100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 61

Don’t take love for granted!

Almost all of us are guilty of taking our partner for granted, at least when it comes to expressing our #Love. You probably assume your  partner already know it, and maybe she or he does, but you need to do that tiny bit extra to show it. To remind him or her how special they are, and to remind yourself how lucky you are to have someone you love and who loves you back. Not everyone has that, you know! Even if your love doesn’t give you the heady rush anymore, even if it’s not the kind of love that sparked fireworks in your body, or lived up to your every expectation – it is still love! Express it in little ways. By giving your beloved a flower picked off the roadside, a foot massage, fixing a plate of comfort food on a down day, a hug for no reason or topping the coffee with a creamy heart.  

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 60

Don’t hide from your #fears. Face them! 

Fear is a powerful emotion, created to protect you from harm.  Its primal purpose is to keep you alive and safe, not to keep you from living life. When fear starts to dominates your thoughts, actions and life, it depletes your energy, generates negative emotions, clouds your self worth, prevents you from living fully and moving forward. 

You’ll find that at the bottom of every self-limiting belief and self-sabotaging behavior, lies a deeper fear of something. If left unaddressed, fear can fester, breed, attract more of what you’re afraid of, and eventually cause a lot of anxiety and distress.  The only way to overcome your fears is by accepting them. Understand them, label and explore them, instead of hiding from them. Get to the bottom of your fears, give them a expiry date and work systematically towards conquering them.

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 59

Upgrade your knowledge!

If you are not upgrading your #knowledge regularly, you are choosing to become outdated. Do not do that to yourself. Movement in a new direction may require some work, but it helps you grow as a person. You get to explore and learn new things that keep you relevant to your personal and professional life.  It will also increase your confidence and overall #LifeSkills, making you a more independent person. So go ahead, take your first step in the direction. You may need to upgrade your computer or technological knowledge, or learn something new in your profession, whatever it may be, just do it. Now!

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 58

Celebrate Diversity!

Cultivate and enjoy the company of people who are different from you. The beauty of the universe lies in its #diversity, not homogeneity. That’s why we have so many different types of stars, galaxies, animals, birds, flowers and landscapes. It’s also why we have so many human races. Make the effort to know people from different social, cultural and religious backgrounds. Learn from your differences and share your commonalities. It will open life up, give you new perspective, depth of character, make you more tolerant, and reduce prejudice. It will also make your life a lot richer, more colorful and enjoyable. 

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 57

Ask yourself, at this very moment, what’s an obstacle to your happiness? 

Or, if you could wake up tomorrow with an issue magically resolved, what would that issue be? Think of something personal, something that’s an obstacle to your individual life, not a broader issue like the economy or the next Prime Minister. It may be something big or seemingly small, but be very specific. Are you unhappy with your job, or an important relationship? Maybe you are overweight and it’s dragging your self esteem down or you are overwhelmed with life’s responsibilities. Whatever it may be, nail it. Identify what stands between you and happiness.  And then start working systematically to overcome that hurdle by creating change. 

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 56

Show up!

Much of life’s successes lie in simply showing up. Grab chances to meet new people.  Go for the dinner or the birthday party or the reunion. Join someone for coffee. Drop by to say hello to someone. Make the extra effort to meet people face-to-face. It’s proven that people like and form deeper bonds with those they see often. So go make yourself present. You never know where a chance encounter could lead you. 

100 Rule of Happiness: Rule 55

Give generously!

Giving makes you feel good about yourself, resulting in a “helper’s high.” It creates a greater sense of purpose and connection with others. It distracts you from your own existence. So go ahead & give with an open heart. Feed the neighborhood stray ,join a volunteer programme or pledge a little money each month for a cause you believe in. 

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 54

Anyone can be an expert on at least one thing. Just pick something you truly enjoy. Maybe you can make the best chicken curry, hold the highest score at a game, know every minute detail about a movie or your favorite singer.  Soak in all there is to learn & keep practicing, if needed. Being an expert at something  will bring you immense happiness & satisfaction. So get started now!

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 53

Praise people liberally & genuinely!

Notice the good qualities of others and be generous with your compliments & praise. Keep it simple and authentic. Genuine praise will strengthen your relationships,  while cultivating mutual trust, appreciation & affection. People will perceive you as a more positive person, and you will feel good inside as well.

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 52

Declutter your life!

Shed excess baggage! Start by going through your FB list. “Unfriend” the people you can’t even remember and the ones that annoy you. Clean your cupboard. Throw out anything you have not used for over 16 months. “Lighten” your house. Give away the unnecessary things. Make space for fresh energy to flow into your life.

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 51

Be your own cheerleader!

Yes, you need to be your own devoted fan and cheerleader. Be on your own side, be your own best friend. Build unflinching belief in yourself. Don’t sabotage yourself with negative self-talk or indulge in self destructive behaviour. Learn to love and support yourself before you can truly love and support others.

Warning: This is an internalised process. It doesn’t mean you turn into a pompous, self-praising, overbearing moron!

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100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 50

Don’t let anyone pee on your parade!

If you really enjoy something or believe in it, go ahead and do it. No matter what others say!

If you are feeling great and your heart is filled with sunshine, avoid people who walk around with a dark cloud over their head. They will bring it over yours too!!

If you do something that makes you feel good and proud, don’t let anyone tell you it’s not good enough.

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 49

Do something special for your parents!

Remember the childhood birthday bashes your parents threw for you? The gifts they pampered you with? The love and support they gave you when you were far from the best?  Well, it’s time you did something that made them feel really special. Throw them a wonderful party, take them on a vacation to someplace they have wanted to go forever. Buy them something they really need or desire. Do something that makes their heart smile.  

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 48

We say “No!” way too often. Now, start consciously saying “Yes” more often. Go with the flow. Start accepting more invitations. Take on more challenges, both big and small. Embrace opportunities. Say yes to situations, to new relationships, to invitations. Say yes to accepting your emotions. Simply say “yes”  to life!

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 47

Know your comfort food!

Comfort food is a gift to yourself. It’s associated with good thoughts & warm feelings,  so it improves your sense of well-being & decreases loneliness. It’s the friend who never disappoints or ditches you. It’s  a “social surrogate.” So next time you need a little emotional pick-up, don’t be ashamed to crave the crispy, salty, starchy, soft, sweet or sinful…just bite in! 

Remember not to go overboard though. If you need comfort food all the time, then you may want to look at the deeper cause for needing so much comfort. Therapy perhaps?!

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 46

When you can’t change something, change your attitude towards it!

We can’t always change the things around us. But we can change our attitude towards them. Events, people and situations may not be of our choosing, but our attitudes and how we decide to see them, is our own choice. So choose your attitude --- choose a happier life.

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 45

Be demonstrative!

Loosen up and cuddle. Be demonstrative about your affection towards the people you are close to. Physical touch (the non sleazy type) is not only comforting, but it also creates a warm and fuzzy feeling. It creates wonderful bonds, transfers positive energy and brings people closer. It keeps them and you healthier too.

  

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 44

Make a Bucket List!

Prepare a list of 50 things you “really” want to do in this lifetime. Mark them in order of priority, expenses and fitness levels. The number of Bucket List items you can plan for each year depends entirely on the practicalities of your life and your capacity. But start by picking and planning at least one item this year. Keep a picture of it on your desktop and as a wallpaper on your phone. This constant reminder will ensure that you don't let day to day things get in the way of your dreams.  Work every single day towards it. Make it happen!  

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 43

Visualize a text message from God!

Not the the hogwash, SMS_GOD apps and websites! But an actual message. Grab a few quiet moments and visualize what a text message from God would read to you. Do it every morning, every time you feel down,  need some encouragement, or a helping hand. Just try it with an open mind and see what happens.

100 Rules of Happiness: Rule 42

Treasure your health. It's no cliche!

Being healthy is the biggest blessing you have, yet you take it for granted till you lose it. You probably spend more time dressing up and idly surfing the net than you do on taking care of your health. But none of that would matter if you lost your health. So dedicate time everyday to keeping fit. Be grateful for your good health and preserve it.