On a scale of 1-10, what is your level of happiness?
For me, this level sits right around an 8 and a 9 and I consider myself very lucky to be able to say this. Believe me when I say this number will change depending on what is going on around me. I don’t want you to have an unrealistic expectation I’m at this level ALL the time. Being able to experience both happiness and unhappiness is part of life and also what makes me human. The key is being able to find my way back to happiness without staying in the unhappy place for too long.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, happiness means: a state of well-being and contentment and: a pleasurable or satisfying experience. To me, happiness is a state of feeling satisfied with everything I have and who I am. This is the place I’m in, right now. Everything I am and all I have accomplished brings me happiness everyday. It’s not to say I can’t accomplish or improve myself anymore, because I like to think that as human beings we should always be improving. What I mean is, these feelings of happiness are what get me through the days, what motivate me to do better, and what I wish for others. Here are a few things that help me get to this level of happiness.
I surround myself with happy people
Having happy people around will inevitably help with feeling happier. Compare this concept to what is going on in todays world. People infected with COVID-19 will inevitably infect other people if they are around them, right? Same concept here. People who are “infected” with happiness will also inevitably infect others with the state of well-being and contentment. These happy people, most of whom are my very close friends, remind me to smile and that life is so much more enjoyable when you’re having fun. So, if you are not surrounding yourself with happy people, then call someone, meet up with them and enjoy their happiness…remembering to social distance of course.
I avoid negativity
Negativity is everywhere, starting with the news and other media outlets. I find not being inundated with news does wonders for my level of happiness. Just like the song by Luke Bryan says, “I believe if you just go by the nightly news, your faith in all mankind would be the first thing you lose.” The more I watched the news the sadder I became, knowing there are so many awful things going on, so I stopped watching news years ago. I do read headlines and major updates, which are unavoidable, unless you are living under a rock. Plus, my friends also make sure to keep me well informed. My point is, stay updated, but don’t get inundated to the point you feel sad or unhappy. Limit your news intake! A huge part of my happiness is being at peace, and avoiding news broadcasts brings me the inner peace I deserve.
I flood my social media feeds with positivity
I know very few people who are not on social media, but for those of us who are, it’s as simple as unfollowing, deleting, snoozing or blocking whatever is on there that disturbs our peace. I follow many inspirational public figures, educational pages, pages that keep me laughing and of course, pet dominated pages. These pages in some way shield me from the madness our world is going through, allowing me to focus on the good. If we must be on social media, take a minute to go through the pages, profiles and friends you follow and see which ones you can live without. This will easily increase your level of happiness a few notches.
I embrace different perspectives
How I think about things plays a huge part on my level of happiness. When I have a certain perspective that doesn’t serve me, and at the same time brings down my level of happiness, I have to remind myself I need to change my perspective. Changing my perspective to allow happiness to remain at an acceptable level is challenging but doable. You can do it too! If you want to learn more about how to improve your level of happiness, let’s talk.
So, what can you be doing to up your level of happiness? Feel free to leave your comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to receive new posts right in your inbox! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @viziontrak. Share with someone who needs to read this.
