Be Happy, On Purpose?

Easier said than done. I can honestly say I've had a lot of happiness in my life. A lot of laughter and friendship and good times. However, I've had far more pain and heartache and unfairness. If you know the real me, you have some kind of grasp on why I feel the way I feel. Lately I've been in a hole. It's so dark and so deep that I feel like I'll never, ever get out. But I take little steps to lift me slowly up. I talk more to my friends, open up to my family, and tell myself certain things to change how my mind thinks.

Many months ago I came across an article "10 Ways To Be Happy, On Purpose" and it gave me something to focus on. I wrote down each step and posted it by my mirror because when I look in the mirror -- I can really, truly sink. A mirror is supposed to help me get ready for the day, to see what my outfit looks like, use it to put my make-up on, the usual normal uses. But the mirror can be so much more. When you're in an abyss of absolute nothingness, looking into a mirror could be like looking into your soul. You see all the pain and hurt and bad on the outside AND in the inside. To hate how you look on the outside and hate who you are in the inside will make looking in a mirror difficult. Maybe it's silly, if you haven't been there. But once you have, these words make absolute sense. So these words, these 10 ways to be happy, is a reminder to myself that I can be happy, maybe, one day, if I truly try. And if I catch myself drowning, I look at the list as if it could save my life. Maybe it can?

Sometimes all a person needs is something to focus on in the future and to stop dwelling in the past. This list is a good "future" list. What to do in the now and how to think for the future. If you click on the link above, it'll take you to the article which give some amazing quotes and more details on how to obtain these 10 ways to be happy. Also, the site itself, Pick The Brain, is a fantastic site for self-improvement. If you're feeling down or want to find ways to improve parts of your life, definitely take a gander at the site.

10 Ways To Be Happy On Purpose

1. Know yourself. 

2. Discover your idealized self and start working towards that.

3. Be authentic. 

4. Understand that you can only control yourself. 

5. Achieve balance in all things. 

6. Learn to let go. 

7. Give yourself meaning and actively seek inspiration. 

8. Focus on the positive. 

9. Surround yourself with like-minded people. 

10. Keep going!