Some people spend their whole life searching for happiness. While you may think wealth, power, and fame will make you happy, you may be looking in the wrong place. In fact, all the riches in the world won’t guarantee a happy and fulfilling life. You don’t have to search the globe for happiness because it already exists within you. As Glinda, the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, said, “You’ve always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.” Here are 10 critical rules for living a happy life.
Parents give you life. Only you can give it meaning. Everyone was put on this earth for a reason…what’s yours? Find your purpose and pursue it with gusto. It’ll add bounce to your step, make your heart smile, fill your soul with pride, and be proof positive that you’re making a difference. Remember, when you do something for satisfaction rather than reward, the reward is often the satisfaction of doing it.
Your mindset matters more than you think. You are limited by your thoughts. While some of your thinking is constructive, other times it is detrimental, actively working against you. A poor choice or misjudgment is unintentional, while a poor attitude is a deliberate choice. Look at the bright side, see the good in people, challenge yourself, be grateful, believe in yourself, and have faith. Remember, ability determines if you can; attitude determines if you will.
Put your heart into your relationships. The number-one factor to help you achieve happiness is healthy relationships. But like other desirable things in life, relationships require an investment. Make your relationships a priority. Agree on the big things, put others’ needs ahead of your own, nurture trust, say what’s on your mind, meet in the middle, keep your promises, show appreciation, share and share alike, and never win at the expense of the relationship. Remember, invest in relationships to avoid the time repairing them.
Value memories rather than things. Some people assume that accumulating material wealth automatically leads to happiness, but nothing can be further from the truth. Keeping up with the Joneses places artificial demands on you that undermine your happiness. These demands force you to work harder and harder to cross a finish line that keeps moving. Remember, material possessions get old and wear out. Memories last forever.
Treasure what’s really important. There is a tendency to cherish physical goods and undervalue things that can’t be easily measured. How much do you value trust, honor, love, dignity, and commitment? If you don’t hold these treasures in high regard, you may ignore, neglect, or take them for granted. Remember, it’s so easy to lose sight of the things you can’t see.
Be grateful and give thanks. Take inventory of the wonderful things in your life and don’t forget to give thanks. If you appreciate what you have, you’ll never want for more. Moreover, when you take people or things for granted, you put them in jeopardy. Remember, appreciate what you have, while you have it, or you’ll learn what it meant to you after you lose it.
Do what’s right rather than what’s convenient. Knowing what’s right isn’t as important as doing what’s right. Do what’s right, not out of fear of getting caught, but because integrity matters. Karma is like a boomerang. I hope you have many happy returns. Remember, you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life.
Reach for the stars, but remain grounded. When you believe something’s possible and you set your sights firmly on the prize, you’ve taken the first big step in making it a reality. On the other hand, when you believe you can’t, you won’t. So reach for the stars. Others can stop you for a moment. Only you can stop yourself for good. Remember, it’s amazing what you can do when you don’t know you can’t!
Make every moment matter. Live every day to the fullest rather than reliving the past or worrying about the future. The fact is, precious moments pass in the blink of an eye. And once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. Remember, life is like playing musical chairs — you never know when the music will stop.
Do yourself proud. What does it mean to be a trusted friend, to raise good kids, to be a thoughtful neighbor or an exemplary role model? Your life will be determined by the choices that you make. You set your course, make the difficult choices, determine what you’re willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals, and act accordingly. Own your life! After all, personal responsibility can’t be delegated. Remember, if you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, don’t blame the mirror.
Are You Living a Happy Life?
Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.
Additional Reading:
Great Things Start with Great Expectations
6 Ways You Know You Need A Course Correction
Are You Grateful?
Moments Lost
Some of Life’s Greatest Treasures Are Immeasurable
Prosperity Isn’t About Money
Mental Barriers: What’s Holding You Back?
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These ten (10) points hit the spot. I embrace them as individual points and collectively.
A welcome change from the repeated drama of what is or is not happening in the world to us and encouraging on multiple levels.
Thank you,
Greg
Thanks Greg. I’m glad you like it.
Please share it with someone who can benefit from the information 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank
Hi Frank,
Thanks for the post. I think this is a good reminder of baseline character traits to stay vigilant with during a crisis and be a good person. Might I add an 11th or tie for tenth and that is simply to “be nice”. I Enjoy your posts.
Thanks
Don
Great addition, Don 🙂
Being nice is so easy, yet some folks make it seem hard. In reality, being kind is a mindset more than an activity — you put others first rather than making everything about yourself.
If you think we need more kindness in the world, you’re not alone. But compassion isn’t something that you can demand or shame others into giving; the best way to encourage kindness is to lead by example.
The possibilities are endless. As Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank
Hello Frank
How beautifully and gracefully you have written about life.
The moment i read it , it felt like i’m gonna start re-living my life all over again.
My heart is filled with gratitude , so much love you have shown towards living life, i literally feel like a child in a candy shop – so much happiness ,I am just Smiling to myself continuously.
Thank you for making me Smile all over again.
Love to you
stay safe
Dolienn
ps: came across your blog, just when i thought of creating my own blog.
Thanks so much, Dolienn. I’m so glad you like it 🙂
You made my heart smile.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank
FRANK éstas reglas críticas contienen en parte lo que en la segunda década del siglo XXI se llaman HABILIDADES BLANDAS del ser humano, en un mundo que se está automatizando a pasos agigantados, por razones de productividad mayor en TIEMPO Y DINERO. Un ROBOT funciona mejor con datos y hechos estructurados para conseguir una función definida y personal. Los datos y hechos no estructurados son más de creatividad, acción y servicio a los demás, HABILIDADES BLANDAS mejor desempeñadas por el ser humano.
MARIO VALENCIA
Hi Mario
I honestly can’t predict what robots and AI will or won’t do one day, but I’m certain that soft skills will continue to rule the day.
There is a tendency to believe that if something cannot be quantified, it does not exist. It brings to mind the question associated with Bishop George Berkeley, an early 18th-century British philosopher: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound?
The Industrial Age brought us products such as cars, heavy farm equipment, refrigerators, washing machines, and computers—equipment that could be seen and touched. In contrast, the Information Age is characterized by intangibles—those resources that involve the intellect and the ability to gather, analyze, transmit, and synthesize information. Other examples of soft skills include: trust, love, honor, and commitment.
The danger is, if we don’t hold these treasures in high regard, we may ignore, neglect, or take them for granted. That’s a steep price to pay.
Soft issues are all very like the tree that falls in a forest. If we don’t believe that there was a sound, maybe it’s time to get our hearing checked.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank
Mr. Sonnenberg,
I am doing a speech in my middle school class about the best rule to live by in life. Through this article, I have already gotten lots of ideas about the best rule. All of the rules that you put have a lot of meaning, and I see that you’ve put much work into this article/blog. I think you would make for an awesome 21st Century Philosopher.
Thank you very much for your insight.
PS. Did/Do you study philosophy?
Hi Chioma
Thank you for your kind words.
I’ve given this topic a lot of thought. My goal in this blog is to pass things that I’ve learned to folks like yourself. I’m so glad that you found it helpful.
Good luck with your speech 🙂
Best,
Frank
PS I studied business in school.
Frank, this post is a good reminder to be intentional about enjoying life. The marketers do a good job trying to motivate us with material things so it’s nice to be reminded about what’s truly important. Thanks for putting it together!
My pleasure Austin 🙂
The truth is, money can’t buy everything. For example, money can’t buy peace of mind, good friends, a close-knit family, work-life balance, a worry-free day, good karma, time to relax, good health, a golden anniversary, quality time with your kids, a new beginning, natural beauty, happy memories, to name just a few.
Many people are actually poor because the only thing they have is money.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank