How to find long-lasting joy feeling blessed

Happiness is something that you naturally deserve!  You make efforts to achieve things that are valuable to you, to be close to the special people in your life, and more.  However, joyful moments tend to come and go.

Disclaimer: My blog is to be used for general information purposes only. In case of need, do seek help from a professional in the relevant field.

True happiness 

Happiness means different things to different people.  Added to that, what makes you happy today, may no longer do so after some time. When you get used to having things that you yearn for, you may take them for granted afterwards.

If you want a great mansion, and finally get one, once you’re used to the idea of having it, it tends to get normal.  Likewise, a new relationship seems more interesting at the start.  After a while, many people start concentrating on the flaws of their spouses. True happiness comes from within!

Contentment over short-lived happiness 

I prefer long-term contentment over short-term happiness.  Being satisfied in the true sense has a better result as compared to superficial things that don’t mean much to me.

Contentment: “A state of happiness and satisfaction.” – Lexico

Live your life purpose

You can’t control what happens in your life to 100 %, but you can choose what actions to take.  Know what you want in life.  Make efforts to reach your goals.

To me, living life on my terms has been a first step to living the life that I desire.  There’s still more work to do, but I know I’m doing what I truly want to.  The flexibility of working from home, being my own boss means much to me.

Be mindful

Take the time to live in the moment.  Enjoy the simple joys of life that you already have.  Having ambitions is great as you aim at achieving success.  However, at the same time, do recognize the blessings that you already have.

If you love coffee or tea, then a morning cup of your favourite beverage could arouse feelings of joy and gratefulness.  Enjoy yoga sessions, see your child smiling, or anything else that makes you feel great… naturally.  Just take the time to notice.

Be yourself 

Be your true self, be yourself… simply be who you are.  Embrace yourself, your self-esteem, practice self-love.

Stop comparing yourself to others.  Each one of us is unique.  While abiding by social norms is generally a requirement, you do also have the right to decide for yourself in life.  Avoid the rat race if you feel it’s not for you.

Learn from life

Life throws difficult situations at everyone.  When you go through hard times, make the most of it by learning and improving.  Life lessons are great.  Even though you may dislike or even hate some experiences, see them as an opportunity to grow.  Learn from past mistakes and never repeat them.

Be patient

Be patient and mature.  Life isn’t always easy… that’s the way it is.  When things aren’t as you wish they are, have patience.  Be thankful for the wonderful things that you have.  Things will get better!

When you’re facing hard times, better ones will come again.  You can use undesired experiences to your advantage by reflecting and perhaps realizing that you need to adjust your attitude and behaviour.  Sometimes others are right.  Admitting your fault needs courage.  Only the strong can do it!

Find true friends

When feeling down, make an effort to avoid toxic people.  They don’t have your best interest at heart and only make you feel worse.  Instead, spend your precious time with your true allies.

Boost your happiness hormones 

Stimulate your happiness hormones daily.  Exercise, do cardio, dance… anything that you enjoy.  In the case of social distancing, do take the necessary measures.  Many fitness activities don’t cost much or even anything at all.  

Spending enough time exposed to sunlight can help fight winter blues.  Sunshine brings life to your smile… Keep smiling always!

Conclusion 

To sum up, life is full of surprises… great and less desirable ones.  While you can’t control what life throws at you, you can do your best to cope and be grateful for what you already have.  Value the simple joys of life for long-lasting contentment.  Do you have any tips to share?  If you know someone who needs to read my blog post, please share it.  Thank you!!

Photo/Image courtesy: Canva

Resources:

Definition of contentment

Seasonal affective disorder