The Secret to Happiness

Hi there, let´s start the post 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?

In this post, I will share four tips used by the Swedes (the world’s happiest people) that can help us become happier.

Happy Rules:

1- Don´t think too much about it

Some of us live our lives waiting for a major event to make us happy. “I’ll be happy once I win the Powerball, lose the weight, or find my dream date on Bumble.” We unconsciously live thinking that we deserve happiness only if something big happens to us. This should not be the case. We should do the things we love regardless of whether it will make us a millionaire or not.

In Sweden, people don’t define themselves through their work but their hobbies and personal passions. Have you been thinking for some time about giving stand-up comedy a try? Go ahead. It will make you happy even if you bomb (I know this first hand). Choose activities you enjoy and live your life instead of just surviving.

2- Don´t compare yourself with others

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in other people’s lives. Yes, other people will have bigger houses, better jobs, tighter butts, and slimmer waists. Let’s think about our “happy things”. It could be as simple as Tuesday dinners with friends or our daily workouts. It doesn’t have to come with “Lamborghini” stamped on the hood for us to finally say, “I’ve made it — now I can be happy.” Whether we have a net worth of $200 or $200 million, we have the same choices.

3- Don´t try to achieve perfection

Let’s always try to be the best we can be, work hard but if we fall short, let’s not beat ourselves down. It’s not about achieving constant perfection, but rather showing up, giving our all, and cheering ourselves for having tried. Imagine how much more fulfilling our lives would be with this new attitude.

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.” (Does it sound better in French?). In the same way we can catch a cold if we spend time with someone who’s sick, spending time with positive and fun people will have a similar effect on us. Happiness is contagious — spending time with genuinely happy people will help us become happy too.

My Take:

So, what have we learned?
That happiness comes first. Our bank account, dress size, or dating status should not be contributors. Sure, it helps to be comfortable financially and be as healthy as possible. I truly believe that being happy first will help us make the right financial decisions, will help us attract the right kind of people, and will make us want to be healthier and fit instead of having to be healthier and fit.

Let’s be true to ourselves and let's do things without regrets. On that note, I wish all of us a happy day!

---

If you’d like to recieve interesting information on nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyle please sign up for my weekly newsletter below:

À bientôt,

Laurent