Published in Discover Ferndale, August 19, 2017
Internet clickbait aside, the following five things really work. Also, there’s no need to change your hair color or your spouse, or move to a sprawling estate in the country or visit France – although any of those things could, under certain circumstances, bring on the happy. Here are some things you can do today.
1 – Stop being infuriated about everything. Save your outrage only for the one thing that matters most. There’s a lot to snarl about in our world and everyone has an opinion. Decide now to limit what’s rage-worthy in your life. Positive vibes will find their way back to you and so will your energy. No one is making you mad. It’s your choice to be angry, and by nipping at the heels of every little thing in the news, you’re missing out on the most important news of all – your life. Dump the diatribes and move on.
2 – Sleep more. Figure out how to hit the rack earlier or sleep a little later, or a lot. Take a nap, or two. This isn’t always easy to do, but I promise it will make you a happier person. There are, of course, good reasons to stay up. When children were little and awake late into the evening, exhaustion would set in and I’d think, “If I could just go to bed right now I wouldn’t have to eat the rest of the pie.” Pie is good, but sleep is better. Really.
3 – Give others the benefit of the doubt. It’s been said “To assume makes as ass of you and me.” Sometimes this may be true, but who’s keeping track? And more importantly, it’s tiring and energy sucking to constantly assign ulterior motives. Be aware, be smart. But stop thinking (and yes, you can do this) that everyone is out to get you, that you were lied to, cut off in traffic intentionally or that someone stole something you probably misplaced. Not everyone is malicious. People most often need support, not the stink eye.
4 – Express gratitude. To God, the Universe, Nature or the Grand Poobah. Thank the grocery bagger, the mail delivery person, your kid for doing the dishes. This should be done from the deepest part of your being. Really mean it. Think about what you’re thanking someone for and why they’re doing it for you. Do this everyday. This will become a habit and even when you’re out of money and your car won’t start or you’ve had a rotten day at work, if you genuinely recognize your indebtedness to someone or something, it will start to change your life. I pinky swear on this one.
5 – Care less. We’re often too invested in what other people think of us. We’re afraid people judge us because of our weight, because we wore the same thing to work earlier this week, because of a social gaffe, because there’s hair growing out of our nose, because of that toe fungus we’ve been meaning to address. The key word here is ‘afraid.’ Caring less about what others think is a hard thing to do immediately, but the freedom associated with it is a little heady. And whenever I start taking myself too seriously I remember that quote that says, “You’d be less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.”
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