Happiness is simple. It is found within and we need not seek it. It is here, right now, with us. Happiness is our essence and our source. Happiness is also a choice. Choosing happiness only increases our happiness and creates happy lives, happier societies and a happier world.

– A large contributor to happiness is a feeling of making progress towards a worthy goal.

Practical Happiness in Two Steps

1. Create a list of a handful of activities that can actually make you happy. Keep in mind, does your list come from things that you have or things that you do.
2. Incorporate them into your life on a regular basis (do them habitually), and you’ll be happier regularly.

“The reason why man seeks for happiness is not because happiness is his sustenance, but because happiness is his own being; therefore in seeking for happiness, man is seeking for himself.”

― Inayat Khan

9 Habits of Happy People

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal-write in your journal daily. As stated by experts, writing 5 things daily about what you are grateful for is key to attracting more happiness.
2. Spend time in Nature-the outdoors impact one’s vibration and actually bring in positive vibes found in nature referred to as negative ions. Sun, sun and sun. The sun is a great secret to super health. Get sun daily, be happy daily.
3. Meditate-meditate for only 10 minutes a day. This will create a habit that will allow you to notice your thoughts throughout the rest of the day which in turn will help you to be more present.
4. Random Acts of Kindness- Be kind to people you don’t know as well as those you do know. Do this daily and watch it increase.
5. Exercise- Movement is the nature of man. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins which are responsible to trigger a positive feeling in the body. Stagnant lifestyles produce unhappy folks. Movement directly impacts the brain. A balanced brain requires movement.
6. Eat Right-Brain chemistry is impacted when we eat the right foods. Likewise we  negatively impact our brain by choosing the wrong foods. Our emotional health,  weight and lifestyles are all connected with food choices. It is our due right to educate ourselves on eating right in order to be feeling right. Opting for foods closest to their natural state may simply the choice between healthy and unhealthy foods.
7. Creativity-Find a creative outlet to express yourself. The options are unlimited. Discover or reflect to find your creative click and pursue it, maintain it by simply doing it often.
8. Remove Unhappy Sources-An easy way to increase your overall happiness is identify sources of unhappiness. This could include things, friends, people, places and situations that bring your down, trigger anxiety, or stimulate depressive feelings. Simple rule to remove unhappiness is to simplify your life.
9. Self Improvement- Learning a new branch of knowledge, polishing up your skills, taking workshops/courses, reading self help books, seeking out a mentor, a spiritual sensei or working on becoming the best version of yourself all contribute to a healthy dopamine release. By improving ourselves, we grow in self worth and this is crucial to overall happiness and wellbeing. Choosing to become life long learners is the correct attitude towards bettering oneself and contributing to society in positive ways.