Remove the Negative and Find Your Happiness!

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude."— Denis Waitley

Wow, that sounds difficult to do, right?

Here's what I've found: we have to remove the negative elements that drag us down to find happiness. This could mean cutting out toxic relationships, limiting exposure to negative news or social media, or changing our negative thought patterns.?

When we eliminate the sources of negativity, we open up more mental and emotional space to focus on the positive aspects of our lives.?

This can lead to greater mindfulness, self-awareness, and gratitude, ultimately helping us find greater happiness and fulfillment. It's not always easy to remove negative influences, but in the end, it can be well worth the effort.

Getting rid of the things that are limiting your happiness is similar to dropping extra pounds before climbing a mountain. It allows the good things in your life more room to breathe and grow.

Evaluate these parts of your life as possible areas to remove all the negative aspects holding you back and keeping you unhappy.

Relationships and social life. Consider all your relationships. One unhealthy relationship can seriously affect your happiness.

? Romantic: Are you happy with your spouse or your significant other? Are you lacking a partner and believe that loneliness is an issue?

? Family and friends: Are the relationships with your family and friends adding to your life or detracting? How fulfilling is your social life? Do you get along with your neighbors?

? Work: Are your relationships with your boss and coworkers a source of stress or anger? Roughly half of your waking hours during the week are spent at work, so developing positive work relationships is essential.

? Are you getting out of the house regularly and spending time with others in a meaningful way?

Health.?While some health issues can't be solved, are you doing?everything?in your power?to optimize your health? Is your health interfering with your ability to enjoy life?

Career.?Are you pleased with your job and career path? Are there changes you could make that would improve your overall happiness?

Finances.?You're likely, not unhappy because you can't afford a yacht. However, you could be unhappy because you can't afford to feed, house, and clothe your family. Financial pressure can be a significant cause of stress and misery.

Adventure.?Whether your idea of adventure is scuba diving on the barrier reef or hitting the famous hamburger stand two towns over, a little excitement helps to keep us all on our toes. What do you have to look forward to next week, next month, and next year?

Social Media. Disrupted sleep, lower life satisfaction,?and?poor self-esteem are just a few of the negative mental health consequences researchers have linked to social media. Somehow the same platforms that are supposed to help us feel more connected?and knowledgeable also contribute to our loneliness and disinformation.?

Miscellaneous.?Can you count on your car to start each morning? Is your mattress sagging and causing your back to ache? Are you afraid your hard drive is about to die each time you turn on your laptop? These seemingly minor things can create a lot of mental havoc.

Would you be happier if all these areas of your life were positive?

Stop and take a few minutes to rate each of these areas of your life on a scale of 1 to 10. It makes sense that the lower-rated parts of your life are dragging you down.

But before making crazy changes to your life, focus on the less acceptable areas.

Choose just one of those areas for the fastest results and to positively impact your life. Choose the one item that will contribute the most to your happiness and?focus there.