Happiness – Three Things to Add, Three to Subtract

“Being a healthier, happier, more active or successful person is not what you do; it’s who you are, every month and every meal, starting now.” Margaret Marshall  

How many years have you made a New Year’s resolution to be happier? How has that worked? If your resolutions haven’t worked for you, then it’s time to think differently. This year, make a change, not a resolution.

Happiness is often interpreted as something to be reached, and once we achieve that, we will then begin to live in a constant state of being. We come to realize as we get older, this is just simply not the case. No amount of material possessions can create happiness. It’s time to think differently, so try breaking what you’ve learned about happiness into two groups: things we should subtract and things we should add.

 

Three Things We Should Subtract:

  1. Negative Thoughts
    Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. This also includes self-doubt many of us struggle with. Living in a persistent state of fear and self-doubt is toxic.
  2. Screen Time
    Focusing your attention on smartphones, social media, television, movies, video games, and technology affects your life more than you think. Media rearranges your values and can dominate your life. Unfortunately, we live in a world where it’s acceptable to be constantly consumed by media. The only way to fully appreciate its influence in your life is to turn them off. 
  3. Non-essential Possessions
    Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. They drain our bank account, our energy and our attention. They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values. If possessions are things you feel you cannot live without, re-evaluate the possessions you deem worthy of spending your hard earned time and money on. Reevaluating where your energy is being spent can allow for you to rethink what is essential.

 

Three Things We Should Add:

  1. Selfie Time. No we don’t mean more selfie pics! Pause, slow down, relax and take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of life. In order for us to keep moving at a decent speed, we need to stop every once in a while. Taking a pause gives us necessary perspective in our lives. App suggestion – Calm. Provides people take pause in their daily lives and it’s free for iPhone. 
  2. Waking Up Early. Wake up early and make a healthy breakfast, instead of grabbing something on the way to work. For some, it’s a great time to exercise! For others, it’s the perfect time to take a breath and meditate (a great opportunity to use our app suggestion!) Overall, it helps you be more productive throughout the day. Get your most important tasks done right way and stop hitting the snooze button! 

    3. Books. Reading makes you smarter and keeps you sharp as you age. It also helps improve writing skills, increases your vocabulary and can help reduce stress.  

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The Life Equals Team