Be Happy Now   

You’ve probably heard and could sing along with the main chorus of the song, 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. It’s one of those tunes that even if you don’t think you know it, when it’s played you go ‘oh, THAT one…’ and you realise you do in fact remember it. It’s catchy way of conveying the message that no matter what, you can still choose to be happy.  

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life – especially as stress has long been linked to many life threatening deceases such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.  

Another great quote is: 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and it’s in our life that we have the power to make the necessary changes…if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that ‘this too will pass’.  

Social networks and relationships are essential ingredients in the pursuit of happiness. Simply remembering that all people are different is a great start; accept people for whom or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of resentments (sounds easy I know, though with a little effort entirely achievable). If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with  

Happiness is actually found in everyone, so increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and healthy. 

To be happy is easy; just decide to be a happy person!  

Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook could be. And as 20^th Century industrialist Henry T Ford famously observed, ‘whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re probably right’.  

The choice is simple, as 80’s pop group emblazoned across their t-shirts the slogan, ‘choose happiness’. Make it your mantra, and life will change. 

There are several ways by which you can do this.   

Attitude of Gratitude

Being grateful is a great attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank whoever cooked your dinner for a wonderful dinner, and thank the person who cleans your windows – even if it’s you! Thank the mailman for delivering your letters thank the policeman for making you feel safer, and thank God, The Universe or who/whatever you recognise as a ‘higher entity’ for just being alive. 

Avoid Stress

News is stressful, so get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. However 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Unfortunately, and it’s linked to advertising revenue, bad news sells. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do. So decide instead to keep abreast of what’s happening, but on your terms. As you might limit a child’s television time to an hour or two each evening, limit the amount of time, and when that time should be, to keep you up-to-date with the world’s woes. 

Know Your Inner Compass

This can be a religious connection, and as intimated earlier, it can also be a cosmic, ‘higher self’, universal process. We are all different, and there is space for all. To have something to believe in give us the centre of what will be our ‘inner compass’ – what is right, what is wrong, what we should do, and what we shouldn’t, in life.  

Manage Time

Manage your time. Time is the most valuable commodity we have, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involve scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill.  

Have Fun!

Laugh and laugh heartily EVERY DAY!  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. Go see some live comedy. What a funny movie. Read a book that makes you laugh out loud. Laughter, as US Dr Patch Addams demonstrated, really is the best medicine.  

Express Yourself

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to the people around you. Too many people imagine their friends and loved ones are mind readers. How many times have you heard, ‘you should know that I love you’? We are not mind readers. Tell them how you feel. They will most likely reciprocate your actions and tell you how much you mean to them, too. Do not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone. 

Take Action 

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us; they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time. 

Learn Something New

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new every day. Learning expands our horizons and can give you more opportunities for the future. Author Stephen Covey suggests our knowledge has a ‘half shelf life of two years’, meaning that up to half of what we know today will become redundant within the next two years. The world is evolving at such a rapid pace. Keep up. Keep relevant. Learn, and enjoy what you learn. 

Keep Fit 

Like the engine of a car needs regular service and TLC in the form of an oil change and the best type of fuel to run efficiently, so we as humans need to invest in our bodies. Eating a well-balanced diet, taking part in regular physical activity that you enjoy will support your body, making it much more likely you will enjoy a better quality of life. 

Make Choices  

I’ll leave the final element to the amazing writing of Mark Twain, as he wrote: ‘Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too, can become great’. It’s an often used phrase, ‘we become like the people we’re around’. So, choose your friends wisely.                                            

So, to be happy now… 

As Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be’. Make up your mind to BE HAPPY NOW.