by David Aaron White

Created on: February 14, 2009

Although we would all like to believe that there is an easy answer to the question "How can I be happy?", no such easy answer exists. When people speak of there being a secret to happiness, they are simply perpetuating a myth that has been in existence for way too long. There is no simple, universal way for one to become happy overnight; even when supporters of the myth say that their specific path to happiness takes a long time, they are still talking about one specific, universal method to becoming happy. Fortunately and unfortunately, everyone is different, so what can make one person happy doesn't necessarily make everyone happy.

More often than not, whenever someone refers to his or her "secret" to happiness, he or she is merely trying to sound wise. As callous as it sounds, the absolute truth is that no one knows of a secret to happiness that is beneficial to everyone, and people only need to hear about what can help them specifically be happy people. If being happy was as simple as eating right and exercising every day, then the whole world might make a few changes and be happy; however, happiness does not come to everyone through proper dieting and exercise, so such a scenario is impossible.

Now that we have established that there is no quick fix to happiness, we can start to explore ways that certain types of people can become happy. For example, if you're someone who is bored all of the time and unhappy because of it, then finding some sort of hobby is what you need to become happy; simply "relaxing" and laying in bed isn't going to make you any happier than you already are. Finding something to fill the void is key if you feel as if you have such a void in your life; emptiness is often something that leads to unhappiness.

If you're someone who feels as if you're constantly overworked, then you need the exact opposite of what is previously recommended. Take some time to yourself and read a book, hang out with some friends, or even watch some television. Being overworked can lead to you becoming stressed; being stressed can lead to you being unhappy. Relieving some stress through relaxation is something that overly-active, overworked people can do to become happier. However, make sure that you find some time first: if you get behind on the massive amount of work that you need to get done, then you will end up with more stress in little to no time.

People who are stressed may not be stressed because of how much time goes into their job, but because

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