People tend to find happiness by making the outer looks more appealing and appraising, winning an argument, earning lots of money, sex, food, gamble, shopping, excessive use of alcohol and other drugs, and various materialistic possessions. You become happy but these kinds of happiness don’t last long. The long lasting and true happiness comes from our inner-self because you become what you think. So, to be truly happy, you need to follow the seven things.
1. Watch your thoughts
We think every day, every hour, every second. Our mind just doesn’t stop spinning the numerous thoughts. It goes on and on. Most of the time, we create various scenarios relating our own issues on our minds about what we want to see happening in our real lives. Sometimes, we revise the whole scene which has already happened but this time including the things which we should have truly said or done. We just think every time and never watch our thoughts. We sometimes see insane people walking around taking to themselves. If you hear closely, you can sense some aggressiveness or dissatisfaction in their words. We are not that different from them. It’s just that we talk inside our heads but they say aloud whatever they think. The aggressiveness and dissatisfaction is the same. We are not aware of our egoist thoughts. The thinking happens at an unconscious level. Understanding yourself makes lot of things easier. So, don’t just think. “Watch” what you think. Be conscious of your thoughts. This way, you can understand what you are and what you truly want. Be the watcher of your thoughts.
2. Acceptance
We possess feelings. Be it anger, sadness, happiness, jealousy, greed, lust, superiority, inferiority, panic, excitement, anxiety, and so on. But, we lack the acceptance of our feelings. Accepting what we feel makes us clear about our intentions and we can act accordingly. This way, we can save ourselves and others from the long lingering meaningless arguments. Also, the acceptance of any situation is equally necessary. For example: If you see your friend hit by a car, fully accept it. Only, now can you act with your right mind instead of panicking and getting devastated. When you feel that unhappiness has come to your door, welcome it. Acceptance doesn’t turn our sadness into happiness but it does give us a feeling of inner peace. Acceptance is very essential to reach the state of transcendence. Acceptance doesn’t allow us to misinterpret any situation and take a misguided action.
3. Be a good listener
We talk and listen every day. Most of us talk to others and listen to ourselves. Rather, we listen to the thoughts of our minds. Most of us set a certain belief on our minds and don’t care for what others have to say. When we are engaged at an argument, we talk when our turn comes (some of us don’t even wait for the turn) and when others start to speak, we think about what we should say next instead of properly listening to them. In these situations, our ego is so high that winning an argument is what we focus on. We are blindfolded by our rigid competitiveness. This is the reason why various misunderstandings occur and most of the relationships break. To avoid any discussion turn to an argument, you must be a good listener. First, listen then act.
4. Be a seeker/ learner
Most of us live monotonous and hectic lives. Doing the same thing everyday extracts the creativeness inside us and it becomes boring as hell. So, be a seeker/ learner. Try and learn from everything that comes through your way. Learn from the people passing by, the flowers, the birds, the trees, stones, and anything you see, feel, and hear. Travel around as soon as you get the leisure time. Traveling can cleanse your repetitive thoughts and you can gain so much knowledge. Learning something new is always one step closer towards our growth. Don’t pretend you know everything. Ask questions. Be a seeker and you can receive knowledge from everything which is unfathomable to you now. Learning something new every day is like drinking a cold glass of water when you feel dehydrated on a hot sunny day because it refreshes your mind and body.
5. Give and love
Most of us have a wrong understanding of the word “love”. We tend to possess what/whom we love so that we can keep them nearer to us. For example: when we see a beautiful flower, we feel the joy and have a sudden urge to possess it. After possession of the flower, the feel joy starts to decrease and we no longer can receive the inner fulfillment from that flower. Love is not about possession but appreciation. We want so many things. We want others to understand us, treat us well, care about us and love us. When we expect something from others, we may get disappointed. But, when we give, we feel an intense joy and peace within us. Give and you will definitely receive something in return. Most of us think that giving and loving others are like commendable and high-minded things to do. You cannot get that joy and peace this way. You must give and love from your heart. Giving and loving are definitely the pathways towards true happiness.
6. Positivity
When we do something for others, we expect them to do the same for us. Be it consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes, we don’t get the similar treatment and start to feel sorry for ourselves. We even lose hope. We start to get bothered from everything around us and blame our fate or the creator of our fates (god). Sometimes we feel like we are good for nothing. Why does this always happen to me? — the question that is inflicted by ourselves and can be solved only by ourselves, not others. Some of us use defense mechanism. We act like we don’t care or not a single thing in this world can shake us. We become rigid. These small matters hinder our happiness. To avoid these unwanted feelings, you must fully activate the positivity inside you. Being positive brings confidence in us and we start to believe in ourselves and our potentials. Look at the positive side of everything that comes along. Most of us believe that good things don’t come easy. Well, that’s not true. Have a positive feeling and you can achieve anything. Here, anything refers to anything that is good for you and for the highest good of all concerned.
7. Eat healthy
What we eat affects our mind and body.Eating healthy keeps the body and mind healthy and sound. It helps us to achieve all the above described points easily. Eating something fresh and natural makes us fresh and natural. You must eat something healthy for your mind and body by consulting with your doctor or other nutrition experts.