How many people have wished you a 'Happy New Year?' Do you think they are just wishing you a Happy New Year's Day, or are they wishing that you be Happy for the whole New Year?
Is it even possible to be happy all year? Probably not. But, you can definitely be happier. Here are a few ways how:
1. Try to make the people around you happier.--One way to be happy is to surround yourself with happy people. And that'll be easier to do if you can be the source of some of their happiness. This doesn't mean to subvert your will and always do what someone else wants. But it does mean to do little things (or occasional big things) that will bring a smile to their faces. Surprise your spouse with flowers or a little getaway. Play a board game or read a book with your kids. Do something to help a co-worker. Heck, just smile at people. (It might be unnerving at first, but eventually they usually smile back.)
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| One smile will usually lead to a lot more smiles. |
2. Step away from your rectangles.--We spend way too much time staring at our rectangles. There are a lot of different rectangles that we pay attention to, including cell phones, laptops, and/or televisions. (Some people even stare at the microwave oven, waiting impatiently for that food that is taking so darn long to heat up!) These rectangles can be entertaining and informative, but they often divert our attention from the real world. Interacting with people and/or nature is a bit more difficult if our face is transfixed by a rectangle.
3. Don't focus on the negative.--When you pay too much attention to the things you don't like in the world, it just might make you unhappy. If you despise Donald Trump, don't spend your time digging through every last word that he tweets. If you are a fan of Trump, you probably shouldn't watch CNN. Don't dwell on the negativity unless you want to be consumed by the negativity. (Oh, and stay the heck away from any comments sections! Those people are nasty.)
4. Try something new.-- It's pretty easy to get stuck in the rut of our everyday life. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something you've never done before can add a thrill and maybe even a bit of happiness to your life. I read a book once by a philosopher that emphasized how if we try new things we might find that we like things we didn't think we would. (I think it was called Green Eggs and Ham, or something like that. You might look it up if you get the chance.)
So, if we want our "Happy New Year" to be for the whole year and not just New Year's Day, it really isn't that difficult. (January 2nd deserves a little happiness too!)
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