It’s been almost twenty years since my high school graduation. At the time, I asked one of my favorite teachers to sign my yearbook. This is an excerpt of what he wrote:

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Follow your intuitions and take risks. If you’re afraid, that means you’re doing it right. People who take the easy way out have precious few moments worth remembering.”

At a point, in adulthood, I became interested in psychology and positive worldview. This is when I realized how relevant this advice was. To live is to take risks. If you’re not taking them, you are skating along, merely existing. Risks are a staple part of life among the happiest people on Earth. Here, we will take a look at some examples, and try to figure out how to implement them into the everyday.

1. Happy People Take Action.

Every day you wake up, it’s a new beginning. Carpe Diem!

You have the opportunity to be born again with every sunrise, so congratulations about that. Use your new beginning to do something that’s worthy of the fact that you are alive.

Whatever you do will be important because whatever it is will be paid for by one day of your life.

It may be tempting to be lazy, but if we are to be happy we have no choice but to take action and make our lives happen instead of letting them happen to us.

2. Happy People Know That They Might Get Hurt.

Sometimes we come across people that seem joyful no matter what. You can guarantee that they’ve experienced pain, dealt with heartbreak and probably been in situations which seemed intolerable.

Chuck Palahniuk, in his book Invisible Monsters said, “The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.” At some point, it is inevitable to feel hurt. This is part of the human experience. Living and loving are both worth that risk.

So love like it’s the last day of your life, laugh like you don’t know it can hurt, don’t be afraid of pain or the end of your days. Instead, be afraid that your days weren’t full of joy!

3. Happy People Know That They Might Fail.

To achieve the best out of life, you can’t be afraid of failing. It’s very easy to get too comfortable. While comfort can be good for resting and relaxation, it can be a dark and depressing place as a long-term solution. In order to make your muscles stronger, you must work them out. Work your life out of familiar pathways and broaden your horizons.

Nothing is guaranteed in life, and that is why life is so rewarding. If you are always in your comfort zone, the positives you possess become less effective. When you fail in life, you know that you’ve given it your all. That is the greatest reward.

4. Happy People Shoulder The Pain Associated With Growth.

Remember, it’s all going to be OK! There are just lessons we have to learn along the way. Instead of swimming upstream, go with the flow.

When we are struggling, we can focus on it in one of two ways: we can dwell on what is eating us up, or we can focus on how we are strong enough to face the struggle.

Don’t use escapism to hide from what is real. Being defeated and feeling pain should both be seen as positives, as it’s the hardship that really allows us to grow

5. Happy People Let It Go, And Start Over.

So often, we tend to hold on to familiar pathways, even if they are no longer working for us. Some dwell on the past and let it interfere with their present and future. 

Don’t give the wheel to the past, let it go! If you find yourself opening a door today that leads to nowhere, try to shut them and forget about them. You just want to go through that door because it’s what you’ve always done.

Sometimes, whether with our thoughts and words, we can tend to repeat a narrative over and over again. We do this whether that story is true and working for us or not. We’ve just repeated it long enough to believe it ourselves. The hurt of the past is the past.

The mistakes of the past are the past. It doesn’t mean that they are not valid, or that they didn’t happen, or that they didn’t help shape you. From this day forward, live in the present and look toward the future!

6. Happy People Appreciate What They Have, Even If It Means Missing Out in Some Things.

We’ve all heard it, the grass is always greener. We have what we have, and we can’t have it all. You may feel like something truly special may be going on somewhere else. Maybe it is.

The fact is that you will miss out on things, and this is OK. Life will go on and be good for you once you let it go, and realize that everything you need is right in your lap. We are blessed, and we need to value what we have.

We sometimes take for granted the lives we live with all their blessings. Sometimes we don’t appreciate the things we have, even though they might be the very things that someone else is fervently praying for. True happiness and fulfillment won’t be yours until you can count your blessings. They might one day be what you USED to have. Nothing is guaranteed in life.

7. Happy People Accept The Truth, Even If It Is Disappointing.

Do you feel guilty sometimes that you aren’t at your best because you’re having an unpleasant day? We shouldn’t feel this way, bad days happen to us all. No one is letting anyone down. We are here to build up one another. So, go ahead and surrender to it.

Life will toss some negative events your way. Try to embrace them, and fight through the struggle. Sometimes these events are just life suggesting that we need a positive change in our lives. You have built a strong foundation, and houses built upon rock won’t fall when the Earth starts to shake.

8. Happy People Are Happy Because They Know That Their Happiness Is Their Responsibility.

No one else can make us happy. You must take responsibility, because your choices and actions are all your own. People who expect friends and loved ones to ‘make me happy’ are going to face sadness around the corner.

If you feel that you might be lacking some things in life, don’t give away the only power you have. It’s not anyone else’s fault that you don’t have what you want!

Blaming is a way of escapism. It’s just an excuse for the fact that you aren’t taking responsibility. There’s only one person who is going to make that person’s life all it can be…YOU!

9. Happy People Are Real With One Another.

To be your true real self and live this way authentically is a huge risk! You are a beautiful and unique creation, but that doesn’t mean all who encounter you will see it that way.

What’s important is that when you look in the mirror, you love what you see. Live your life to please that person in the mirror. It’s not your responsibility to please anyone else.

Instead of believing that you have less worth because someone else can’t see your value, believe that <b>they</b> have less worth because they can’t see how valuable you are. You have love in your life, and you know who these people are. They will always lift you up, so surround yourself with them!

10. Happy People Help One Another Without Expecting Any Favors In Return.

Try to be charitable and generous, because happiness does not stem from being selfish. Smile at strangers, encourage those with whom you associate. Be forthright with your compliments, and don’t hold back when you see that someone needs encouragement. Be their fan, cheer them on. If you assist others in finding their happiness, you might find that you yourself are happier.

I’ve Read This Article, So What Happens Next?

What counts is not what you read here, but how you can take this knowledge and apply it. Take baby steps. You must take the reigns in life, but you can start slowly.

Try to start by practicing just one of these points above that you resonate with. Create space to just focus on that one, every day, and one day you’ll find that it is there as a small light inside of you, automatically turning itself on. This is the way to internalize happiness.

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