{"id":720,"date":"2014-01-14T11:27:10","date_gmt":"2014-01-14T11:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/?p=720"},"modified":"2014-07-24T12:00:27","modified_gmt":"2014-07-24T12:00:27","slug":"5-simple-secrets-to-a-happy-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/01\/5-simple-secrets-to-a-happy-life.html","title":{"rendered":"5 Simple Secrets to a Happy Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNow and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.\u201d – Guillaume Apollinaire<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A simple life is a happy life. Here are a five ways to unlock the secrets to living simply and happily<\/a>.
\n
\nEnjoy the outdoors<\/strong> \u2013 The peace and beauty of nature is a divine experience. The fresh air will clear your mind, and the sunlight will give your mood a boost. Getting back to basics by spending time outdoors will remind you of those simple, beautiful things about life. <\/p>\n

Use your creative side often<\/strong> \u2013 We\u2019re happier when we\u2019re expressing ourselves. Unleash your creative power on a canvas, piece of notebook paper, or in a scrapbook. Create a funny video message or video blog; collage a vision board of images that inspire you; start a blog for your poetry. There are numerous fun, easy, and enriching ways to express creativity and live a happier life.<\/p>\n

Laugh<\/strong> \u2013 Maybe the simplest way of all to a happy life is laughter. It requires the least effort with the most reward. You feel better physically and emotionally when you laugh. It\u2019s a shortcut to health and happiness.<\/p>\n

Embrace the positive <\/strong>\u2013 Make it a key part of your day to focus on the positive. It\u2019s as easy as recognizing the people and things in your life that make you happy. It\u2019s taking a moment to be thankful for the car you have, the place you work, the family you\u2019ve got at home. Despite the struggles and stress, there is something positive you can embrace that will simplify your life by helping you focus on what makes you happy.<\/p>\n

Peace in the moment<\/strong> \u2013 Learning to be calm in the middle of the storm is vital to long-term happiness. We let go of what you cannot change because worry and stress only make things worse physically and emotionally. Push negative thoughts out of your mind when stress and catastrophe strike. This doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll immediately ignore every invasive, bad thought in favor of sounding like Ghandi. But with practice, you will be able to enjoy peace in the moment, no matter what life dishes out at you.<\/p>\n

About Alex Blackwell<\/a><\/strong>
\nAlex Blackwell is a father, husband and writer<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNow and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.\u201d – Guillaume Apollinaire A simple life is a happy life. Here are a five ways to unlock the secrets to living simply and happily. Enjoy the outdoors \u2013 The peace and beauty of nature is a divine experience. The…<\/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-720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Simple Secrets to a Happy Life - Everyday Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/01\/5-simple-secrets-to-a-happy-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Simple Secrets to a Happy Life - Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cNow and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.\u201d – Guillaume Apollinaire A simple life is a happy life. 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