In my last blog about Happiness, I wrote that “The meaning of Happiness changes over the course of one’s lifetime.” Matters that causes great problems to a child may be of no consequences to an adult. This is a very easy, but very complicated term that I have been trying to understand.
In this article, I am trying to jot down few things that if we stop doing in our personal or professional life, then we will be happier.
Comparing:
“Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another.” – Marquis de Condorcet
Comparing oneself to others is the main source of insecurity, sets one up for mediocrity rather than real success, and drains one of inner authentic power.
Now a days, it is very easy for us to compare with others, through Facebook, and hundreds of other social sites.But constant comparison only bring us disappointments. No matter what, there will always be someone who’s at least one step ahead of us; and the perfect job, spouse, salary, etc., will always remain elusive.
Elizabeth Weil recently interviewed University of California psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky about this phenomenon for The New York Times. In her article, “Happiness Inc.,” she writes that, “As Dr. Lyubomirsky has found in her lab (and many of us find around the office or at a bar), unhappy people compare a lot and care about the results.”
Blaming:
Start taking responsibility for yourself and stop giving your power away. What this means is “you stop blaming others for what you have or what you don’t have.” This is applicable for both personal & professional lives. In professional life, your subordinates don’t meet expectations, your seniors don’t recognize your hard work, vendors don’t deliver on time, customers are very difficult to handle. In all these cases, you are also to be blamed.
You should take responsibility when things go haywire and shouldn’t accuse others because it would not be considered masochistic, it’s just empowering—because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time. And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.
Being Ungrateful:
Instead of thinking about what you don’t have, try thinking about what you have and everyone else is missing. Sometimes, you would feel that all puzzle pieces of life doesn’t seem to fit together, but with time you will realize that they do, perfectly. So, thank the things that didn’t work out, because they have just made the way for others that will.
Remember that there is always something good in your life and you are in a far better condition than a lot of others. If you don’t trust me, then take a look at the news on any given day, you would find that there is a lot in your life that you should be thankful for.Because this will definitely make you feel happy.
Vivek is a former Happiest Mind and this content was created and published during his tenure.
