Pursuing happiness is a right that everyone has. Without a doubt, we have the freedom and capability to pursue happiness, but that still doesn't guarantee that we will actually achieve it.
You see, the key to happiness is not in a magical pill, is not having all the money in the world – is not anything materialistic or outside of yourself. Everything you need to attain your goal and reach happiness is within you – if you aren't happy then you aren't looking in the right place – within yourself!
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Five Keys to Happiness – Pass Them on
As Benjamin Franklin observed, and need I say everyone still enforces, good health is a primary key to happiness. The time and care you put forth in yourself is absolutely essential to your physical and emotional well-being.
So many people suffer from insomnia and begin every day at a disadvantage because they did not get a good night's sleep. Sleep is important, and so is a healthy well-balanced diet and exercise.
All of these are keys to happiness, and maintaining them allows you to feel better on a daily basis and become more resistant when you are exposed to germs.
The second key to happiness is your friends and family. Although you may not realize it, these are the people that support you, love you, nourish your soul and help you in times of need. And, of course, you are there to do the same for them.
Many people forget that they have these support networks, and instead, don't ask for help when they need it and remain stoic as they try and do everything themselves. You need to learn how to trust those around you – your friends and family do understand and want to be there for you.
Once you start trusting in those that care, you will quickly realize that you are less stressed and, more importantly, much happier.
The third key to happiness is your life at home. If you are excited and looking forward to walking through your door at the end of the day then you are off to a good start. Not everyone can agree though, and this can extremely impact your happiness.
Your home needs to be your sanctuary, the place you go to escape from the rigors of the world. To make this more possible, you must try your best to have your home as orderly and chaos-free as possible.
Of course, having young children can make this more difficult. However, make it a point to have somewhere in your home that is your refuge zone. Simply 15 minutes of soaking in a bathtub with a glass of wine, could be all that you need.
The fourth key to happiness is to reach out and find spiritual calmness. Each person differs in what meets their spiritual needs. Some people will find peace within a garden or at the beach.
Others would rather meditate or practice yoga. Finding what truly brings you to inner peace and offers you moments of calmness, will surely allow you to feel happiness.
The final key to happiness is followed by the expression “do what you love and love what you do”. It is necessary that you feel satisfied with the things you do, especially when it is a job well done. Just think about your career, how does it make you feel when it does not provide you with satisfaction?
It becomes more difficult for you to be happy. Spending most of your time in an environment that makes it hard for you to be happy, isn't helping in the least. If changing jobs or careers is not an option at this point, there is still hope.
As long as the other areas of your life are filled with happiness, then you will find your job much easier to handle and you will start to change the way you feel towards it.
When you finally find the key to happiness that works for you, you will start to be at peace with yourself. You will notice your inner wounds healing and you will finally see the key start to turn as it opens the door to happiness.
When you have reached this point, don't throw away the key – instead, pass the key to happiness on to others. Giving back to the world will help you feel happy and will also reach out and help others along their journey. As a final reward, you will feel even happier that you have made a difference in your life and the life of someone else.