Last update: 01 March, 2018
The ingredients of happiness are not found in a magic recipe, but are the result of common feeling. What we call happiness is not a state of constant euphoria, but an attitude of harmony and balance in the face of reality that brings us inner peace and vital good intentions.
We all want to be happy, but we are not always able to define what happiness exactly is. Sometimes, we think it depends on getting something: a relationship, a material good, a job, etc. But the truth is that the ingredients of happiness are within everyone's reach because they grow within us.
"Human happiness, usually, is not so much the result of great strokes of luck, which rarely happen, as of small daily satisfactions".
-Benjamin Franklin-
Then, happiness is neither obtained nor lost since it is an attitude that is built. To do this, the important thing is to learn to see what it offers us. Here are seven ingredients of happiness within everyone's reach.
The ingredients of happiness
1. Forgive yourself
We often blame ourselves for our mistakes and failures. We also blame ourselves for being a certain way or not. In reality, guilt is useless. Its role is only to transform us into unhappy and insecure beings.
The first ingredient of happiness is to give up guilt. Learn to be our best friends. Doing this is impossible if we do not forgive ourselves and accept that error and mistake are precious goods. They are the main source of learning and growth.
2. Explore, experience the new
It is common to have a tendency to build repetitive lifestyles, that prevent us from always dealing with something new. This helps us feel stable and saves us from a huge drain on emotional energy.
The problem is that if we eliminate the novelty from our life, we will soon feel dull and unmotivated. Also, we will end up getting stuck. It is important to always leave a place to explore, in order to be able to compare ourselves with the new. This is undoubtedly one of the ingredients of happiness.
3. Physical and creative activity
Physical activity is much more than a tool for staying healthy. The impact of exercise on the mind and mood is well known. Happiness is also a neurochemical phenomenon and it is important to be aware of it. Regular exercise largely prevents negative moods.
Something similar happens with creative and recreational activities. The human being needs to give space to expression, imagination, creativity. If we deprive ourselves of these dimensions, we will hardly feel happy.
4. Make your life easier
Another major ingredient of happiness is learning to make your life easier. This means understanding what is really important and what is not. Knowing how to spend time on what is important and avoid wasting it in neurotic situations.
Making your life easier also means learning how to find effective solutions. Don't fill us with unnecessary problems. Clear the path of small obstacles to obtain the vitality that great challenges require of us.
5. Moderate the impulses
One of the ingredients of happiness is being spontaneous. However, it should not be confused with letting ourselves be carried away by any impulses we feel. Self-control takes effort, but the fruits harvested will be very sweet.
Nowadays, anyone can access meditation techniques. They are a wonderful tool for learning to manage our emotions, to avoid them being a crippling force. Without a doubt, we are happier when we become able to act from reason and not from impulse.
6. Constructive friendships
Friendship is one of the most beautiful bonds in life. It is because it has so much spontaneous and free. Genuine friendships arise from affinity. They are given and received by their own decision. There are no compromises and if they last over time it is due to a free and personal choice.
Who finds a friend finds a treasure is a now famous phrase. And it is because it is true. Friends contribute to our reaffirmation, to know each other, to value each other. They teach us to listen and to be in solidarity. They are our great company in countless moments. Without a doubt, they make up one of the ingredients of happiness.
7. Be grateful
Being good to ourselves means accepting ourselves, tolerating our mistakes, forgiving ourselves, as has already been said. It also involves taking care of yourself, protecting yourself, not ceasing to recognize the results you have achieved and being courageous in bad times. Remind ourselves relentlessly that we have a right to be happy.
Gratitude is a wonderful virtue because it ends up generating great benefits to those who experience it. Only those who value the good things in their life can be grateful. Who knows how to appreciate them, is happy. In that action, happiness increases.
The ingredients of happiness are built. They do not fall from the sky, nor do they meet by chance in some corner of life. It is a wonderful truth that allows us to think that it is only us, and no one else, the masters of our happiness.
