{"id":415,"date":"2013-08-29T01:11:21","date_gmt":"2013-08-29T01:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/everydayinspiration\/?p=415"},"modified":"2013-08-29T01:15:04","modified_gmt":"2013-08-29T01:15:04","slug":"10-simple-ways-to-get-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html","title":{"rendered":"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHappiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Happiness is like the wind. It\u2019s either a gentle breeze that barely moves the leaves hanging on the trees or it\u2019s a gust so strong that it seems like the wind is taking the leaves by the hand and helping them skip down the street.<\/p>\n

Happiness<\/a> is fluid because life is fluid \u2013 no two days are the same. Stress, anxiety and worry can make happiness stand still. On these days, the best thing to do is to welcome back happiness by taking control of your life and finding a way to get happy.<\/p>\n

Wondering where to start?<\/strong> Try these 10 simple ways to get happy so you can begin skipping with the wind again.<\/p>\n

1.\tNotice What\u2019s Right<\/strong>
\nTake all that life throws at you and reframe it with what\u2019s right about the situation. At the end of the day, you will be more content, at peace and happy. Take time to begin noticing what\u2019s right and see the world change in front of your eyes.<\/p>\n

2.\tBe Grateful<\/strong>
\nHow many times do you say the words \u201cthank you\u201d? How many times do you hear these same words? If you are doing the first thing, saying the \u201cthank yous,\u201d the latter will naturally happen. Learn to be grateful and you will be open to receive an abundance of joy and happiness. <\/p>\n

3.\tRemember the Kid You Were<\/strong>
\nDo you remember how to play? I\u2019m not referring to playing a round of golf or a set of tennis. I\u2019m talking about playing like you did when you were a child \u2013 a game of tag; leap frog, or street baseball when the bat is a broken broom handle. One way to get happy is to remember the kid you were and play! <\/p>\n

4.\tBe Kind<\/strong>
\nKindness is contagious and when you make the commitment to be kind to others, you can experience new heights of joy, happiness and enthusiasm for your life.<\/p>\n

5.\tSpend Time with Your Friends<\/strong>
\nAlthough an abundant social and romantic life does not itself guarantee joy, it does have a huge impact on your happiness. Learn to spend time with your friends and make the friendships a priority.<\/p>\n

6.\tSavor Every Moment<\/strong>
\nTo be in the moment is to live in the moment. Too often you are thinking ahead or looking ahead to the next event or circumstance in your life, not appreciating the \u201chere and now.\u201d When you savor every moment, you are savoring the happiness in your life.<\/p>\n

7.\tRest<\/strong>
\nThere are times when you need the time to unwind, decompress, or to put it simply, just \u201cto chill.\u201d Life comes at you hard and fast. Time, as do the days on the calendar, keeps going forward on its own natural pace, which is not always the pace you would choose. Fatigue, stress and exhaustion may begin to settle in faster than you may think. The best remedy for this is indeed rest.<\/p>\n

8.\tMove!<\/strong>
\nThe expression a \u201crunner\u2019s high\u201d does not infer an addiction, but a feeling or a state of mind \u2013 a state of euphoria. There is no question exercise, or any physical exertion, elevates your mood and enhances a more positive attitude as well as fosters better personal self-esteem and confidence. Indeed, one way to increase your happiness is to move! <\/p>\n

9.\tPursue Your Goals<\/strong>
\nThe absence of goals in your life can make you feel like you are stuck and ineffective. The pursuit of goals in your personal life, in your relationships, or with your career, is the difference between having a mediocre life or a life full of passion and enthusiasm. Pursue your goals and watch your happiness soar.<\/p>\n

10.\tFinding Your Calling<\/strong>
\nSome find meaning in religion or spirituality while others find purpose in their work or relationships. Finding your calling may be much more than accomplishing one simple strategy for increasing your happiness, but having a sense of purpose \u2013 of feeling like you are here for a reason \u2013 can perhaps bring the greatest happiness of all.<\/p>\n

About Alex Blackwell<\/a><\/h5>\n

Alex Blackwell is a father, husband and writer. He writes about inspiring things at The BridgeMaker<\/a>.
\nWeb<\/a> | Simple Paths<\/a> | How to Love Consciously<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHappiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama Happiness is like the wind. It\u2019s either a gentle breeze that barely moves the leaves hanging on the trees or it\u2019s a gust so strong that it seems like the wind is taking the leaves by the hand and helping…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":554,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Simple Ways to Get Happy - Everyday Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy - Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cHappiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama Happiness is like the wind. It\u2019s either a gentle breeze that barely moves the leaves hanging on the trees or it\u2019s a gust so strong that it seems like the wind is taking the leaves by the hand and helping…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-08-29T01:11:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-08-29T01:15:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alex Blackwell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy - Everyday Inspiration","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy - Everyday Inspiration","og_description":"\u201cHappiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama Happiness is like the wind. It\u2019s either a gentle breeze that barely moves the leaves hanging on the trees or it\u2019s a gust so strong that it seems like the wind is taking the leaves by the hand and helping…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html","og_site_name":"Everyday Inspiration","article_published_time":"2013-08-29T01:11:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2013-08-29T01:15:04+00:00","author":"Alex Blackwell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html","name":"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy - Everyday Inspiration","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/#website"},"datePublished":"2013-08-29T01:11:21+00:00","dateModified":"2013-08-29T01:15:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/#\/schema\/person\/71d89f4271da87423b5582b35093074f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2013\/08\/10-simple-ways-to-get-happy.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 Simple Ways to Get Happy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/","name":"Everyday Inspiration","description":"Beliefnet Voices - Alex Blackwell","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/#\/schema\/person\/71d89f4271da87423b5582b35093074f","name":"Alex Blackwell","description":"Alex Blackwell is the author of Letting Go: 25 True Stories of Peace, Hope and Surrender and the founding editor of The BridgeMaker - a blog about letting go, faith and inspiration. Be sure to download Alex's free eBook How to Love Consciously and connect with him on Facebook.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/author\/cblackwell"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/554"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=415"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":419,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415\/revisions\/419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}