Would you like to be happier? Being happy is really a choice we make. The secret of Happiness is simple, very simple - what is it? You decide if you want to be happy! Happiness is free. You can feel happiness, this very minute, if you so choose. Discover some new and unexpected ways to think about happiness and several research-backed insights into how to be happy.
 
How we achieve happiness can be different for each one of us. Our passions, expectations, life experiences, and even our personalities all contribute to the level of happiness we experience in our lives. Some find happiness in their careers while others prefer the bliss found in their marriages or other intimate relationship.

No matter how you define happiness for yourself, there are certain universal and time-proven strategies to bring, and sustain, more happiness into your life. The following 20 ways to live a happy life can be adapted and even customized to fit your needs. Over time, these strategies will become positive and life-changing habits that will begin to bring more happiness, joy and peace into your life.

20 Incredibly-Simple Ways to Be Happier

1. Practice Being Happy

Most people discover that happiness isn't related to objects or experiences, though those things can give us fleeting pleasure, says Baraz, whose book Awakening Joy will be out in January. “Studies show that happiness comes with certain states of mind and heart, such as generosity, kindness, or gratitude,” he says.

Getting there may take practice, but the more you consciously focus on the feeling of joy—whether it comes from giving a compliment or laughing out loud with your kids—the more deeply that feeling will register and the happier you'll be.

“Digging in the soil makes me happy. It helps me feel as if I have control over something. And the pride I feel when I look at my garden makes me feel successful. The connection with nature brings me into the now.”
—Angie Mattson, 36, Charlotte, North Carolina 

2. Put on a Happy Face

Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it. I’m not suggesting that we not be honest, real or authentic, but I’m suggesting, sometimes, we just need to put on a happy face and keep moving forward. Researchers claim that smiling and looking like we are happy will indeed make us happier. Studies further show that if we act like we are happy then we can experience greater joy and happiness in our lives.

3. Stop comparing yourself with others

Comparing yourself with others won’t do you any good. You will either feel proud when you are above, or feel jealous and frustrated when you are below. None of them brings true happiness. So stop comparing yourself with others and simply be your best.
To be happy read: 20 Simple Rules For Happiness and Success

4. Develop a genuine smile and laugh a lot

Act happy - It works. Smile into the mirror for a half hour without stopping. Smiling makes you happy and the more you smile the more happy you become. We all like people who smile. It also makes us more attractive.

5. Practice forgiveness

The purpose of giving forgiveness is not to let the other person off the hook, but to free you of the baggage associated with the event. When you refuse to forgive, you remain stuck in that place. With forgiveness you can begin the process of moving forward with your life.
Recommended: The Secret to Healing is Forgiveness

6. Notice What’s Right

Some of us see the glass as being half-full, while others see the glass as half-empty. The next time you are caught in traffic, begin thinking how nice it is to have a few moments to reflect on the day, focus on a problem you have been trying to solve, or brainstorm on your next big idea. The next time you get in the slow line at the grocery store, take the opportunity to pick up a tabloid magazine and do some “guilty pleasure” reading. Take all that life throws out you and reframe it with what’s right about the situation. At the end of the day, you will more content, at peace and happy. Take the time to begin to notice what’s right and see the world change in front of your eyes.

7. Lighten Up

Looking for joy means looking for reasons to smile. Happily, just the act of smiling makes you happy! Even a forced grin tells your brain, “My mouth muscles are moving up, so I must be happy,” and leads to a release of happiness-inducing endorphins, psychologist Sybil Keane, PhD, says.

“Because of the threat of layoffs, my job is stressful. I cope—people think Im nuts—by watching those funny cat videos on YouTube. Its a nightly ritual that always cheers me up!”
—Termeh Mazhari, 25, Great Neck, New York

8. Treat difficulties as challenges 

Life‘s an adventure and every obstacle in life is one of its challenges. Treat life as a game. What fun would a game be if you could never lose?
To be happy read: 7 Small Habits That Will Steal Your Happiness

9. Forget regret

Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don’t define your value, then or now. When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward. We all have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now.

10. Perform one act of random kindness daily

Hold the elevator door open for someone who is a few steps behind you or lift the bag and place it in the overhead bind on the airplane for someone who can’t manage this task. Kindness breeds more kindness. The concept of “paying it forward” is real and effective.
To be happy read: How to be Happy: The First Ten Keys to Happiness

11. Listen, really listen, when someone is speaking to you

Listen without judgments or criticism. Try to avoid any self-referencing and be fully present for whoever needs it.

12. Be Grateful

How many times do you say the words “thank you,” in a day? How many times do you hear these same words? If you are doing the first thing, saying the “thank yous,” the latter will naturally happen. Learn to be grateful and you will be open to receive an abundance of joy and happiness.

13. Believe you are worthy

Whatever your goal, your dream, or your desire, you are worthy of achieving it. The closer you get to it is when the enemy of your soul will begin putting doubt in your mind. Replace doubt with the truth – you are worthy to have your heart’s true desire.

14. Learn to resolve conflicts in your marriage or relationship

If your partner simply wants something different from you or does something differently from you, it doesn’t mean that your partner is wrong – it just means your spouse has different preferences, life experiences and point of view. Celebrate these differences. Chances are very good it is these very differences that made you fall in love with this person in the first place.
To be happy read: 15 Things You Must Give Up To Be Happy & Happier

15. Pray - Become religious or spiritual

This only works if you believe in God. If you want to be happy then ask God to make you happy. Prayer helps you accomplish things.

16. Make a list

Write down the three things you want to do differently in the next few months, things you are not doing now, but would like to begin to do that will give you a greater sense of success, accomplishment and purpose in your life.

17. Buy Gifts for parents or your children

Buying any gifts for parents or your kids will bring you happiness. Sometime you might not understand that you are happy to do something for them, but trust me this will work. Do something special what you never did for them.

18. Do your most daunting task first thing in the morning

It’s tempting to start your day with easy tasks. Don’t. Pushing a daunting task back is like holding a glass of water in an outstretched arm. At first nothing happens, but if you do it for hours or even days, you will soon feel the stress. Do the most annoying task first thing in the morning, and enjoy increased productivity and peace of mind for the rest of the day.
To be happy read: Five Steps to Finding Happiness at Work

19. Apply the five languages of love

Love is an important way to happiness, and the five languages of love is a helpful concept to help you apply love. By understanding yours and others’ languages of love, you will be able to build better relationships.

20. Don’t worry about what others are thinking

I used to be very self-conscious about my dancing. I would rarely go out with my friends, and even if I did, I wouldn’t dance, instead just standing awkwardly by the side, because I was worried of what others would think.

Then, one day in high school, I decided that enough was enough. So the next time I went out with my friends, I just went to the dance floor, and danced like nobody was watching. And the funny thing was – nobody cared. In fact, people only liked me MORE, because I was having fun.

Don’t worry about what others are thinking of you – most likely they’re too busy wondering what others are thinking of them.

Recommended: 

• 10 Reasons Why You’re Not Happy 
• 5 Things That Will Make You Happier Every Day 
• How To Live a Better Life: 20 Ways To Be Happy in Life 
• 50 Ways You Can Start a Better Day from This Morning

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

A lot of people share a fairly common misconception. They believe that having lots of money can make you happy. Some even say that the more money you have, the happier you can be. Others believe that having money is not spiritually or socially acceptable, and that money is the root cause of all evil.

Are any of these beliefs really true? To answer this question, begin by asking yourself what money means to you, and how do you treat it when you have it?