Want to be happier? Pay attention to these key attitudes and behaviors.
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Let’s explore six keys to being a happy person:
1ASSIDUOUSLY PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Getting up in the morning and smiling at yourself in the mirror to get the day off to a good start may seem naive to some people. And yet, it is undoubtedly the main characteristic of happy people: they appreciate what they have and are grateful for everything that happens to them. It is not a matter of rejoicing at your failures, but rather of focusing on what’s good and beautiful in your life.
2BE CURIOUS (AND ENTHUSIASTIC)
Without a touch of curiosity, it would be complicated, or even impossible, to discover new opportunities, meet new people or visit new places. Curiosity has the particular virtue of making us humble in the face of the multitude of possibilities that life offers us. It allows us to listen to others and understand their point of view. It facilitates the first step in building close relationships with others. This is important, because the art of surrounding yourself with friends and cultivating relationships with others is precisely one of the first ingredients of happiness.
3FORGE DEEP RELATIONSHIPS
Building rich relationships with friends, family and other loved ones without hoping to get something from them is one of the pillars of happy people’s lives. It’s a recipe that works so well that it becomes a virtuous circle: those who consider themselves happy often communicate their joy of living to those around them, which is the best defense against sadness. In reality, we don’t always feel ready to be happy. Many consider that their happiness depends on the behavior of others. Yet, happiness is within us: it all depends on how we exercise our freedom and make our choices, how we approach the world and our sense of agency in life. Happiness is about taking responsibility for what happens to us and, even in the face of hardship, cultivating deep joy and trust in life every day. This can be learned: no fate forces us to be sad or unhappy. That’s very good news.
4KNOW HOW TO PERSEVERE IN HOPE
Setbacks are a part of life, but optimistic people, those who know how to cultivate hope in all circumstances, don’t stop when they’ve failed. They analyze their failures in order to learn lessons and constructive teachings. This requires a certain rigor in knowing how to swiftly reject the temptation to ruminate continuously, and to favor comforting memories instead! Hope gives us the strength and faith to grow, and it allows us to become better and to learn to achieve more and more beautiful things in our life.
5ENJOY THE WONDERS OF LIFE TO STIMULATE YOUR CREATIVITY
When faced with breathtaking scenery or exceptional artwork, happy people know how to marvel. But it is also the case with the most ordinary things in life: a flower, an object, or the admirable functioning of the human body. This mental openness is the key to their happiness. Thanks to it, they don’t hesitate to experiment and try new ideas. They exercise their creativity, and find solutions to problems, even if it means going off the beaten track … Think outside the box!
6TRUST
Happy people choose to believe in others and in life, like a child who has absolute trust in his or her parents. Cultivating this attitude means trying to love life as it is, with its ups and downs, its joys and sorrows. Seeking this profound reconciliation with life is worthwhile. It’s like betting on trust in other people, in life, and in God. It’s like having confidence in your children, because you believe and hope that they will succeed, or having faith in God, which means trusting Him about the path He chooses for us.
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