Keith JonesAugust 17, 2016

There are a few things you can do daily to be happy almost every day. The first thing is to realize that being happy is a choice. Some people disagree. As a result they are a victim of their circumstance or the situation. If that were true, how do you explain why some people being happy under the same circumstances or similar situations? It’s because happy people recognize they can choose how they feel regardless of how life shows up. This truth was a game changer for me. Instead of arguing against it, I found it to be empowering.

The ability to choose how I feel meant I was no longer at the mercy of what people said or did, whether the stock market was up or down or if things went my way that day. Instead of outcomes determining how I felt, I could choose what emotion I wanted to experience. And since there is no greater one than being happy and unconditionally loving, I set out to learn how to manifest both in my life every day. Incidentally, choosing to be happy is an act of unconditional self-love.

Many years ago someone told me to keep a gratitude journal. They said, “By daily listing all the things you’re thankful for, you bring your focus to all the gifts in your life rather than what’s wrong or what’s missing.” They were right. We attract what we think about most. If you think about negative things and negative people, more negativity shows up in your life. However, if you embrace the beauty in the world the see the good in others, you attract these into your space. Since I began this practice, great things are happening in my life and I’m surrounded by amazing people.

Being happy takes commitment and practice. With the demands from work and family on your time, it can be challenging to work on yourself. And with distractions all around us, it’s easy to lose focus on the benefits of personal growth. Believe me, I get it. But if you want to be happy all the time or almost all of the time, it’s worth the investment to put in the work to make it a reality in your life. One of the keys to choosing being happy as the standard for your life is to put daily rituals in place. For example, my physical health and emotional state are super important to me. I know the best way to guarantee I work on both each day is to exercise every morning. Why the morning? Because, the chances of anything preventing me from working out in the morning are nil to none. Whereas, if I schedule a workout for lunch time or after work, a crowded gym, a meeting that runs long, a family commitment or rush hour traffic can throw a monkey wrench in those plans. With a morning workout, those things don’t get in the way. By starting my day off with a training session, I get stronger and give myself a boost of happiness that will last all day. The same is true of including an inspirational podcast or video in your morning. Before you read your emails or check Facebook, listen to Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra or Brian Johnson. These inspiring individuals will elevate your mood and make you mentally and emotionally stronger for the day ahead. They’ve made a huge difference in my life.

Lastly, you deserve to be happy. Understand that you are the only person who can create this for yourself. So please don’t blame anyone else if you are unhappy or depend on others for happiness. Wayne Dyer sums it up nicely. “The key difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people have an ability to really recall the good in their day, lives. Unsuccessful people focus/recall the not so good and are often depressed.” Choose to be happy.

Stronger Mindset!

Keith