25 Jan The Secret to Happiness
Thank you so much for reading my newsletter. Let’s begin with something funny.
A lady noticed a happy, elderly man sitting on his porch.
“Excuse me,” she said. “I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look. Tell me, what is your secret to a long happy life?”
“Well,” the man responded, “I eat fatty foods and never exercise. I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day and drink about a case of whiskey a week.”
“Wow!” the woman said. “And how old are you?” “Twenty eight!” he responded.
I want to talk to you today about happiness. Let’s face it, it feels great to be happy. We all search for it, wish it upon others and pay big bucks to experience it — even briefly. Thousands of books have been published on the subject and innumerable products promise happiness in one form or another. So, with all the “happy stuff” on the market, how should we approach happiness? Is it a state of mind or a means to an end? In other words, what should come first — happiness, or an event we think will trigger that emotion? After researching the topic, I’m going to share four ways to make you happier, taking some tips from the Swedes, one of the world’s happiest people.
1.Don’t think too much about it
2.Don’t compare yourself with others
3.Don’t try to achieve perfection
4.Surround yourself with happy people
There’s a French saying that goes like this: ”Qui s’assemble, se ressemble, which translates to “birds of a feather flock together.” (I still think it sounds better in French!). The same way you can catch a cold if you spend time with someone who’s sick, spending time with positive and fun people will have a similar effect on you. Happiness is contagious — spending time with people who are genuinely happy will help you become happy too.
So, what have we learned?
Be true to yourself and do the things that the future you will be happy you did. On that note, I wish all of you a happy day.
