7 Habits Of Truly Happy People

By Jeremy Chin
Posted on 16 Sep, 2018

Numerous studies have been conducted on the happiest communities around the world, to try and draw out their common traits. They are as listed below.

1. They lead a happy life.

Happiness is not just something that happens to you, but something that you make happen. If you move toward something, it will move toward you. Many of the happiest societies in the world are so because they made a choice to be so. They simply answered the callings of their soul and made it their way of life.

It's surprising how many of us feel we do not deserve happiness, and we forgo opportunities indulge in things that bring us happiness. Stop feeling guilty about doing things that make you feel good. Take a bubble bath, get some ice cream, take yourself out to a fancy dinner, have coffee with a friend, accept that party invite.

2. Contentment with what they have

The common disease that afflicts the world's ultra rich is that they never feel satisfied with what they have and are hell bent on accumulating more. As a result, they never feel fulfilled.

Many of the world's happiest communities have very little by way of monetary and physical possession. But they place value on the little that they do have.

When you start to acknowledge all that you have, and all the things you have going for you, your whole world changes. It shapes the type of thoughts that flow through your mind throughout the day -- you stop focusing on all that is lacking in your life, and you start feeling grateful and blessed.

You too can do this for yourself. A great way to trigger this mind shift is to keep a gratitude journal, so you can pen in all the daily occurrences for which you are thankful. Besides acquiring a more positive outlook on life, you'll discover new appreciation for the little things, like finding your missing pink sock.

3. Maintain strong community ties

The term it takes a village applies not only to the raising of a child, but to the personal growth and happiness of any individual. One of the traits shared by communities high on the happiness index is their connectedness to and reliance on each other; at work, amongst family, at their place of worship, with their neighbors. The happiness of a moment is multiplied by the number of people who share in it. With each area of their life in harmony with the other, it is no wonder these people live such blissful lives.

4. Proceed Calmly In Life

Life is notorious for throwing us curve balls at the worst possible moments, while we have our pants down, undies cuffing our ankles. A hasty response usually makes things worse and sometimes send things into a tail spin. One of the qualities of happy people is that they tend to always be in control and never rush into action. To float through life in a Zen-like state as they do, always apply these 3Rs in every sticky situation: Review. Respond. Recover. Do this and you'll always find your way back onto the path of happiness.

5. Aren't burdened by unrealistic ambitions

We are told to dream big. To shoot for the sky, the moon, the stars. Whilst it is not good to wander aimlessly through life, it's equally bad to chase an unattainable goal with laser focus and be consumed by it. To channel all your thoughts and energy towards a faraway goal is to deprive yourself of the present moment. And sadly, the very thing that is meant to be the key to your happiness, could end up being the shackles that bind you. Truly happy people approach each day with a positive mindset, and just trust in the process.

6. Don't get hung up on expectations

One of the things that get many people depressed is their age, not so much because they look and feel old, but because they had hoped to accomplish a predetermined list of things, by they hit 20, 30, 40 and so on. Happy people tend to not look at life this way. They see life as a box of surprises, and not knowing what tomorrow holds is what makes it exciting. Many of us look at our lives and think it's gone all wrong, when in fact it's just gone different. And different isn't necessarily bad..

7. Live a life of purpose

The happiest people in the world have a reason to wake up each morning. They don't just hit the ground running. They hit the ground smiling. But how does one find their purpose in life?

The answer probably eludes so many because purpose is not something you discover. It's something you organize for yourself. People with purpose don't sit around thinking about it. They jump right into it. They're out there, their lives in motion, taking a flamenco class, putting the final touches on their Zen Garden, gathering ingredients for an untried recipe.