· Decide to be happy. Make an honest-to-goodness real decision. Commit yourself. What do you have to lose? And make your decision now. Why put it off?
· Create a world of happiness around you. This is so easy. What makes you happy? Whatever it is get more!
· Be the happiness you seek.
I admit it. Creating an environment of happiness is sooooo passive-aggressive. And isn’t it simpleminded to assume that “if you build it, the happiness will come.” Well, no. I strongly disagree. Yes, this is a passive-aggressive approach, but it works.
On the other hand, another excellent way to cause happiness in your life is to take action. Many people find fulfillment and purpose in certain actions. Such actions inspire contentedness, or in the context of this passage, happiness.
Small acts of kindness, charitable work, reading to children, cleaning up your neighborhood, donating blood, donating money, cooking a meal for a sick friend, giving me a lift home from the bar… these are all gratifying, deliberate acts we can take that stimulate our desire for purpose and fulfillment. Best of all, the pleasant feelings generated by these acts occur during the act and long afterward.
And of course, do something for yourself: Get exercise, eat right, learn something new, read books, clean your toenails. The satisfaction of doing something good for you is its own reward, but in some cases (like exercise) the benefits are long-lasting.
Everyday is Thanksgiving
Always be thankful. Go ahead. Count your blessings.
Generally speaking, most humans are typically thankful for the things in life they value. Valuable things, I believe it is safe to assume, bring us some degree of joy. By regularly giving thanks to God – or simply by counting your blessings for you heathens out there – you are basically taking inventory of your valuables and expressing their importance to you.
Thanksgiving is, I believe, an important act that will remind you of the purpose and value of your life, and by association, will cause you happiness.
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