Anyone can easily write out a list of thousands of ways to create a better life for yourself. However, no one really wants to read thousands so I narrowed it down to five:
- You can't be scared to make mistakes. Trying something and completely failing is always better than not doing anything at all. No one has ever been successful without making a few errors beforehand. We've all heard that living is the best way to learn.
- You have to quit spending time with the wrong people. Look around at the people you consider your friends. Do they support and uplift you or do they seem to only have time for you when it's convenient and bring you down? Do you feel like you're putting a lot of work into relationships that you aren't gaining anything from? It's important to distance yourself from people that steal your happiness and make you feel like you're always second place. Surround yourself with people who understand your worth.
- You can't keep holding grudges. They don't even know that you go to bed and wake up carrying hateful feelings for them. It only has an effect on you and it's a heavy, dark and negative one. Sometimes it seems impossible to forgive someone, especially if they don't apologize or ask for it. But by releasing that grudge, you are free to move forward and not remain chained to the past. You'll even have to forgive yourself sometimes for the mistakes that you'll inevitably make (see number one).
- You have to stop worrying so much. Worrying does nothing but steal moments from you. When you're sitting around worrying about something that you can't control than you are missing out on something else. Life moves by pretty quickly and when you're consumed by the unknowns you can forget to enjoy it. Make sure the things that you allow yourself to stress over are things that will matter in a year. Or three years. Or even five.
- Be grateful. This is the most important. Even in the worst times of your life when you really feel like you're just dragging along there is always something to be thankful for. Even having a life to live is something worth noting because there are people that are fighting to keep theirs. Focus on the things -- little or big -- that you have instead of the things that you feel are missing. A positive outlook can make a world of a difference.
Obviously there are more things we can all do to achieve happiness and more areas that we can work on to live better lives, but the five things above are choices everyone can make. But they are choices that have to be made every day, over and over again.
