Happiness is a beautiful thing. This blog article features 10 ways to promote happiness right now. I’m no expert; I’m pretty much an armchair philosopher. But I do have plenty of thoughts about happiness, and I love to discuss the subject. With that in mind, this happy little list just might brighten your day, add color to your world, and inspire you to soak up the goodness surrounding you.

Like everyone else, I’ve experienced fantastic happiness, as well as bitter unhappiness. We can’t always be happy. But I prefer happiness. Obviously. 🙂 That’s why I’ve given the subject a lot of thought. I believe the recipe for happiness is unique for each individual. I’ve developed my own unscientific, yet effective, strategies for staying as happy as possible. They work well for me! And I hope they will add happiness to your days too. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Friendly Universe

It helps tremendously to assume that the universe wants you to be happy, successful, and satisfied. This concept is powerful. It’s a paradox. While not everything in the universe is friendly, and some things are truly terrible, I truly believe the universe itself is friendly. It seems goodness, truth, and beauty generally rule reality, when the consider the countless things that are going right. Even Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists in history, believed in a friendly universe. He said: “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.” My favorite astrologer, Rob Breszny, agrees. He says: “The whole world is conspiring to shower you with blessings.” It’s a comforting thought. Accepting the universe as friendly allows us to best cooperate with it. 

2. Love and Trust 

The most powerful force in existence is love, in my opinion. Love of all good things: life, people, the universe, yourself, everything. It’s helpful to love even the bad things; it dilutes their power. Love is transformative and makes life worth living. Hand-in-hand with love is trust. Have trust, or faith, that love will win the day and the long game too. Extend trust and be trustworthy. It’s relaxing and freeing.

3. Prioritize Sleep 

Take extremely good care of yourself physically. Start with plentiful sleep. The whole world looks like a brighter place after a long, restorative night of sleep. If you don’t sleep well, do everything you can to improve your slumber. With adequate sleep, you’ll stay healthier, think clearer, feel happier, and likely live longer. Make sleep a high priority.

4. Focus Flourishes

Pay attention to what’s going right in your life. Tend to the good things, and they will likely multiply. Life is complicated. It’s full of good and not-so-good things, with both require thought. But as for your primary focus in life, do yourself a favor and pay close attention to those things that make you happy, fulfilled, and glad to be alive.

5. Maximize Strengths 

Recognize the areas in life at which you are really talented. Everyone has talents and strengths. Discover yours and emphasize them. The world needs your unique gifts, and it feels fantastic to do what you are designed to do best. I highly recommend the book StrengthsFinder by Tom Rath. This Gallup research-based book describes 34 possible strengths in detail. It includes an online test which reveals your top 5 strengths.

6. Present Moment

Now is the most important time to feel happy. The present moment is the perfect time to enjoy life, live your highest values, and plant seeds for the future. So it’s good to recognize the gravitas of the present moment. The better you live today, the better your future will be. As John A. Schindler says in the book How to Live 365 Days a Year: “The best insurance for a satisfactory future is to handle the present moment well.”

7. Recognize Magic 

Life is overflowing with everyday magic. Sometimes life is absolutely fabulous, seeming almost too-good-to-be-true. But sometimes the magic is subtle. As in, we have a world full of amenities, bodies perfectly designed for the human experience, and happy serendipities are commonplace. Existence itself seems so improbable, but here we are. It’s an absolute miracle, and we are all part of the magic. Spending time in nature is a great way to get in touch with the magic and promote happiness.

8. Extreme Gratitude

This might be the best way to feel happiness right now. Let yourself feel extreme gratitude for all the wonderful things in your life, big and small. Your family and friends. Your hot cup of coffee and warm shower. Your ability to solve difficult problems and see the humor in situations. There are an infinite number of things to be grateful for. Make a habit of counting your blessings. Sunshine, hot tubs, champagne, good books, opportunities for self-expression, the beauty of nature…

9. Nurture Relationships

The people in our lives are so very important. Relationships with family, friends, and colleagues are quite possibly the best part of life. They add tremendous meaning and satisfaction. Nurturing your relationships can add to your happiness in a big way. So enjoy good times, have great conversations, give abundantly, and let people know you care. Fill up the lives of your loved ones with good things.

10. Personal Responsibility

Thankfully, we usually have some control over our own happiness. This reality is empowering. It can be helpful to renew your commitment to take personal responsibility for your life. You are in the driver’s seat. Even so, be persistent in the things that are important to you, be good to extremely yourself, and love yourself tons. Paradoxically, we don’t have control over everything, so sometimes it’s best to just let go and trust everything will be okay.

So those are 10 of my best tricks for staying happy. They work well for me. Hopefully my ideas benefit you too. I recognize that each person has their own unique happiness formula. It’s great to have a tool box full of effective strategies to promote happiness.

The Conversation Continues on Facebook Live

This happiness list will come to life in an upcoming Facebook Live event. I’m Sarah Craig, a personal development blogger at ThoughtsOnTheGoodLife.com. On FB Live, I’ll be joining Dr. Teralyn Sell, who will add to my list and bring the expertise to this conversation. She has a PhD in addiction psychology, and her dissertation was on happiness and life satisfaction. She’s also a licensed professional counselor. The Facebook Live event “10 Ways to Promote Happiness Right Now” will be on Monday, September 17th, 2018 at 5pm PT / 7pm ET. You can sign up here.

UPDATE – Here’s the replay:

Moving forward, I wish you satisfaction, success, and lots and lots of happiness. 🙂

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MEET DR. TERALYN, PhD

Licensed Therapist, Brain Health Coach, Author & National Podcast Host

HELPING YOU THROUGH THE SH!T THAT SCARES YOU!

For over 20 years, Dr. Teralyn Sell PhD has been helping individuals and families overcome life’s obstacles – big and small – through her innovative and ever-evolving approach to overall brain health and emotional well-being. Through counseling, coaching and targeted neuro-nutrient therapy (Hey, the brain’s a physical organ too, after all!), she helps women tackle the all-too-common symptoms of trying to be everything to everybody (anxiety, depression, constant stress, feelings of inadequacy… sound familiar?) and transform those overwhelming feelings into self-assurance, satisfaction and near-fearlessness. In other words, releasing that confident and beautiful badass that lies within!

Beyond her fancy degrees and certifications in the areas of Psychology, Counseling and Neuro-nutrition, Dr. Teralyn brings her personal life experience into the coaching arena; helping you through the sh!t that scares you…because she’s been where you are. She knows the crippling pressures of trying to balance marriage and children with career goals and the world outside, in general, all the while taking on a sense of personal responsibility for everyone’s health and happiness. But she also knows the freedom and joy that exist on the other side of things, because she’s made that journey herself.

Dr. Teralyn is NOT a believer in just throwing a prescription at the problem – which seems to be the blanket “solution” to stress, anxiety and depression in our current society. She instead encourages a holistic approach to overall wellness, which results in lasting change, a healthier state of being, and a happier and more empowered you.

In addition to being a Licensed Therapist, Coach and Counselor, Dr. Teralyn is also an author of the book “Kick Off Your Damn Heels!” How to Quit Anxiety and Live a Badass Life. She is the co-host of the edgy and inspiring national podcast series, Unpause Your Life, which delivers real-life advice on real-world issues that people of all walks of life struggle with every day.

Website: www.DrTeralyn.com

Podcast: www.unpauseyourlife.com

Next Week: Work on My Book for an Hour per Day – 30-Day Personal Challenge Wrap-Up