and let be, as long as no one is getting hurt. 
• Be social and accept invitations, even when they are not quite sure that they will enjoy the event or the company. They know that they can always go for a walk in the park or through a museum alone and may possibly meet someone interesting.
• Respect one another because no matter what their ages may be, everyone has something to bring to the table for discussion. The young with a new twist on an issue and the older with experience. Be open for new ideas.
• Forgive, forget and move on. Explanation enough!
• Hobbies always can make one's life more interesting. Get out and try something new. Painting, travel, sports, volunteer work...the list is endless.
• Health is of the utmost importance. Stay informed. Visit your doctor when needed and they try to work on healthy eating habits and moderate exercise.
• Happy people always keep love alive. It may be with their partner and if there is no special partner at this time, happy people who share a love for life are never short of special friends who help them keep their love for life alive. 
• Being grateful and able to share their gratitude with others is very characteristic of happy people.
• Have compassion for others and for yourself. They think about how it makes them feel when sharing compassion. Random acts of kindness always will boost one's self-esteem. They actually go ahead and do something special for themselves without feeling guilty.

Sometimes we read through words and don't truly comprehend them. This blog took on quite a bit of self-reflection, as well as thinking about the people that I know that share genuine happiness with those all around them. They spread their happiness in many beautiful ways.