Traits of Especially Happy People

Happiness isn't about reaching a destination or achieving a goal; it's about enjoying the journey that is life. When we think of happiness, we typically think of things that bring us immediate pleasure - a delicious meal, a favorite movie or book, or a relaxing day on vacation. These pleasures do bring happiness, but only temporarily; true happiness, or life satisfaction, works a bit differently.

Happiness is not about what you do in life or about objective wealth; it's about your perspective, and about how you react to things that happen around you. Studies have found that happy people had certain traits and habits in common. With practice, these can all be part of your daily lifestyle. These strategies won’t just improve your happiness, they’ll also make you a better person. Pick those that resonate with you and have fun with them.

ADAPTABILITY. One thing is for certain: everything changes. Life is far more unpredictable than most of us would like. Events range from irritating to devastating. The happiest people in life don’t focus on the interference or the obstacle; they focus on finding the best way around it. They are adaptable. They don't worry about life's unpredictability, and they aren't as stressed when something major comes up. They simply find another way to move forward. Hurt your leg jogging? Give yoga a try. More often than not, we take the bad and let it hold us back when it doesn’t have to. Happy people are happy because they take their failures in stride, not because they don’t fail. GRATITUDE. Gratitude is essential for happiness. You have to truly appreciate everything you have in life in order to be satisfied with it. If you don't feel grateful, you're always going to be looking for more, no matter how much you already have. You could make minimum wage or a six-figure salary and still constantly lust after more instead of being grateful you have a job. Express your gratitude, openly and often, for all the good things in your life. HUMOR. Truly happy people are typically able to find humor in almost anything, including themselves. They aren't afraid to laugh out loud when they think something is funny. Laughing is shown to be beneficial for both your emotional and physical health. It releases endorphins, helps you relax, and helps you manage stress better. Even the simple act of smiling can have some of these effects. So laugh often and smile whenever you can, and surround yourself with others who do the same. INTANGIBLE VALUES. Happy people aren't obsessed with tangible rewards or destinations. They aren't worried about getting to a certain position, making a certain amount of money, or having certain material things. They're more concerned with the intangible parts of life: friendship, family, and fun. They prioritize experiences over possessions and don't try to measure their lives in terms of how much wealth they have. So consider your values carefully and examine how you really feel about them. PRESENT FOCUS. Happy people tend to live in the moment. They aren't preoccupied with things they've done in the past, or constantly

thinking about the future. It doesn't matter whether these thoughts are positive or negative; you could think very positively about the future, but if you aren't focused on the present moment, you aren't going to be happy in the present moment. It's important to remember the past, but it's harmful to dwell in it… just like it's important to plan for the future, but harmful to obsess over it. SELF-CONFIDENCE. Having faith in your own abilities makes you less stressed; you Traits of Especially HAPPY PEOPLE spend less time worrying about whether or not you're good enough to accomplish something and more time actively trying to accomplish it. Confident people tend to perform better when facing obstacles and experience less stress overall. Building confidence can be difficult, especially in adulthood, but it is possible to train yourself to be more confident by practicing positive thinking and remembering your skills instead of your faults. Healthy Habits of Happy People EXERCISE. Within five minutes of cardiovascular exercise, you can feel happier! Once you get moving, your brain releases serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These make you feel good. Happy people schedule regular exercise and follow through on it because they know it pays huge dividends for both body and mood. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, removing toxic proteins that accumulate during the day as byproducts of normal neuronal activity. This ensures that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Happy people make sleep a priority, because it makes them feel great and they know how lousy they look and feel when they’re sleep deprived. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE. Happiness is contagious. Surrounding yourself with happy people builds confidence and stimulates creativity…plus it’s flat-out fun. Hanging around negative people has the opposite effect – best to avoid that crowd. Connecting with others who radiate positivity and have similar interests will excite and energize you.

- Johnny FD