11. Don’t give up hoping.
Hoping for what? It really doesn’t matter. If you want to be happy, never give up hope that things can change. You can always learn from your mistakes and improve.
12. Don’t give up investing in yourself.
If you’re not investing in yourself, what are you investing in? You are still investing your time, energy, and money into something. Make sure you intentionally choose your investments, or your time, energy, and money will be gone, and you may not be happy with the results.
13. Don’t give up smiling.
If you want to be happy, smile. Smile at yourself in the mirror (it certainly beats scowling and putting yourself down). Smile at people in the grocery store. Smile at the guy who just cut you off. See what happens.
14. Don’t give up connecting with the people you care about.
When you care about someone, care for the relationship like a precious plant. Keep the weeds out and water it consistently. It will grow with your effort and love.
15. Don’t give up meditating or praying.
Whether you are religious, spiritual or atheist, it doesn’t matter. Developing a practice of awareness and connection to that which is greater than you, however you define it, puts things in perspective. Those who want to be happy go within and listen.
16. Don’t give up moving your body.
Move your body with finesse. Let it sweat. Let it run out of breath and find it again. Let it climb trees and skip and play. It was designed to move. It is happy this way.
17. Don’t give up dreaming improbable dreams.
Improbable is not the same as impossible. Improbable requires innovation, imagination, motivation, facing fears, and so on ‒ all good things.
18. Don’t give up loving yourself.
Whitney Houston got one thing right. Learning to love and accept yourself is a lifelong pursuit. When you learn to push past shame, judgement, and fear, happiness follows as you see all the wonder that is you.
19. Don’t give up expressing gratitude.
We have a tendency to focus on the things we feel are lacking in our lives, so that is what we see. If you want to be happy, break this tendency by actively seeking out the blessings in your life. Then take it a step further: express your gratitude aloud. The more often you express it, the more often you feel it and the happier you will be.
20. Don’t give up making new friends.
It becomes harder to make new friends when you become an adult. That doesn’t mean you should give up. Keep putting yourself out there and stay open to the new people who come along.
Author and Credits: Leslie Fray