How to stay happy? | James Foong

Article # 5

Someone asked me a simple question on methods to stay happy, I might assume she is not happy at the moment or she is finding ways how to remain her current happiness.

I always have a strange habit to analyse much on the words they used in their question, sometimes I feel their inner message from their question.

I’m not happy all the time, but I’m fairly up-beat. I’m never 100% content, but I’m closer than the average Joe. My fluctuations tend to vary between placid to positively beaming. I have bad days, but most of my days are good.

But there’s still choice. In life, happiness is a choice.

I am not expert on bringing happiness to anyone, but here are the top 8 points I personally do to make myself stay happy.

1. I accepted life is temporarily

When I analyzed that, and thought about it, I realized that once I accepted that all that exists will end one day and be nothing else, I was able to see the beauty of existing now, of enjoying my life and loving the moments in front of me. This doesn’t mean that I don’t work hard for my life, I do. But by accepting that my life is short-lived and temporarily it will end one day, I learned to appreciate the smaller things about existing.

2. Learn to say NO

I stopped trying to “impress” others, I don't give a shit on buying the things to impress the people I don't like. I accept that I exist and will die. While I’m alive, I’ll find ways to make those I love happier because they in turn make me happy.

3. Be Grateful.

Surround yourself with people who matters to you. I live in a family that gives me tons of reason to be grateful. REMEMBER, it is not the quantity but the quality moment. I personally do not like large gathering with family or friends. I feel its very stupid when everyone came into a room for the sake of gathering or reunion, with the 1 minute smiling when greetings and the rest of the time busy with their mobile phones. I am a very private person, I love to interact with human 1 on 1, regardless of family or friends. Private meet ups its a sense of showing mutual respect and I love spending quality time with them.

4. I remove negative people from my life.

And I don’t give second chance, regardless of family or friends. I only give it once. I have no patience for those who never-ending complains or those love to criticize others, thinking they are the smartest monkey in the room. I don’t debate with those people, it will makes me feel like becoming another monkey. Never underestimate the power of stupidity in a large group.

5. I write.

I write here and I write emails and short motivational stories to those personally message me. When I’m happy, I write. When I sad, I write. Writing is healthy for everybody.

6. I read.

I love reading. I read like as if I am taking an exam, wanting to find the purpose of the content. Lately I’ve been reading more. Some days I read less. But no matter what, I read.

7. LET IT GO

Work hard. Do your best. But do not obsess about it. If you think you have tried your best and it didn’t come out like expected then LET IT GO.

8. Say "Thank You"

Its important to me because it means I am grateful for the good things that happen to me as a result of someone else's effort. It also means I let them know that I am grateful, in the hope that they will feel better about themselves.

Honestly I find it rather difficult myself to remain happy all the time. That is also a lie that you can remain happy always. I very pity to those people who say they could always stay happy. It shows that they would never know what happiness is.

To be in the state of happiness you should first encounter bad times, sadness and tragedy only then can you be happy. So, if you are feeling sad or down it is okay because we are living beings and not robots.

Some questions, nobody answers. There are questions that maybe, nobody knows the answer to. That is the closest answer I could think of at this time of writing.

Thank you for spending your time reading this.

James Foong

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