How To Be Happy And Live Longer

Happy people live longer. Thats the good news.

The not so good news is that there is no definitive explanation of what happiness is, much less how to be happy. There are a lot of theories about what happiness is, and there certainly is no shortage of advice for how to be happy, but all of the theories, all of the advice, have to overcome one perplexing problem:

As humans, we are all extremely complex beings, and to make matters even more difficult for those who would define happiness, we are all different. What makes you happy might make your neighbor furious.

That complexity, that variation in the makeup of the human character, makes it rather difficult to generalize with any effectiveness. Consider the following definitions of happiness:

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Mahatma Gandhi

Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, wholeheartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation. William H. Sheldon

Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing. George Sheehan

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. Aristotle

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. Denis Waitley

These are the thoughts, some of which make more sense than others, of some of the greatest thinkers in human history. They may be important as the beginnings of understanding, but are they guideposts for achieving happiness? Of course not. They are not meant to be. They are far too broad, far too vague.

Now consider some of the more popular, modern-day advice for how to be happy. It gets considerably deeper into the trenches, and is more accessible than Aristotle and company:

Dont worry about what you should or shouldnt do or be. Instead, concentrate on simply being content with where you are in life.

Theres always something positive no matter what your life is like. Have a healthy appreciation for the things you have, for the people who love you rather than focusing on what you dont have and the people who dont have your best interests at heart. If your focus is always on the negative things in life, not only will you become more negative, but the emotions from that will lead to stress.

We were meant to be happy. Of all of the bad situations youve been through, how many of them have lasted forever? None of them. So you can rest assured that theres always good headed your way. Expect good things to happen.

You cant choose the events that come into your life. What you can choose is how you let them affect you. Happy people live longer because theyve learned the key to contentment is found within themselves. Do not let other people or circumstances define your happiness.

Mistakes are not bad things. They are lifes teachers; you should look at them as opportunities to learn and grow. Failing at something doesnt make you a failure. Its simply lifes way of saying, not this way.

Live in the moment, always. Do not ever say to yourself, I will be happy as soon as I get this or that job, or I will be happy as soon as I find the right life partner, or I will be happy as soon as I have X amount of money. And do not say, If only I had done this or that when I had the chance, I would be happy now. Rather, tell yourself, Right now, at this moment, I am happy to be alive. How lucky I am to have been given this life. And I look forward with great expectations.

Let us give the last word to the great Greek philosopher Socrates. It was he who said, Know thyself. That could be the greatest piece of advice ever given. And to know yourself could be the best thing you could ever do for yourself.

Socrates also said that the unexamined life is not worth living. So examine your life. Chances are very good you will find many things to be grateful for, many ways to serve your fellow human beings, many ways to become the best person you can possibly be.

In the final analysis, the person most responsible for your happiness is you. So first figure out who you are, and then let that person flourish.

Do that, and you will have learned how to be happy, however you define it. Do that, and you will live longer.