Want to Instantly Feel 25% Happier?
Do This One Thing And You’ll Be Amazed at How Your Life Improves
Sometimes, no matter what we do, life is just hard. But one simple thing can make it instantly better. Plus, it takes only a moment to do.
This is an amazing time to be alive. While it’s true that there are many areas where we can improve the world, there are many that are wonderful. Even though we each (by design) have challenges to overcome, our lives are better in many ways than every generation that’s gone before us.
We often get so caught up with the things that need to improve in the world, that we forget the context of just how far the world has actually come.
- Although racial equality has not yet been fully achieved, slavery is no longer the foundation of the world economy, as was the case in even the “enlightened” cultures of the Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Arab empires.
- Although we have far to go on LGBTQ+ issues, same-gender attraction is no longer the capital crime it was throughout much of the middle ages.
- Although we feel that religious liberty is often constrained, true religious persecution at an institutional level is no longer the widespread constant it was for nearly 10,000 years of human history.
- Although we have much to do urgently to protect our climate, we no longer have the rampant, unrestrained, purposeful pollution that was commonplace over most of the last 500 years.
- Although many people still suffer in the depths of hunger and poverty, we have a greater depth and breadth and variety of entrepreneurial opportunity available than at any time in history.
There is much in the world that is good, and where we have already come a long way.
Instant Happiness
So, with that in mind, what one, simple action can make you 25% happier?
Several studies have demonstrated that, if you express gratitude, that simple act raises your happiness by 25%. When you take a quick second to express thanks for what you have — instead of focusing on where you lack — it fills you with joy.
One young man went on a weekend outreach to help the homeless in his city. As you can expect, it was an experience that was deeply moving. He saw what it was like for people who lack the basic necessities of life. When he called his mom midway through, he said…
“If I ever complain again, please knock me down for being so stupid!”
When we see our own situation with a broad, outward-looking perception, it’s impossible to not realize how blessed we are. No matter how difficult our own situation is, there is someone out there whose struggle is more difficult than ours is. And even in our hardship, we can see the seeds of blessings in disguise.
4 Simple Steps to Leverage Gratitude Daily
Expressing gratitude is a powerful way to improve our own lives, as well as the lives of others. But sometimes, we just get caught up in our own grind, and it’s easy to forget. It’s simply human nature to focus inward, rather than outward.
Here are 4 simple habits you can create, which will help you manifest a new power and joy from gratitude in your own life every day.
1. Be a Good Finder
Especially when we interact with people who are less-than-perfect, it’s usually easiest to focus on what they do wrong. Make a conscious effort to turn that around and search for what they do right. Then express gratitude publicly for that good.
What we praise grows. But so does what we condemn. By expressing praise publicly, that person’s self-esteem and desire to do more of the good stuff increases. Plus, physiologically, our own endorphins surge when we express public gratitude and our happiness grows.
2. Create a “Wall of Gratitude”
Set aside one wall in your home to be a “Wall of Gratitude”. Whenever you think of something you are grateful for, write it on a sticky note and put it on that wall. Every day, when you walk by that wall and see all that you’ve posted there, your gratitude (and hence your happiness) will grow.
In addition, get creative. If you are grateful to a person, find a photo of that person to post along with your note. Looking the person in the eye while you think about your gratitude is powerful.
At least once a week, send a note, card, or email of “deep gratitude” to someone. Not only will you make their day, but by posting a copy of that note to your Wall of Gratitude, you’ll have a constant reminder to reinforce your gratitude and happiness.
3. Morning & Evening Gratitude
Every morning when you wake up, write three things you are grateful for. This is a powerful way to greet your day that fills you with endorphins and happiness that stay with you all day long. It’s like fuel for the flame of your happiness.
Then, every evening before bed, write three things that happened during the day that you are grateful for. This helps you focus in on finding the good in your day in the midst of all the rest of the clutter that happened. And, writing it soon before bed reinforces the positive in your subconscious while you sleep.
4. #GiveThanks on Social Media
So much of social media is inherently negative. Whether purposeful or not, algorithms have been shown to give undue boost to posts that are hateful or angry. And, usually when you see a hashtag trending, it tends to be because people are angry or outraged.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is possible for the positive to trend. And once one positive tag begins trending, you often see more positive tags trend. The whole tone and feel of that social media platform changes when that happens.
When you #GiveThanks on social media, by yourself, you may have only a small impact. But when one person posts #GiveThanks, other people usually do too. And by doing so, we all collectively have an opportunity to regain control over the tone of that social media platform, even if only for a while.
Every year, more studies show the negative impact that social media has on us. But it doesn’t have to. By using social media to #GiveThanks for the things you are grateful for, it not only builds your own happiness, but it can give joy and a lift to thousands of other people throughout the world.
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