Life doesn’t come with instructions. Nobody gives us a manual when we are born. Instead, we have to navigate the trenches of the unknown and try to explore the experiences with an open heart and a courageous attitude. But what happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? Do not stop reading because you will find below some lessons that happy people have learned to overcome the typical impediments that sometimes plague us all and do not allow us to forge a really happy life.
To be a happy person or not to be?
Being happy forever and walking in calm waters is only for privileged or super happy people? Not at all. Even people who seem to exude joy were born with the same lack of instructions as everyone else.
In some cases, the happiest people in the world have been through the most difficult circumstances. So how is it that you can effortlessly access inner peace and pass through difficult gaps in life with grace and ease?
What all happy people have in common is the ability to see life situations as opportunities for growth.
We are always changing and shaping the person we can ultimately be. But happy people seem to learn the lessons of life and practice every day.
7 lessons happy people have already learned
Trust that the tough times in your life can ultimately prepare you for a deeper understanding of who you really are. If you want to be happy, you can learn these seven life lessons that happy people have already solved.
1. It is not what you have, it is what you do with what you have, what matters
The extra weight on your body, the nose you want to change or the size of your thighs are insignificant aspects of who you are and what you are capable of achieving. When we obsess over things we hate – about situations or ourselves – we have no room to focus on new opportunities.
Happy people know that complaining about what you don’t like will prevent you from embracing life fully. Put aside your insecurities and self-criticism. Learn to see yourself in the same way as the people who love you.
2. I know where you are, not where you think you should be
Many of us run around trying to catch up with the future version we see in the mirage of what “must be.” This constant thirst for something more prevents us from being fully in the moment “that should be” that is this moment.
If you are waiting for more, you are missing the rich layers of potential in the present. Do not wait any longer for something that is not this and understand that you are exactly where you need to be to get where you want to be. Acceptance of this moment is the key.
3. Everything and everyone has their own time and place
People, jobs, even the places we live have expiration dates. The happiest people seem to understand the power of surrender that comes with the art of letting go . Human beings have stations of the soul, just like nature. We can take advantage of the changes and recognize that letting go is not saying goodbye, but simply a new beginning with fresh awareness and a new perspective.
4. Resistance is a form of self-sabotage
Stop trying to make it what it isn’t. Just accept what it is. The partner who doesn’t do what you want. The work that you feel sucks your soul. The kind of body you can’t seem to get. These are all forms of resistance. The refusal to see things as they are masking the truth with candy-coated lies is a direct path to unhappiness. Instead of trying to change things, people or places, let them be.
5. You will see what you believe
We’ve all heard: “When I see it, I’ll believe it.” But the happiest people in the word have already discovered that believing is the mandatory first stop. Every game-changing revolutionary believed in his vision long enough before he saw it come to fruition.
Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs and Gandhi, are all people who believed with every cell of their body, in their vision. What is your deepest goal and desire? Your only mission is to dive so deep that the belief that it is possible comes out of your pores.
6. Fear of the unknown is a by-product of the solution
Many of us hang our hats (even unconsciously) on the fact that the future can be daunting, especially if we don’t have a clear plan. If you want to quit the job you hate, get out of a heavy relationship, change direction in life, it can bring our deepest fear of the unknown.
But happy people have learned that fear of the unknown is actually a subtle by-product of the solution, and they play it safe. Every happy person has felt the same fear, but courageously with a step forward into the unknown. Then they quickly realized how peaceful and joyous the journey can be. Remember, fear is always worse in our heads. Once you take a step forward, the fear will disappear.
7. You fit the way you are
Most happy people have learned that true happiness is not about trying to fit in with the world, but about realizing that we all fit in like we do. Instead of trying to change, manipulate, or force yourself into outer ideals, practice self-love and acceptance. When you can trust yourself and be present with where you are right now, you will feel the ultimate expression of freedom.