• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Free Gifts
  • Home
  • Food and Cooking
    • Recipe Index
    • Main Dishes
    • Appetizers and Sides
    • Soups and Salads
    • Bread and Rolls
    • Desserts
    • Cookies, Brownies, and Candy
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Ice Cream
    • Cones and Toppings
    • Menu Plans
  • Home Organization and Design
  • Style and Fashion
  • Get My Course
  • Recommended
  • Extras
    • Cool Ice Cream Info
    • Food Photography
    • Funny Stories
    • Tutorials
    • Miscellaneous
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Free Gifts
  • Privacy Policy
↑

Beautiful Life and Home

Discover the magic of cooking, home organization and personal style!

  • Food & Cooking
    • Recipe Index
    • Main Dishes
    • Appetizers and Sides
    • Soups and Salads
    • Bread and Rolls
    • Desserts
    • Cookies, Brownies, and Candy
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Ice Cream
    • Cones and Toppings
    • Menu Plans
  • For The Home
  • Style & Fashion
  • Recommended
  • Extras
    • Cool Ice Cream Info
    • Food Photography
    • Funny Stories
    • Tutorials
    • Miscellaneous
  • Get My Course

I've got free gifts for you! Click here and choose your favorites! Click Here!

Happiness in a Nutshell–How to Be Happy–Lessons From You and Me–Week 13

May 18, 2015 by Melissa Howell 2 Comments

Ten ways to increase your happiness right now.Happiness is not something that just happens. Happiness is something that must be learned and sought after. The past 12 weeks, we have explored practical ways to increase your happiness. Here is a handy recap of the ideas presented with links to the posts that explore them in depth. Be sure to read the bonus section on how to create happiness in your marriage at the bottom of this post.

1. Forgiveness is absolutely key to happiness. Read this post for four great ideas on how to forgive.

2. Dwelling on the past robs the present of its joy. Facing the future with faith brings hope to our lives and gives us a reason to press forward in life.

3. Fear can be paralyzing. Remember that “A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.” Read this post for four practical ideas on how to be more courageous.

4. Ironically, focusing exclusively on our own happiness often leads to unhappiness! It’s only when we help and serve others that we are truly rewarded with the joy and contentment that we seek.

5. Gratitude is key to finding lasting happiness. Even in less-than-ideal (or downright awful) circumstances, being thankful for what we do have can change our whole mindset and allow happiness to grow.

6. What we say to ourselves can have a huge impact on our happiness. If we are constantly filling our minds with negativity, there is no room for happiness. Read this post for inspiration on how to overcome the damaging habit of negative self-talk.

7. We often compare our weaknesses to others’ strengths. Read this post for four practical ideas on how to stop comparing yourself to others.

8. “The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” If this is true, then creation must be necessary for happiness. It doesn’t matter if you think you are not the “creative” type. We don’t have to create crafts or cakes. We can create feelings and memories that bring lasting happiness to ourselves and others.

9. Your worth is infinite. Understanding this one thing can transform your whole life. It changes the way you think about yourself and others and allows for feelings of contentment and peace.

10. Focusing on the good in the world directs our energies to creating more good, and more happiness. Even though we are surrounded by heartbreaking events, we can choose to elevate and amplify the good that is around us.

How to Create Happiness in Your Marriage

Books have been written, seminars given, and retreats developed to cover this topic. While there is a mountain of literature on how to improve your marriage (and I have read a ton of it), I recently came across an article that I felt was very poignant and could potentially save marriages in trouble. Even if your marriage is not in trouble, doing what the author suggested can only enhance and improve what is already good. This article is by Richard Paul Evans, author of over twenty books, including The Christmas Box, and the Michael Vey series. In it, he reveals the one question that saved his marriage. What he did is something very simple that all of us could do every day.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series on happiness, and that you will leave comments with any additional ideas and insights that you have. And I hope above all, that you will find true, lasting happiness. Or rather, I should say that I hope you will make true, lasting happiness. It is not hiding. We all have the power to create it for ourselves. I truly believe that.

Ten ways to increase your happiness right now.

Filed Under: The Happiness Guru Tagged With: happiness

Ten percent of the net proceeds of this blog are donated to Operation Underground Railroad, a brave organization that saves children around the world from trafficking. To learn more and to donate, please visit ourrescue.org.

Comments

  1. Lynette Blue says

    May 18, 2015 at 10:38 am

    Melissa, this has been a wonderful and very thoughtful series of articles. You are an amazing young woman and I am so proud of you!

    Reply
  2. Olivia says

    May 27, 2015 at 9:12 am

    That was a wonderful article and totally worth the read. I know what my first words will be tmr morning now. 😀

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi, Im Melissa!

I help women like you create a beautiful life and home through the magic of cooking, the thrill of home organization, and the joy of discovering your personal style. Read More

Looking for Something?

Categories

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Free Gifts
Copyright ©2022, Beautiful Life and Home. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs