"How To Develop The Habit Of Happiness"

By Randy Gilbert

I've seen a lot of the world and from what I can tell, "people are the same everywhere." We all want and need happiness in our lives. We long for the feelings of contentment and well-being.

In one of my courses I make a bold promise to "double your happiness." Although I've been warned not to make claims that people find hard to believe (even if they're true) there are definite strategies that I've used with great success.

You are in complete control of your level of happiness. I'm not the only one who believes that way. In fact Abraham Lincoln said, "A man can be just about as happy as he makes up his mind to be."

According to Dr. Martin Seligman, a respected psychologist and author of "Authentic Happiness," your level of happiness is a combination of three things: your innate level (your set range), the situation your in (your circumstances), and your voluntary control. The third factor is most important, because it proves scientifically that you can increase your level of happiness by our own thoughts and actions.

Seligman says you can "voluntary control" your level of happiness and set it higher by three major factors: gratitude, forgiveness, and living your calling. This might not sound profound, but it is powerful when you learn how to think and act differently.

** How Happy Do You Want To Be? **

By being proactive you can be as happy as you choose. The following three strategies have worked for me and I'm confident they will work for you too as you make them a part of your life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have an Attitude of Gratitude ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I believe having an attitude of gratitude is the first habit that everyone who wishes to enjoy success and abundance should acquire. It is simple and easy and very effective. There isn't any situation that is so bad that there isn't something to be thankful for.

You can form this wonderful habit by thinking of things you are grateful for and then either writing them down or expressing them out loud, or both. It can be as simple as making a list of the things that gave you a lift throughout the day. A gratitude journal is a great way for documenting the good things that happen to you, including your accomplishments.

Many people experience the good feelings of gratitude once a year during the Thanksgiving Holiday. But good feelings of optimism will grow to a lasting contentment as you make being thankful a part of your daily routine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forgive Yourself and Others ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The act of forgiveness is incredibly powerful. Many people don't realize how much they stand to lose by not forgiving, and how much to gain by setting themselves and other free. It's a gift that when bestowed, keeps on giving and giving back.

The strategy I learned is to list people who I've felt had hurt me or disappointed me in some way and then to intentional acknowledge that they did the best they could with the knowledge they had at that time.

It's best to start with people who are close to you. Don't let misunderstandings of the past chain you in mediocrity and keep you from achieving your dreams. It might be a difficult lesson, but you have absolutely nothing to gain by not forgiving.

The habit of forgiveness can be formed by daily acknowledging that you have done your best and so have others. Then work on eliminating the "should haves" in your life. They are negative judgments that almost always form negative feelings and unhappiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Live Your Calling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The happiest people I've ever met are those who are doing the things they love doing. When you have the confidence of doing what you were destined to do you will gain a power to overcome life's problems.

James Michener said, "For this is the journey that men make: to find themselves. If they fail in this, it doesn't matter much what else they find."

You have built-in strengths and when you focus on improving them you will gain a feeling of being in sync with life. You will find happiness by helping others to find happiness and you will do that best by doing what you love to do.

You can proactively increase your happiness by being thankful, forgiving yourself and others, and by living your calling. Follow these strategies and you will increase your happiness (yes, even double it). None of these strategies cost any money and they are worth more than what gold can purchase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Randy Gilbert is the best-selling author of "Success Bound: Breaking Free of Mediocrity" http://www.Success-Bound.com Co-host of "The Inside Success Show" the fastest growing success talk show. http://www.TheInsideSuccessShow.com Creator of "Proactive Success: The Amazing NEW Science Of Personal Achievement" http://www.DrProactive.com Get his free newsletter: ProactiveSuccess@postmaster-email.com Copyright 2002 Randy Gilbert. All rights reserved. Feel free to pass the above in its entirety to anyone you wish. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~