The way you see the world and how you participate in life determine how happy and healthy you are. If your perception is skewed, health and happiness will seem fickle and unattainable. You need to understand and accept that your health and happiness are entirely in your own hands. Only you can unlock the doors that stand between you and the life you want. You can unlock these doors by taking personal responsibility for your life and making better decisions.
Below is a list of five things you must be right now in order to feel truly happy and healthy and live a fulfilled life.
1. Be Active
Your body was made to move, so move it! You do not have workout everyday or be a body builder, but you do need to keep your body in decent enough shape so you can move around in life with ease. The best form of activity is the type you incorporate into your daily lifestyle. For instance, you can walk or bike places rather than drive; grab your pals and go hiking instead of hitting up happy hour; or take tennis lessons. Although this is not always feasible, making the effort to add activity to your lifestyle will not only help your body, it will also make you happier and more youthful.
2. Be Proactive
It is easy to feel trapped in your life or like a victim of things you cannot control. This type of thinking is a slippery slope down the unhappiness spiral. In reality, you can control much more than you think, and you can control the most important aspect of any situation: you. Engage in experiences, make decisions, and define your own goals. Be the leader of your own life. Do not wait for someone to take you by the hand and guide you to the life of your dreams – it will never happen. Instead, get involved in your own life. Discover who you are and define your personal philosophy. Make decisions that align with your goals, and surround yourself with people and experiences that support your happiness.
3. Be Responsible
It is easier to blame other people, especially your parents and spouse, for negative things that happen in your life. But chances are, you are more to blame that anyone else. Being a leader in your own life means holding yourself accountable for what happens in your life. Even when a mishap is truly someone else’s fault, instead of focusing on blame, react maturely and focus on solutions to the problem. Do not allow yourself to feel resentment toward the person or the mishap so you can continue living happily. If you do something wrong, admit it. Tell the truth. Put your pride aside and be honest. Own up to your decisions. Take personal responsibility for your words and actions. When you are not pleased with your life, be proactive and make changes.
4. Be Nice
Compared to being active, proactive, and responsible, being nice seems passive. This is far from reality. If you are anything in this world, the best thing you can be is nice. Being nice does not guarantee that your career will soar or your relationships will be without conflict. It does not guarantee that you will be happy every day. Rather, being nice to yourself and others will help make life’s challenges easier to accept and overcome. When you sprinkle kind words and actions throughout your day, you make this world more enjoyable. People will go out of their way to help you if you are nice to them. You will have less stress if you are nice to yourself. Being a nice leader in your own life is a surefire way to personal happiness.
5. Be Happy
You cannot buy, borrow, steal, grow, or create happiness. No one can make you happy. Instead, your personal happiness rides on your decision to be happy. Being happy is a conscious choice that you must make frequently throughout each day. Choosing happiness is the ultimate way to be a leader in your own life. Being happy means letting go of resentment, blame, anxiety about the future, insecurity, and hate. You have to want to be happy and detach yourself from the ease of being angry. When you are happy, you feel better; your body works better; your food tastes better; you are healthier, more youthful, and energetic. When you are happy, life is easier and better for you and others around you. Choose to be happy right now. Continue to choose happiness every day and you will experience a very fulfilled life.