Take these small steps to create a happier life

Everyone imagines that we’re happiest and most attractive when we’re young. But in fact, older people are far more content.
That’s because happiness is a lot more complex than it seems. So the most beautiful people are no happier than those who aren’t, gender and education makes no difference, and once you’ve enough to keep the body and soul together, a higher income doesn’t help either.
So people whose only priority is getting rich are generally far less happy than those whose focus is their friends and family.
Most of us also experience events that cause us great misery for a time such as bereavement, divorce or serious ill health. And the government can make a big difference.
Because people are happiest in countries with good civil rights and a stable democracy, while unemployment and insecurity are deeply distressing. And yet many people are genuinely happy even when life gets really tough.
That’s because happiness is actually something you choose. It’s a state of mind.
So you’ll start to feel happier if you deliberately count your blessings rather than focusing on what you don’t have, consciously accept yourself just the way you are, and appreciate the people who love you.
Because the secret of real happiness is simple. Avoid dwelling on money and possessions, and instead focus on how you approach life.
FIND MEANING
Even better, as you become happier, things begin to happen to make you feel happier still.
Because when you’re happy, you tend to smile more and be less self-focused. You feel good about yourself and your life, become more outgoing and self-assured, and feel confident that others will like you too.
And people like being with someone like that. So you’re more likely to get married, find good jobs, make new friends, and be more involved with others. All of which will make you happier still.
Happy people also tend to feel in control of their lives, and as a result achieve more and cope better with stress.
Being punctual and efficient makes you happier because establishing deadlines and meeting them makes you feel confident and in control. People who procrastinate, turn up late and use their time badly tend to be less happy.
You’ll also be happier if you help others. For example, by working on a cause larger than yourself. Because people who work on a good cause usually discover that their voluntary work gradually becomes a huge source of fulfilment and satisfaction.
That’s because happiness doesn’t just involve pleasure, it also has to involve meaning. Brain scans also confirm that helping others is rewarding because the parts of the brain that light up when we think kind thoughts are the same ones that are normally associated with selfish pleasures like eating or sex.
Which suggests that we’re hard-wired to be public-spirited. Helping others may be as fundamental for human happiness as the food we eat.



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