Someone today asked, “How do I become happy?”

My entire life I have never really been happy, amused at times, but I have never felt that constant happiness and positive outlook so many around me have. I have spent so long being either depressed, angry, or scared I really don’t know how to be happy.

The way to get there… is by FIRST becoming okay with where you are RIGHT NOW!

Quit judging how you feel, instead… make peace with it. You feel how you feel and that’s as good a starting point as any. Understand that you have developed a habit of predominantly feeling depressed, angry, scared. It’s great that you’re now asking for input about how to develop a NEW habit…

just take it one day at a time (or an hour at a time if necessary ) and reach for a slightly better thought.

You’ve been beating the drum of unhappiness for a long time… it’s now time to change the beat. Start, gently at first, beating the drum of something that feels a bit better than what you’re currently feeling. Just reach for a bit of relief.

Remember:

• Rage gives you a feeling of relief from depression, grief, despair, fear, guilt, or powerlessness
• Revenge gives you a feeling of relief from rage
• Anger gives you a feeling of relief from revenge
• Blame gives you a feeling of relief from anger
• Overwhelment gives you a feeling of relief from blame
• Irritation gives you a feeling of relief from overwhelment
• Pessimism gives you a feeling of relief from irritation
• Hopefulness gives you a feeling of relief from pessimism
• Optimism gives you a feeling of relief from hopefulness
• Positive Expectation gives you a feeling of relief from optimism
• Joy gives you a feeling of relief from positive expectation

It’s a matter of taking baby steps and just reaching for the next better feeling. Then for goodness sake… take a moment and bask in  the bit of relief you feel! Use your thoughts and things around you to open yourself up to the next little feeling of relief.  It takes practice, and if you can commit to that, you can change your world!