I can confidently say that I’m a happy person. It’s because I’ve become more carefree over time and here are five secrets to how you can too.
1. The 48-hour rule.
Tough times aren’t unique to a certain amount of people. We all have them and sometimes it’s easy to let the negative emotions and thoughts consume our lives. That’s why I made up the 48-hour rule.
I give myself a maximum of two days to sulk, vent, cry, and eat a pint of gelato in bed while binge watching Netflix. After those two days, remnants of negative feelings may still be there, but I suck it up and move on.
2. Keep your expectations modest.
We can all recall that one time when we went into something with crazy high expectations and got disappointed when it didn’t live up. Keep your expectations modest so that you’re less likely to get disappointed.
Also, people in your life, even family and close friends, will let you down sometimes. And spoiler alert: you’ll disappoint people too. Humans are imperfect, so don’t hold people to impossible expectations.
3. Look at the grander scheme of things.
When you have conflict in your life, think about whether this problem will still be important to you in a month. If it won’t be, don’t waste any more time thinking or arguing about it because it’s not worth it.
4. Don't put so much weight on words.
I’m not saying that words aren’t valid or unimportant but talking is as easy as breathing. People say a lot of things, and sometimes they don’t even mean it.
So, don’t let words be the sole basis for decisions or judgments of character. If you don’t see any actions to back up someone’s words, they don’t mean what they say.
5. Be unapologetic about who you are.
People will think whatever they want about you, and let them. You don’t owe anyone an explanation of why you are the way you are. Being true to yourself is liberating, and it’s the way everyone should live.
Even though I go through hard times, I wake up every morning and go to bed every night with a smile on my face. Life’s all about perspective, and the way I see it there’s truly no reason not to be happy.
