By D.J. Harrington
There are certain towers who seem to maintain their joyful state and their love for life – no matter what. You and I probably could agree that some of the towers are definitely “highly happy” towers. It turns out that joyful people tend to have a few habits that help them get the most from life and keep them looking on the brighter side of things. So, if you want to infuse more happiness into your life, right now, make these 10 habits as part of your daily routine.
Habit #1 – Appreciate life
Develop an attitude of gratitude and count your blessings. When you start looking for things to be thankful for, you’ll discover more reasons to be grateful. Me, I have bad legs, but I at least have legs. Ads from the Wounded Warrior Fund remind me just how bad it would be to have a missing limb. These wounded warriors have to retool themselves and learn to embrace Habit #2.
Habit #2 – Keep learning
Invest time and energy into continually learning and developing new skills. Keep your brain stimulated with exciting information and hobbies. Take a “wreckmaster” class and improve your skills. Get certified!
Habit #3 – Laughter
Don’t take life too seriously! Laugh at yourself – and OFTEN. Make light of your circumstances and infuse fun into daily activities. Frequently in my classes, I’ll remind the group that it takes 7 muscles to smile and 28 to frown. Don’t let your face be caught working overtime. Laughter will allow you to benefit from the habit of forgiveness.
Habit #4 – Forgiveness
Holding onto anger, resentment or jealousy will only hurt you. Learn to forgive others and yourself for mistakes. Let it go and move on. Towers sometimes want to get even. It’s tempting when things don’t go as they should, but let it go. Forget about it and move on.
Habit #5 – Meditation or prayer
More and more research is showing that prayer and meditation has major benefits for health and well-being. They increase positive emotions, life satisfaction and the immune system function. Spending time with nature, expanding your spiritual self through reading good books, prayer or meditation and just going to church, will help. Take my word for it.
Habit #6 – Love
Nurture your relationships with family and friends and make it a priority to spend quality time with your loved ones. Be a supportive ear during good and bad times. My parents and all five of my brothers are already fellowshipping with the Lord. I still wish they were here, but I know I’ll send them again one day. Tell your family that you love them before it is too late.
Habit #7 – Stop comparing
Happy towers don’t waste their time worrying about what others think or are doing. Happy towers don’t gossip. Let go of the need to judge and criticize others. Instead, concentrate on creating and living your life.
Habit #8 – Be positive
Make a determined effort to see the glass half filled instead of half empty. Always look for the silver lining in any situation. If you notice a negative thought creeping into your mind, counteract it with a powerful, positive affirmation.
Habit # 9 – Surround yourself with those people who take you higher
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who truly want the best for you and people who will support you on your journey to success.
Habit #10 – Be a thinker
I want people to think “outside-the-box.” Spend time each day reflecting on how you can make things better. Ponder this question everyday: “How can I leave earth a better place than how I’ve found it?”
Next time I see you, I would love to hear how many of the habits you’ve been able to implement since our last meeting. See you next time.
D.J. Harrington is an author, journalist, seminar leader, international trainer, and marketing consultant. He works primarily with customer service personnel, and his clients include such world-class companies as General Motors, DuPont, Caterpillar, and Damon Corporation. He can be reached at 800-352-5252 or by e-mail at dj@djsays.com.
