I decided that I wanted to help people find their inner happiness. These aren't really in any order, but all are effective. Please keep in mind that changing your life from the negative to the positive takes time. It takes time, effort, and practice; but with some help from others and constant striving to be better... you will definitely make it :)
Make someone else happy.
This is honestly a no brainer. What is the quickest way to bring joy to your face? (Okay. For me? It is my dogs... BUT to be fair, they get SUPER happy when they see me... So yes, technically I am making their day!) Making someone's day is super easy.... you can do something as simple as smiling & wishing someone a happy day, to helping the custodian at work take out the garbage. Little gestures are the things that people remember. Be someone's little gesture today.
Go on a long drive to nowhere
Roll the windows down, blast your favorite music, grab your favorite drink (non-alcoholic of course!), let your hair blow in the wind, and sing like you are at a concert. Drive until you run out of gas. Drive until the road ends. Go somewhere new. Turn down that road that you have always wondered where it leads to... Go to the outskirts of the city & just take in the fresh air. Nothing feels better than fresh air blowing in your face, while listening to your favorite feel good music.
Call up an old friend
You remember that friend that you ALWAYS had a good time with? The one that ALWAYS made you laugh no matter what? The one that you could just call up at the drop of a dime and go on the craziest adventures with? Call them up. Set up a lunch date and actually follow through with it. Don't just say you are going to do it, actually do it. Rekindling old relationships and allowing room for more people in your life is always a positive.
EAT THE PIECE OF CAKE
So... I don't literally mean eat the cake. Well... I guess yes. Eat the cake, buy the shoes, go see that movie, go to your favorite restaurant, eat the bowling alley food, get sugar in your coffee, buy the lemonade from the little girl's stand down the street. Do what makes your heart happy. If eating a piece of cake will bring a smile to your face, then do it. So what if the shoes cost $50? If you can afford them, go for it. You will not be here forever. You truly never know when your last day will be. If you died tomorrow- would you regret the things you didn't do today?
Exercise
Yeah, yeah... You had to be expecting this one. I am a kinesiology major... So yes, i am a fitness addict- BUT putting that aside, exercising does release endorphins, which to make you happier. One of the best ways to relieve stress is to exercise. Maybe you are the type of person that wants to puke when the hear someone say "let's go work out!" Well... exercising can be fun, you just have to find what makes you have fun... Taking a long walk with a friend, playing volleyball, swimming, chasing your dog around the dog park, taking a jog, laser tag, basketball, kickball, dodgeball, skiing, jumping waves at the beach... You exercise more than you think you do, just sometimes you are having too much fun to remember!
Release the negative energy
Write a letter, get ALL your negative thoughts out. Type it, write it, whatever. When you finish it- don't reread it. Seal it in an envelope and go throw it in the trash can. All those thoughts that you were carrying on your shoulders that were weighing you down are now in the trash. You literally just threw away all the negative thoughts in your life. Congratulations!
Do your best, always
You would be surprised if you could look at reruns of your life... I bet you would say "I could've tried harder" at least 100 times. That 5k race that you finished 24th in? The person ahead of you that was juuuuuuust out of your reach took 23rd? How about that time that you turned in a test and thought to yourself "I should've studied harder." We have all been there. We all subconsciously do it... We think we have done the best we can, but in reality there is more that could've possibly been done. Find what gives you that little push.
Go volunteer
The soup kitchen, the old folks home down the street, the animal shelter, the homeless shelter, the library... There are endless possibilities. You never know what you can learn. If you ever feel like you are in a slump and there is nothing that you can do to get out of it, get up and go do something. Go help those who need help. There is a sense of accomplishment when you can help someone. And who knows, you might just fall in love with that cute 6 year old puppy who was going to get put down tomorrow if it wasn't for you who saved his life. OR you might just hear a fascinating story from one of the elders at the old folks home.
Fall head over heels in love with yourself
Well, what better way to be happy than to fall in love... WITH YOURSELF? Love everything about yourself; your beautiful eyes, curves, flaws, imperfections, the good features, the bad features, the zits, the moles, the dry skin, the oil skin... ALL of it. You would be surprised at how happy you will truly be when you let go of all of the negative energy that you give off... towards yourself! "Be nice to yourself, it is hard to be happy when someone is being mean to you all the time. Smile at yourself in the mirror. You are beautiful, handsome, gorgeous... All the above. You are a wonderful person, you are unique, and all of your flaws are perfectly imperfect. Learn to radiate love to yourself rather than hate.
Healthy is happy
Being healthy does not mean going on a diet and exercising. That is the biggest myth I have ever heard. Being healthy means that you are fueling your body correctly, releasing your energy correctly, AND you are in a comfortable state of mind. Healthy is not a term used strictly for your physical being... It is also about your mental being as well. To be happy means that you are fueling your body with the nutrients that it deserves. I promise you that sautéed mushrooms, peppers, & onions will leave you feeling more energized and less greasy, weak, and tired, like french fries or greasy chips will. Also finding a way to release your energy physical and mentally is a must to be in a healthy state of mind. Physically? Go play fetch with your dog, go on a long walk, go to the gym. Mentally? Go paint a picture, start a blog, write a book, write a poem, doodle. And last but not least to be healthy you need to have a healthy state of mind. You need to see the good and positive in everything. There is so much good around you, there is so much to be happy about.
Only you can control your happiness. "Waiting for someone else to make you happy is the best way to be sad." Only you can choose whether you want to be happy or sad, positive or negative. If you take out the time to actually put effort towards a new lifestyle, I promise you will never regret it. You will forever be glad that you did.
Today is your tomorrow. Make today count.
There is no day, like today!