Every individual has their own way to achieve happiness. It could be being in a relationship, owning the newest gadget, driving a gorgeous car, or graduating on top of your class. Once they have those realizations in their hands, their happiness slowly decays.
Happiness is a fleeting emotion. It is a state of one’s mind that can change quickly by outside factors. Rather than aiming for happiness. I think people should look for the sense of contentment and satisfaction from deep within.
Trying to be happy can incur stress along the way. Not everything we want, we get, that is how the universe works. I mean, that’s the reason why it is difficult to set expectations and face the reality of life’s disappointments. Contentment is the status of being okay, satisfied, and comfortable with things around us.
Unlike happiness, which can have overlapping and often conflicting reasons behind it, contentment is being at ease about oneself; without the influence of outside factors. Some psychologist define contentment as the real and ultimate happiness. We’re going to look at some ways to help you achieve the feeling of satisfaction and contentment.
Establish a Goal
Look for your passion and aim for a certain goal. According to psychologist Robert F. Krueger, individuals that have established a goal and is actively pursuing it is 19 percent more satisfied with their life and is 26 percent more positive.
This is because goals create a sense of purpose in their life and makes a map of progress and development in one’s individuality. Your goal does not have to be beating the riches of Bill Gates or being the most followed person in Twitterverse. It could be as simple as learning a new language, traveling to different countries, earning a PhD,or even sharing a kiss with your crush.
Spend More Time with Your Family
Nothing beats the moments of spending quality time with your family. Humans are innately social animals and we want to bond with other individuals. Our family is the first and most important unit in our life that can offer us meaningful conversation, heartfelt bonding, treasured memories, and good laughs.
Having a good time with other people is nice, but spending time with family is irreplaceable. Majority of our life is revolved around them. We began our journey with them, and we will end our adventure with them.
Step Away from Material Things
It is easy to feel satisfaction the moment you get yourself that brand new iPhone, but give it a week and that feeling will be gone. Superficial materials are a good way to give us temporary comfort, but they are not the right foundation to rely on happiness and contentment.
You will never be satisfied with the material world. If you depend your happiness, contentment, and satisfaction on money, you will only be lead astray, and may even cause you to accumulate debt and depression. This may lead you to need help combating this accumulated debt, and being informed on the required information will help you during this process.
Aim for Self Improvements
Can you think back about a specific statement you made 2 years ago and revisit your stand. Do you still agree with yourself? Most people don’t, especially those in their 20s because it’s considered to be your formative years. This is a display of self-improvement and growth. This can actually help you tackle life issues in a more positive and effective way in the future.
Our principle, opinions, and conclusion change based on the facts that we have known. It is important to keep yourself improving because according to a study conducted in 2002, people that keep an open mind are more likely to experience life satisfaction by 34 percent. The ability to understand others’ point of view and compromise when the other party is right is good for your soul, heart, and overall well-being.
Offer a Helping Hand
If you had volunteered before then you are probably aware about that lingering cozy feeling inside your heart. Helping others is an important way to achieve life satisfaction and contentment. When you see that you can contribute to the betterment of others you realize your worth and importance of your action. You realize that have the potential to change others life and that gives you an awareness that your life is impactful thus you are meaningful.
Have a Sense of Gratitude
As humans, we are programmed to always be on a look out for a flaw, ether in a person, thing or situation. We focus on the negativity of life more often than not. We forget that life is full of blessing and seldom feeling thankful about life itself.
I remember how my profession explain this in a simple visualization. Imagine a piece of white paper in front of you, now put a mark anywhere in it and tell me what you see. If you say the dot or the mark you placed, then what can you say about the white clear portions of the paper?
