Stop Complaining, Start Appreciating

One of the biggest reasons why people do not live a happy life is because they complain about anything, and everything. Complaints stem from perfectionism, and this pernicious mindset prevents one from ever being satisfied with life has to offer.

It is true that striving for improvements is ideal but sometimes the things that lie right in front of our eyes are flawless, and doing anything else would be considered tearing down the wall of perfection.

On the other hand, appreciation roots from the type of mindset opposite of perfectionism. When you learn to appreciate, you start from the bottom-up. This means that nothing brings you down because everything to you is already perfect. This is why people who harness the attributes of family, friends, life, etc. are happier people. They treasure the things that they are given rather than waste time complaining.

Link Between Greed and Happiness

It is important to note that greed and happiness have an adverse relationship with each other if you are learning how to be happy. While happiness encourages a loosening of materialistic desires, greed is a strong desire for things especially wealth and possessions. Judging by their aspects, you can tell that these two things do not go well with one another. 

As greed increases, the level of materialism needed to satisfy yourself rises, making it difficult for smaller things to make you happy. To be happy, you must let go of a materialistic behavior, lower your standards, and this allows for smaller things to bring you content. In a way, greed fuels unhappiness by fashioning a rise in your standards of happiness. 

Greed also causes you to believe that materials are the only sources of happiness and that living to your life's fullest content is impossible without them. Remember, it's not what you don't have, it's what you do have. 

The People Around You

Let's face it. We are the people we spend time with. We are the people that surround us. Whatever they're like, we can't help but to become more like them.

The first thing that comes up in my mind is family. Growing up, I noticed that my brothers were more like my father while my personality matched more of my mother's. However, I still had some of my father's personality, but dominantly, my mother's: optimistic, sociable, welcoming. I believe I spent more time with her growing up and feel closer to her than my father. So I concluded that the more you spend time with someone, and the closer you are with them, the more you become like them.

And that makes sense. When I think of other examples like my friends, much of their behavior and personality matches mine-- or mine matches theirs. Either ways, they match. If you think of any close friends, their personalities are probably pretty similar.

What am I trying to get at? Well, if our personalities become more like the people we are around, then we should make sure that we spend more time with happy people. Optimistic people. Cheerful. By doing this, you can't help but to become a 'little' happier.

Expectations Are Your Enemies

Whenever you're sad. Whenever you're disappointed. Whenever you're miserable, frustrated, torn from the inside out...why is it that you are feeling that way?

Expectations. That's why.

It's true. Think about it. Why are you really sad? It's not because your mind magically casts a sad spell over you whenever bad things happen. It's really because you're expectations weren't met. In life, almost everything you do is guided by expectations. Your expectations for your birthday gifts...or what your plans are for the night...or even what you plan to do in the future. All these things you have expectations for, and when those expectations aren't met, you become disappointed. Depending on how high of an expectation you set and how disappointed you are determines the degree of sadness or frustration you feel.

So bottom line: Lower your expectations, and be more happy!

Happiness from the Elderly

When you were a kid, have you ever felt unhappy whenever your grandparents came over? Neither have I.

There's just something about being around the elderly that makes all the stress and the worries go away. It's fun watching them. They are sincere and upbeat. They are funny, but they don't try to be. At times, I feel like they are even like kids with their jubilant and innocent nature.

Old people are like bundles of joy, creating a blissful environment wherever they go. It's quite interesting talking to them since their perspective of the world seems almost carefree. Whenever you feel stressed out and happen to have elderly around, start a chat with them. I guarantee you will be intrigued with whatever they have to say.