When I was in high school, I was always stressed out. I took the hardest AP and honors classes, stayed up way too late finishing my homework, and spent the entirety of my weekend doing work as well. I didn’t have a bad high school experience, but I wasn’t necessarily happy. I wasn’t exactly unhappy either. I was just going through the motions of school, homework, and extracurricular activities. I knew I was constantly stressed, tired, and lacked a social life, but I accepted that. I thought to myself, Self, I’m working hard and I’m unhappy now, but I know it’s worth it! The work will pay off: I’ll get into the college of my dreams, and then I can finally be happy and live life to its fullest!
As you can imagine, I was pretty naïve. First of all, I did not get accepted into any of my top colleges, and was pretty devastated. I, of course, love BC now and have loved it since my first day here, but I was not as ecstatic in spring of 2011. Second of all, once I arrived at college, I came to a very apparent realization which was a complete shocker for me: there is still a lot of work in college, and it’s all harder than what I did in high school!
I know, this seems very stupid, since it is so painfully obvious. I honestly have no idea why I was going into college thinking I’d be doing… well, I don’t know what, but clearly, I did not think I’d be doing work.
However, I am so delighted that I arrived at this conclusion one day, because that was my “Aha!” moment. Ever since that day, freshman year, back in September of 2011, I became a very happy person.
It finally dawned on me that there will always be work. The nature of the work might change as life progresses, and I use work as an elusive term to include homework, a job, raising kids in the future, and any other challenges that might appear. But it will always be there. Therefore, I thought to myself (again), Self, I should just be happy! I will always have work to do, and either I can do that work and go through life as an unhappy person, or… potentially as a happy person. Why not choose happy?
And that is the story of how I became a happy person. It wasn’t hard– I just changed my outlook on life. In return, my life became a lot easier and, obviously, happier!
Knowing this, I want to encourage all of you to become happier as well. There is no magic formula or steps to take – finding happiness is a different journey for each individual, and I am just sharing my steps to success. Based on my experience, I do have some points that I think could help each one of you be happier. Keep in mind that, once again, all you really need to be happy is not to change how you live your life, but to change how you view your life.
First, know how to deal with your emotions. Besides knowing how to express anger, sadness, gloominess, and other undesirable emotions, know how to express the positive emotions as well. Don’t be scared to get emotional – be very excited, be very energetic, be very ecstatic. I get really loud and make odd, funky noises when I hear good news, I also laugh way too much, and this is what makes me feel instantly happy! By being able to express both sides of emotions, your life will become more balanced.
When you slowly gain a better emotional balance, you will learn how to not get upset too easily and how to deal with sadness. This is perhaps one of the most important parts to finding happiness. I’m not saying you need to stop being human and become a happy robot. No, not at all! What I am saying is that when you find yourself in distressing situations or sadness, do what you need to do to cope with the current problem, but then take into consideration the bigger picture. Maybe cry for a bit, eat a pint of ice cream, vent to your friends – whatever makes you feel instantly better. Yet afterwards, ask yourself a few questions – is this problem really as big as it seems? Is it really the end of the world? Most likely the answers will be no. Therefore, cope with your situation, but then try to move on to the present and future instead of staying fixated on that problem. Focus on the friend you will see at dinner or the party you’ll be going to on Saturday. You will be more productive and happier.
At times, there truly are problems that are beyond us, or horrific tragedies. In this case especially, take as much time as you need to cope, but do so in a productive way. It may be easier to give up, but is it worth it? My best advice in such situations would be to find the simple things in life that make you happy. They are sometimes taken for granted or ignored, but they shouldn’t be. For example, I love the Tuscan Chicken at Eagle’s Nest, catching up on Big Bang Theory, and all of my stuffed animals. Even if I’m having a bad day, I can rely on any of these to give me a slight glimmer of happiness. It might seem silly, but the more small things you find in life that make you happy, the more chances you will have to be happy. Furthermore, you’ll be able to find greater happiness and in many situations.
Additionally, make sure you know how to balance your life. I’m not saying that you should ditch your work completely and go into YOLO mode. However, do make time for yourself and for whatever you enjoy. Work in a smart way, not a hard way, but also have fun in a smart way.
Most importantly, never forget about your family, friends, and significant other. They are always there for you. Talking with them and spending time with them will definitely put you in a good mood! Go out with your friends, have silly jokes with your significant other, and take a walk with your sister. It is not the job of your friends, family, or significant other to make you happy, but you will find that they automatically do.
And just a last little tidbit of advice: laugh! A lot! One of my favorite sayings goes: “Laughter is the best medicine.” Try it for yourself :)
I know this was a long article, and thanks for hanging in there! I just wanted to share my story of how I found happiness in hopes that it might resonate in at least one other person, and will help them find happiness, too. In sum, realize that changes and productivity only come after you are happy. Happiness should be one of your first priorities. As the kitty below points out, make happiness a habit! For example, start out by making a list of 100 things that make you happy. Knowing them, you will begin viewing the world through a happier lens. Once you can find happiness, you are invincible. Life is too short to not be happy, so at the end of the day, be happy! Because, why not?
Photo Sources:
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http://walkbarefoot.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/happiness-6.jpg
http://silviakusada.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/happy-people.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gxY3YDT.gif
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