12 Ways To Live A Happier Life

1. Spend time with your soul.

There is a difference between your ego and your soul. Get in touch with your true divine self through meditation, yoga, spending time in nature, soul journaling, and getting lost in the things that you love – like cooking, creating, writing or dancing.

2. Forgive.

The Buddha once said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Holding a grudge keeps you trapped. Forgive other people and set yourself free.

3. Shift your energy.

Sometimes you wake up and you’re just not feeling it – and no amount of positive affirmations will help. That’s when you need to shift your energy through physical activity – throw on an upbeat tune and dance around your lounge room, get outside and feel the sun on your skin, or go for a long run.

4. Remember every day is a new beginning.

Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Realize that every new day is a fresh start, a chance to be who you want to be and an opportunity to transform your life.

5. Practice gratitude.

The world is a reflection of your dominant thoughts. If you focus on the myriad of good things in your life, you are bound to attract more of them. Conversely, if you’re constantly dwelling on the negative, that’s exactly what you’ll find.

6. Live authentically.

Don’t feel pressured to create a life in line with the status quo. Live, date, work, eat, play, create and travel in ways that feel right to you. This is when you light up the most, and the whole world benefits.

7. Cultivate a bamboo mind.

We can’t control external events – like long queues, rejection from others or the café running out of our favorite salad – but we can choose how we react. Let these disturbances wash over you like water off a duck’s back. Don’t let them steal your inner peace and contentment.

8. Lighten up.

Learn to take life less seriously. When something goes wrong, ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?”

9. Be present.

When you worry about things going wrong in advance of them happening, you’re creating your own private hell in an otherwise peaceful and beautiful present moment. True happiness is always to be found by living in the here and now.

10. Give without strings attached.

There is something so fulfilling about giving without expecting anything in return. Give without attachment and observe the way it makes you feel nourished and complete.

11. See the world as awe-inspiring.

Ricky Gervais used to wake up at 8-years-old and go, “Wow, I’m alive! Yes! I’ve got to eat! I’ve got to take a clock apart to see how that works! There’s an ant! Let’s go to the library! What, sausages? Oh my god, I can’t believe my luck!” Adopt a similar mindset and see what effect it has on your day.

12. Embrace uncertainty.

We become attached to our comfort zones and fear the uncertainty of change. But life becomes pretty ordinary when every day looks the same. Feel excited about the areas of uncertainty in your life, and expect amazing things to unfold — even if you don’t know what they are yet.