hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're going to learn about 10
surprising tips for lifelong happiness now let's begin number one imagine vacations
if you're looking for lifelong happiness give yourself something to look forward to
this comes from a study in the journal applied research and quality of life
researchers discovered that people are happiest when they're planning a special occasion
so maybe you and your friends are planning a week-long road trip around the country or you and
your partner want to fly away to another country whatever dream vacation that you have in mind
don't be afraid to plan that vacation months or even years in advance because the planning process
is the happiest part yeah vacations and getaways can be relaxing invigorating and adventurous
but the happiest part of any vacation is the planning process when you plan your itinerary
you dream about the places that you'll go and the experiences you'll have those dreams whisk your
mind away almost like you're already on vacation sometimes the planning process is more fun
than the actual vacation so the next time you're stuck in a rut give yourself something to look
forward to plan a vacation organize a road trip think about the places you'd like to see
these special occasions no matter what you have in mind will give you something to get excited about
number two rewrite your definition what does happiness look like for you many people chase
ambiguous or unclear definitions of happiness you might think a high paying job and a big house are
going to make you happy you've seen those symbols of success frighten other people's
lives but your definition of your happiness is unique to you it may look nothing like the kind
of happiness you expected for yourself but your definition is the only definition worth chasing
so what do different definitions of happiness look like well for some people it's spending
time with their loved ones so they organize their lives around their friends and family
for others it's exploring the world so they spend their time traveling and experiencing new places
hey but these are just a few of the countless definitions of happiness that you might follow
the truth is only you understand what makes you happy so spend some time reflecting on what
happiness looks like in your life ask yourself important questions like what really makes me
happy or what would my ideal future look like as you answer these questions just make a short list
of the achievements the values and ideas that make you happy use that list to guide the big
decisions that you make in your life as long as you're moving toward your personal definition of
happiness then you'll find the kind of happiness that lasts a lifetime number three highs and lows
finding happiness is like increasing productivity or developing self-discipline it's not something
you practice or you think about 24 7 and you can't be happy all the time just like you can't
be productive all the time because a happy life is full of highs and lows sometimes you
feel happy like you're on top of the world and other times you'll feel sad like your world is
crumbling all around you you don't have to make yourself happy every second of every day that's
not what lifelong happiness looks like instead you take the good with the bad you experience
your happiest moments and your saddest moments ultimately the best way to make yourself happy is
to explore your own emotions because the more you experience the more fulfilling your life will be
number four unburden yourself you have a long list of goals that you want to accomplish you
have career goals creative goals wellness goals even emotional goals but if you have too many
goals then your ambitions may stand in the way of your happiness you're focused on accomplishing
as much as you can but are you appreciating the achievements that really matter to you or are you
stressed anxious and overwhelmed by your endless list of responsibilities so if you want to find
lifelong happiness it's time to unburden yourself just narrow down your list from hundreds of goals
to a few core achievements you may find it helpful to reference your definition of happiness just
think about what you want most in your life think about what would make you happy and then rewrite
your goals so that you're constantly moving in the direction of your personal success story
and if something goes against your definition of happiness then you turn it down you don't
be afraid to say no because your time is limited spend it on the activities that make you happiest
number five analyzing happiness here's a common pitfall that many people fall into
on the road to lifelong happiness as you pursue your goals you may try to assess your happiness
you could ask yourself am i as happy as i could be am i doing the right thing these questions are
dangerous to your happiness instead of enjoying the moment you're analyzing whether or not you're
really happy lifelong happiness can be paradoxical when you're happy you rarely realize just how
happy you are you only recognize your happiness when you look back and reflect on your life then
you can appreciate just how happy you were this comes from a 2011 study in the journal emotion
researchers found that participants were happiest when they stopped thinking about how happy they
were in the moment the happiest participants simply enjoyed the experience they sat back and
they relaxed and they let their happiest moments unfold naturally number six universal respect
do you treat others the way you want to be treated you've probably heard this golden rule before but
it's a critical component of lifelong happiness if you want to like and respect yourself then you
have to like and respect the people around you in other words make an effort to understand and
empathize with the people in your life whether it's close friends or complete strangers not
only will you develop stronger relationships but you may also develop a clearer understanding of
yourself your goals and your lifestyle so get to know people and empathize with their successes and
their failures you can learn a lot of important lessons by listening to the people in your life
number seven geographical proximity one recipe for lifelong happiness is a strong support
system like your friends and family many people have aspirations of traveling to new places or
reinventing their lives but the secret to lifelong happiness may be closer to home throughout your
life your friends and family will be your greatest sources of comfort they'll celebrate
your successes and they'll keep you company when you fall on your face friends and family are the
people you can't imagine your life without so why would you live your life so far away from them
so if you're looking for lifelong happiness then stay close to the people that you love most live
near your friends and family let the people you treasure stay involved in your life just like
you're involved in theirs you'd be surprised how big of a difference living near these people can
make when you're near your friends and family you always have someone to spend time with when you're
feeling lonely you have someone who can lift your spirits or wallow right alongside you it's that
emotional connection the bond between loved ones that brightens your life for the rest of your life
number eight personal accountability are you an accountable person do you take responsibility for
your successes and your failures believe it or not personal responsibility plays an important role
in your lifelong happiness when something goes wrong many people don't take the blame
they blame others for their mistakes they avoid taking responsibility
because they're afraid or ashamed of their own failures but here's the bad news if you
can't take responsibility for your failures then you'll never feel responsible for your successes
so instead of passing the blame accept responsibility for your mistakes be the kind of
person that apologizes for your failures instead of making excuses hey if you want to be happy you
need to take ownership of your life and that huge responsibility begins with your biggest mistakes
number nine give yourself permission everyone has their own set of quirks the problem is many people
assume their quirks are flaws and those flaws need to be fixed if you're looking for lifelong
happiness then appreciate your individual quirks and give yourself permission to be the person that
you are i know it sounds strange doesn't it how do you give yourself permission to be yourself
and just think about all the things you want to change about who you are chances are you have a
long list of them yeah but this list is not a compilation of your flaws it's a small summary
of your individuality you can improve you can form new habits and you can learn new tricks
but your quirks largely define who you are how you look at the world and where your happiness
comes from so give yourself permission to be yourself if you want to find lifelong happiness
then you have to do it your own way number 10 prioritize your friends money is never going to
bring you lifelong happiness you may buy expensive luxuries and live a comfortable lifestyle
but the most valuable things in your life are your relationships experts say that your relationships
are worth more than one hundred thousand dollars of peace in other words a single strong friendship
is worth more than a six-figure paycheck so if you're looking for lifelong happiness don't let
your job take over your life it's easy to assume your next big break will unlock your happiness
but if you spend all your time working then your happy life may pass you by hey thanks
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