One of the most powerful principles I’ve learned is that we can choose to be Happy. Happiness isn’t something out there that only a few people can experience. Happiness is a Choice we all make on a daily basis. We are in complete control of if and when we are going to be happy.
Is it really that simple?
Yes, and it’s a lot more simpler than you think. We just have to know a few tricks. Once we learn the tricks to being happy then all we have to do is use them in our day to day lives. Read on and learn that Happiness is a Choice.
You don’t have to live a life of sadness but it will cost you something.
Choose to Be Happy in 21 Days
Days 1-3 Decide you are going to be happy. (Mindset)
Days 4-6- Start to put change your relationships
Days 7-9- Begin New Habits
Days 10-12- Look at that Job
Days 13-15- Time to Change Your Surroundings
Days 16-18- Remind Yourself that this is Worth It
Days 19-21- Time
Days 1-3
Decide you are going to be happy. (Mindset)
In order for us to be happy in life we must make a conscious decision to be happy. On day one you must come to terms with where you're at right now. If you are a person that has been tormented by thoughts that are not positive, maybe you're a negative Nelly or you're always looking on and you're never looking at the bright side of things then today you must decide that you're going to be happy. It's all about mindset. If you want to be a track athlete or you want to be a good Carpenter then you have to start thinking like one. Today, decide that for the rest of your life you are going to be a happy person. refuse and make this make your mind up that you will refuse to be unhappy.
Days 4-6
Change your relationships
Relationships are crucial and an intricate part of our life. They also can be the most devastating part of our life. beginning today put together a list of all the people who are closest to you. give them a scale put them on a scale of 1 to 10 one being the best and 10 being the worst person for you. this is going to be hard but you've got to start changing the relationships you have. This might mean people you've known for years or people you just met recently. but if these people do not contribute to your overall happiness it's time to cut them loose. you don't have to be a jerk about it you don't have to be negative about it or try to make people feel bad all you have to do is begin to not see them as much and if they ask then you might have to actually tell them that you've decided to go in a different direction as far as friendships go. remember this is nothing personal it's personal about you. Your happiness is the most important thing and if it means getting rid of toxic relationships then that's what you need to do.
Days 7-9
Begin New Habits
We are all the end results of habits we've developed over many many years. Many of those habits have been negative and caused our unhappiness. Over the last few weeks you have begun the process of being a happy person and yet you might be doing the same things that have caused your unhappiness. Today it is time to get rid of those old habits and to begin new ones. What makes you happy, what makes you smile, these are questions you will have to answer individually because over the next few weeks you'll be practicing those. These aren't questions we can answer here because they're all very individual. the thing that makes you happy may not be the same thing that makes everyone else happy you'll have to begin to develop these new habits on your own. One thing we can all be sure of is that you should start to do these on a regular basis and don't stop because of feeling that they're silly or dumb they are your habits and they are things that you like to do.
Days 10-12
Look at that Job
We all have to make a living. Some of us make great money but we're in jobs or in professions that just make us miserable. time to consider a vocation change or maybe the location of your job. don't worry about the money a wise saying says what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul. You can put it another way: what does it profit a man to make all the money in the world and hate what he's doing? It's better for you to love what you do and be happy than it is for you to make a great living. you will do much more work when you are doing something that you love and you'll be a better person to be around. So today it may be time for you to begin looking for another job. We would not suggest that you just go ahead and quit your job until you find that new one but give yourself a time limit say that you're going to transition out of your old job in let's say 2 weeks or 6 weeks either way you must give yourself a deadline and stick to it.
Days 13-15
Time to Change Your Surroundings
One of the hardest things that we all face is how to control our environment. If you're living in an environment where it is depressing then the easiest thing for you to do is to spruce it up. If it is where you live then once again do everything you can to move from that environment. everything that you take in visually the things that you hear can all be changed but you are it will take concerted focused effort by you to do it. don't stand for being a victim, be proactive and stand up for what you believe is right. Create an environment that makes you happy.
Days 16-18
Remind Yourself that this is Worth It
If you have ever begun a weight loss routine or begun to lift weights in an effort to put on muscle at some point you have to question why you are doing what you're doing. Becoming a happy person is the same thing. You might ask yourself after 10 days or “so boy I've lost all of my friends and I'm in a new place in life, a place that's unfamiliar to me”.
It's at this time that you need to remind yourself why you are doing what you're doing. You were unhappy and now you want to be happy, repeat to yourself and remind yourself that you are doing all of this because you are worth it. You are worth losing toxic friends, changing your environment, putting on new habits, whatever you've done up to this point, you are worth it. and the end result will be that you will be a much happier person.
So don't look back on your relationships and the things that are now no longer a part of your life as losses, look at them as needed things that had to go. You are worth anything you have to do in order to be happy.
Days 19-21
Time
Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to build new habits. Over the last three weeks you have exercised your free will to create an environment where you will be happy. You've gotten rid of toxic friends, you've created new habits for yourself, you've exercised your ability to actually be happy. Now it's all about time.
The longer you continue to practice being a happy person, a person who does the things that make them feel good and reinforces that by being in an environment that helps them be happy, the more likely you are to continue to be a happy person. but remember that happiness isn't only about your environment, but it's also about you giving back and giving of yourself to other people.
Just be careful to not get back into the same mess that you were in before. Now you have the tools that it takes to choose what things that you will get involved with. If at any point during this process of giving back to your community you see the old you coming back out again or you see relationships forming that you know are not going to be prosperous and positive for you, then don't hesitate in putting the brakes on it.
Happiness is something that we all seek in our lives and we are much better people to be around if we are a person who feels better about who we are. Practice happiness and you will make the world a better place.
Sherman Ray, Publisher of Black Success Magazine