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Don't settle for unhappiness!
By Debra Smouse — Written on Dec 23, 2019
Being happy can feel like a struggle — and sometimes you just forget to look for joy around you altogether.
But instead of looking elsewhere on your pursuit of happiness, you need to know how to find wants to be happier every day and learn to love the little things in life. And that comes from one source only: You.
No matter who you are, there are going to be days (or weeks or months) where life kinda stinks and love and happiness are nowhere in sight. In the back of your mind is that you just want to be happy.
Yet, if you were to be honest, you’d settle for things being even just a little bit better.
Though it won’t solve things overnight, what if I told you the trick was to go in with the attitude to live to love your life?
It’s so easy to let a bad day become a series of days where you walk around grumpy and irritated.
However, the secret the being less grouchy and finding some solace in your daily life is to change your mindset, not your life. Because, of course, you only have one life, right?
You may as well go in with the attitude to feel happy. Right?
You might be asking: what is the meaning of "Love the life you live," anyway?
It was Bob Marley who said, "Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” But that doesn’t mean you need to play reggae and go to Jamaica to be happy.
Rather, what the phrase “Love the life you live” means to find the beauty in your life rather than judging it against the lives of others.
While I believe that you can use envy to open your eyes to what you really desire, what’s more important is that you stop believing that others have a better life than you.
So, if you can remind yourself of this as a mantra: Love the life you live and live the life you love, you’ll find it can help shift your attitude and your thinking.
Your thoughts help create your reality.
The question here arises how to live to love your life? Let’s discuss some main things which will clear your thoughts regarding this question!
Here are 6 ways to be a little bit happier each and every day.
1. Have a positive attitude
This doesn't mean you don't have down times. Life is not a bed of roses. Here the difficulties come and go which you have to deal appropriately.
The best way to spend a remarkable experience is to develop positivity and acceptance in you.
Whatever is going on, always think that the better times will come soon after all this. The positivity in thoughts and actions can resolve many problems in life. Try to look good in things and people while making concrete plans for the future. It will have a fantastic effect on yourself as well as the people around you.
Besides, a positive attitude will always lead to days when you feel less cranky.
2. Focus on the present, rather than the past
Living in the present time is essential, as it is the most precious time of your life. The people and moments you have in the current time may disappear in the future.
Often, you stress yourself out by ruminating over the past. You cannot change the past. So, when you choose to live to love your life as it is now, it opens the path to being, if not ecstatic, at least a little happier.
Taking lessons from past mistakes is good, but don’t lament on them. Start loving your life by living in a moment and enjoying what you have.
3. Love yourself unconditionally
Loving yourself will always go a long way toward being happier. Because when you love yourself as you are, it allows you to better connect to what you want in life from a space of awareness, not self-judgment.
While I know it’s not always easy to dismiss your inner critic, befriending her will go a long way toward loving yourself.
4. Learn to accept change
Often you delay decisions because you want to be certain and make a perfect choice. But nothing in life is ever a guarantee.
And this is only one of the reasons you rail against change. Sometimes, you become dissatisfied with life because you feel as if you’ve lost the sweet spot of your “glory days.” It can be challenging to experience happiness when you're disappointed that your life has changed.
But let’s get real: Life is always going to change. And despite wishing things could always stay the same, it’s impossible.
When you take the attitude to live to love your life, it helps remind you that nothing is certain, life will always be changing, and that is key to being happier.
5. Go for a walk
One of my go-to subscriptions for a grumpy day is to hit the pavement. Whether you are a runner or a walker, there is something especially grounding about heading out for a walk.
One, you expose yourself to nature, and two, it will help you feel better. Researchers found patients healed a day faster simply by seeing nature outside of their hospital window.
Regular time in nature will help you recharge and heal your body. And your attitude. There’s something almost magical about putting the excess negative energy from your body into the earth to absorb it.
6. Make gratitude a practice
A gratitude practice has been shown to help you form new (positive) pathways in your mind. And if you want to live to love your life, then beginning a gratitude practice will definitely help you change your attitude.
Begin first with spending only five minutes a day on gratitude. You can keep it super simple, either in a small notebook or even a stack of index cards. Simply write down three to five things you’re grateful for each day. And, over time, you’ll see the magic in the process.
I’m the first to admit that even when you want to live to love your life, you will have a bad day. That’s because you’re human.
The key to being a little happier, though, is to not allow a grumpy day to turn into a series of bad days. And while life will never be all light, love, and flowers every moment, a change in attitude is more helpful than it seems on the surface.
Because what you’ll discover is that a little bit happier today goes a long way toward a life of grumpiness or a life of joy.
More for You:
Debra Smouse is a life coach and author who has been published in Time, Huffington Post, MSN, Psychology Today, and more. She knows that the path to loving your life begins with an uncluttered mind. Snag a free workbook with life hacks on how to love your life.
This article was originally published at Debra Smouse. Reprinted with permission from the author.