It may be true . . . there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to finding happiness. More than that, what makes some else happy may not make you happy.
But that’s OK.
Author Patrick Lindsay, whose book “Be Happy: 170 Ways to Transform Your Day,” attempts to guide to reader to a brighter day using bite-sized chunks. Lindsay’s approach is present aphorisms in an easily, digestible way. Although it remains outside of the scope of this article to cover all of Lindsay’s 170 “ways to transform your day” (you may need to buy the book for that), let’s explore some of them.
These are a few bits of Lindsay’s advice:
- Accentuate the Positive. “Too often,” the author writes, we dwell on the negatives. This weighs us down. Look for the upside.”
- Remember People’s Names. “It seems such a small thing to you,” Lindsay writes. “But it so important to others.”
- Pause Awhile. “We all need time to reflect” the author writes. “Put your life on pause. Sit on a quiet beach or in a tranquil garden.” He adds, “Calmness and balance will find you there.”
- Put the Past Behind You. “You can’t change it,” Lindsay says, “so don’t wear it like a chain. Use it to look ahead.
- Amaze Yourself. “Take the leap. Extend yourself. Move out of your conform zone. It’s worth the risk.”
- Rise to the Occasion. “Most of us live quietly on the fringes,” the author writes. “[But] you’ll know when the time is right. Take your chance. Make it count.”
- Bare Your Soul. “It can be wonderfully liberating,” he writes, “but it’s a gift to bestow with discernment . . . it takes courage to be vulnerable. Feel the freedom.”
- Reach Closure. “Without closure, wounds remain open, hurt continues, fear lingers.”
- Design Your Own Future. “Consider the possibilities in your life, not what seem to be the realities,” Lindsay writes. “Take a different view.”
Many of the things that Lindsay highlights are worthwhile. All of us can benefit from rising to the occasion, putting the past behind us, or pausing awhile.
Finally, although happiness isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution, many of the abovementioned aphorisms may be useful. As many spiritual leaders, authors, and psychologists would attest, being happy has a lot to do with what we can control as individuals. We can not control many things outside of ourselves, but we can certainly control many of our own choices.
References:
Lindsay, P. (2014). Be Happy: 170 Ways to Transform Your Day. MJF Books, New York, NY.