It's Okay to Be Unhappy Sometimes

It occurs to me that sometimes it could seem like I think that everyone should be happy 100% of the time.

This is so NOT true.

I get sad or down or depressed sometimes. I get angry or scared or have any number of negative emotions that absolutely anyone has from time to time.

Feeling some kind of bad from time to time is human. There's just no way around that.

There is no reason, though, to allow the bad feelings to linger. One thing I know for sure is that feeling bad, in a long term way, never made any situation better. It has never solved any problem, helped anyone think more clearly, or otherwise improved their situation in life.

That is the whole point of this blog - to be happier, more of the time.  And anyone can be happy.

The best way to stop being unhappy is to choose to, to mentally reject the unhappiness and move on with your life. Do anything long enough, and it shapes you and the way you feel (which is why some people find it very easy to be unhappy for years at a time -- this is the path they have chosen).

Realize that we all get unhappy from time to time; it is up to you to choose happiness as a way of life.

Writing the Irrefutable Rules for Happiness

I believe that there is a short list of Irrefutable Rules for Happiness. I might even know what some or all of those rules are. Maybe not, though. Maybe I am forgetting something or getting something a little wrong.

Here is the first draft of my "Irrefutable Rules for Happiness."

1.    Take responsibility for your own happiness.
2.    Have a plan for dealing with unhappiness.
3.    Be low maintenance and easy to get along with.
4.    Do not let what others do or think affect your mood.
5.    Realize that unhappiness has never made anything better.
6.    Be the best person you can, every day, and be satisfied with that.
7.    Look for the positive in any situation.
8.    Focus on others, rather than yourself.
9.    Find reasons to laugh and smile.

What do you thin should be on the list? What am I missing or what did I get wrong?

Seriously, I would love to get some help in creating a list of real value.

Happiness Strategy - Make a List of Your Happiness Reminders

Something that I have found helpful in my own life is to make a list of things that make me happy in my day-to-day. I don't mean like "pictures of puppies" or "a really good back rub" (although, this can be helpful, too). I mean a list of things that I know about myself and the world that are so easy to forget, but that make me happy when I remember them (or, at least, they make things easier).

Mostly, these are reminders about the truth of things, such as "Absolutely everything is better when I choose to be happy."

A few are reminders about what I should be doing to be at my happiest, such as, "I am always so much happier when I watch very little TV."

Here is my list:
- Absolutely everything is better when I choose to be happy.
- I am just going to be happy; that's it.
- Confidence that everything will be fine is a root of emotional comfort.
- Everything is better when you take charge and make things happen, rather than letting things happen to you.
- I have absolutely nothing to lose.
- A secret to happiness is to just be in the moment and not get overwhelmed by everything while, at the same time, looking at the big picture and thinking about all the good things in it.
- All I can do, every day, every minute, is my best. That is enough, but I have to do it.
- I have an incredibly good life and there is almost nothing that can change this.
- Every difficult situation or person is just a puzzle to be solved.
- The less I care about what others think, the happier I will be.
- I am always so much happier when I watch very little TV.
- As my dad always said, don't sweat the little stuff. Remember that it is all little stuff.

Think about your list. Write it down. Take it out and give it a read when you need reminders. The more you do it, the easier it will be to remember and the happier you will be.