TIPS TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS
Eliminating bad emotional habits, seeking the best of ourselves, facing difficult moments or learning to enjoy the little things that life gives us are just some of the most direct consequences of complying with this decalogue proposed by the writer Francesc Miralles, author from the book "365 ideas to change your life", in which he reveals the secret to finding our most precious treasure in ten steps.

1. THINK ABOUT TODAY: The predisposition to leave for tomorrow what we can do today and to scrupulously organize every minute of our lives prevents us from enjoying the present. We must think "Today is the happiest day of my life". The only reasonable thing we can do is spend the day in the best possible way.

2. AVOID COMPARING OURSELVES WITH OTHERS: The challenge of being oneself requires us to get out of stereotyped emotions and opinions and claim our place in the world. Happiness is subjective, it will depend on our needs, environment and time. Happiness begins with having our most basic needs met.

3. DO NOT CRITICIZE: Concentrating our energies on disqualifying others plays to the detriment of our benefit. Instead of lending ourselves to possible external threats, if we promote our own journey to the future we will live in a much more productive and calm way. The path to happiness begins with prioritizing our interests.

4. FOCUS ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE: Being surprised is the "sine qua non" condition to find the elixir of happiness. Unexpected happiness is the best, observing the landscape from the train, smelling something that reminds you of your childhood, these are little things that fill us with well-being. Focusing on the positive aspects helps us multiply their power.

5. EVIDENCE YOUR FEELINGS WITH YOUR LOVED ONES: Many times we are not aware of what we have until we lose it. Then we regret not having spent more time with our loved ones or showing them our love and affection. "Holding their hand, thanking them, a kiss, a smile, a message of encouragement... they make us and those who receive them feel happy." Not giving rise to discussions will relax our state.

6. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE: Life imposes certain barriers that we cannot overcome. The choice of our friends is our own, our environment is the mirror in which our personality, experiences, concerns are reflected... it is very important to choose positive people who make us laugh, feel good, who give us support... The quality of our friends determines the quality of our own lives.

7. DO NOT FEAR LIFE: Life is sometimes difficult. The anger of not being able to do everything can only be solved with a rethinking of our most immediate priorities. "Fear prevents us from developing our goals." DO NOT BE AFRAID

8. READ BEFORE GOING TO BED EVERY NIGHT: The frenetic pace of our society often prevents us from escaping and enjoying peace. Devoting a few minutes to reading before falling asleep will help "disconnect and escape from problems".

9. LEARN SOMETHING NEW: "Being ignorant does not make you happy, it does not allow you to understand many aspects and contributes to a lack of empathy with others." Culture contributes, therefore, to widening the range of friendships and nurturing us from their experiences, getting involved in their feelings and, ultimately, to being better people.

10. FACE PROBLEMS WITH HUMOR: We have all said at some point "I laugh so as not to cry". Assuming adversity in the best possible way contributes to our well-being, to creating a kind of much-needed armor so as not to fall apart and to face the tests that life throws at us with force. We cannot choose what happens, but we can choose our attitude. Even from bad experiences. If there were no bad moments, we would not know how to value the good ones.

(Article published in PUBLIMETRO January 30/2011)
 
FRATERNAL GREETINGS,
MILDRED