There are many things in life that make a person happy. Then naturally we, as humans, do more of those things. Money makes us happy? We work more. Good grades make us happy? We study more. Friends make us happy? We hang out more. Well, I'm no certified psychologist or spiritual guru, but I have compiled a brief list of things that I think we should all do more often. They make me a happier person, and I think they can do the same for you:
- Say "Hi":
This sounds quite simple, but I often find myself going completely out of my way in order to avoid human contact. However, I have also found that when I do say hi to others, whether they are my best friend or a complete stranger, it puts me in a better mood. As I lift my hand to wave and the word comes out, there is an immediate smile on my face. Then when they respond, I am reminded that I am not alone. There are other people doing this daily “life” thing right alongside of me. Bonus: it brightens the other person’s day as well.
- Apologize:
Now this one is not quite as simple. Being a prideful human being who hates to admit when I am wrong can make this excruciatingly painful. I will often do whatever I can to avoid apologizing. I may make a joke about my mistake or avoid talking about it completely. However, there is nothing quite as relieving as admitting that you are wrong. At first, it sucks. A lot. Pride is such a difficult thing to overcome, but we all have to deal with it. Heck, even the person you are apologizing to has to deal with it. It's human nature. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to apologize for everything. You are entitled to your opinions and your beliefs. However, when you say things or do something that hurt others, you should step back and evaluate the situation. When you are able to acknowledge that you have made a mistake and own up to it, your world becomes a much more positive place. - Forgive:
A common misconception that prevents people from forgiving others is that forgiveness tells the other person that what they did is okay. However, forgiveness actually tells them that what they did is not okay, but you are able to look beyond their actions and leave the issue in the past, where it belongs. It may make it easier to try and put yourself in the other person's shoes. What were they thinking? What were they feeling? Try to understand where they were coming from. Talk to the person if you need to. Or don’t. When you forgive someone, you’re not doing it for them—you’re doing it for you. I can guarantee you that it will be unbelievably difficult. It requires strength and it may hurt your pride a bit, but it will lighten your mental and emotional load tremendously. When you look at the grand scheme of our lives, this moment of hurt is quite miniscule. Why risk living a lifetime burdened by anger or regret because of it? - Isolate Ourselves:
This may sound counterintuitive, seeing as my previous recommendations have been centered around building and mending relationships with other people. Well, now I think we should all build and mend the relationship we have with ourselves. How often in this digital age do we spend time with just our thoughts? How well do we even know ourselves? It is important, particularly in this day and age, to take time out of our day or our week to sit with our thoughts. Escape the influence of the media and social platforms, feeding you thoughts and ideas that are not your own. Think about what you have done and why you have done it. I don’t mean this as a motherly scolding. I mean it as an encouragement of self-discovery. Learn what makes you happy and what makes you sad, what motivates you and what inspires you. Then use this new found knowledge to do great things.
Looking back at this list, I notice that there is a varying degree of difficulty among each of these items. There are the simpler things such as saying "hi", and then there are the more complex things such as forgiving someone. I also notice that I am guilty of not doing any of these as often as I should. This is when I tell you not to worry. It's okay if it's not easy for you say you're sorry or for you to find time to isolate yourself. Trust me, this is not an all-inclusive list. I can think of plenty of other things we, as humans, should do. Just work with what you've got and do what you can to bring positivity to yourself and to those around you.
