by E.M.Robinson

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: June 15, 2008

You can be happy by zeroing in on what is most important to you and by taking steps each day to move closer to the goals you set for yourself. Being happy in your life is a matter of loving yourself and enjoying your own company. No matter what situation you are in, you must live with yourself and the decisions you make on a day-to-day basis.

To love yourself and to enjoy your own company, you will want to have reachable goals that are in line with how you want to see yourself. You will need goals of some kind, a destination, and a way to recognize your destination when you arrive. Setting goals and determining a path up to our goals isn't easy, but it is the foundation of being happy and productive

Here are some tips to help you determine what is important to you so that you can apply yourself to those areas you value and to be happy with yourself :

1. Identify your priorities. Write them down to make them real.

2. Evaluate how you make decisions. Perhaps it is your decision making process that needs an overhaul at this current stage of your life. Re-approaching with an attitude toward making better decisions can transform your life.

3. Look at the areas of your life that you have control of vs. the areas you have little or no control of. Allocate time and energy to those things that are within your reach.

4. Talk to the people who are important to you. Is there something you can do differently in your communication style to enable you to reach your goals with these important people in the picture? Communication can be a barrier or the means to being happy in life and happy with yourself.

5. Helping others is a wonder-drug. Do good deeds, help others, keep your commitments, and show the people who care about that they are important to you. Helping others is the fastest way to get out of your own sadness and to see yourself as worthy of being happy.

6. Expand your mind with reading, writing, and other thinking pursuits. Read books by respected authorities on the topics that are part of who you are or are areas that you identify as essential to your being able to feel happy again: personal finance, relationships, job hunting, raising children, etc.

7. Take time for yourself so that you can reflect on these concepts and benefit from your reading and time for thought.

8. Praise yourself. As you take steps toward your personal goals, take credit, within yourself, for what you have achieved each day. Waiting for praise and recognition, even from the people who are closest to you, can be a disappointing experience. Give yourself credit. You know when you did a good job or made the right decision. Rely on yourself to feel happy. It is a bonus if you get to hear it from someone else. Ultimately, you have to be convinced, so live your life so that you can praise and compliment yourself.

Nurturing yourself through the tough times and the smooth-sailing times is a challenge. Work toward putting yourself in a state of mind that you can push yourself when you need to be pushed and you can let yourself rest when you need the rest. Find what it is that enables you to have peace and pride in this very hectic world we live in.

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