Cultivating Happiness

I stumbled upon this list of ways to cultivate your happiness by A. Irvin via Chrysalides. Happiness can be found everywhere. You don't need to look far to find it. It's up to us whether we can make something happy for us or not. 

50 Ways To Start Cultivating Happiness Today

Oct15

SELF

1. Learn about yourself through introspection.
2. Define your core values and beliefs.
3. Define your own purpose and direction.
4. Love, value, and forgive yourself.
5. Prioritize self-care (get enough sleep, healthy diet, relaxation, etc.).
6. Live authentically.

RELATIONSHIPS

7. Cultivate positive, supportive, and reciprocating relationships.
8. Create healthy boundaries.
9. Teach others how to treat you by loving and respecting yourself.
10. Know the difference between dependence, independence, and interdependence.
11. Seek relationships that cause your world to expand (your world should not feel smaller).
12. Spend more time with inspiring people (and less time with negative people).
13. Be inspiring to others.
14. Don’t internalize or spread contagious negativity.
15. Learn to ask for help, when needed.

ENVIRONMENT

16. Simplify/organize your surroundings (get rid of excess).
17. Design/create a personal sanctuary.
18. Furnish your environment with inspiring materials (books, art, music, etc.)
19. Enjoy a pet.

EXPERIENCES

20. Be willing to learn and experience new things.
21. Develop your creative skills and talents.
22. Prioritize and schedule self-nurturing activities (pampering, self-care).
23. Volunteer for a social cause.
24. Seek peak experiences.
25. Don’t wait for someday (start enjoying life today).

EMOTIONS

26. Resist pessimistic thinking.
27. Keep things in perspective.
28. Accept that you can only control yourself and your own reactions.
29. Don’t sweat the small stuff and choose your battles.
30. Focus on the present (let go of the past, don’t worry about the future).
31. Smile more.
32. Increase your opportunities to share humor.
33. Don’t allow negative moments to snowball (learn to bounce back quicker)

STRIVINGS

34. Seek improvement over perfection.
35. Challenge your self-limiting beliefs (you can achieve more than you think)
36. Pursue meaningful goals.
37. Find what you love to do and make it your life’s work.
38. Redefine your beliefs about success (don’t confuse material acquisitions with success).
39. Appreciate/celebrate your accomplishments and personal milestones.
40. Give yourself permission to change your mind or direction when something isn’t working.
41. Remember to enjoy the journey as much as the ultimate destination.

CENTEREDNESS

42. Know that peace, love, and happiness are all generated from within.
43. Learn to channel your awareness and attention (where your attention goes, energy flows).
44. Learn to re-center and replenish using relaxation or meditation techniques.
45. Recognize discomfort and boredom as a cues for change (versus distress)
46. Seek fluidity over rigidity (become less resistant to change).
47. Seek moments of solitude.
48. When things change, embrace the new normal.
49. Be thankful for what you have now, and live within your means.
50. Practice gratitude.

(article via angelairvin.com - image via: weheartit)