27 Oct Want a happy life? Follow these 7 golden rules!
By James Michael Sama via PsychCentral
We won’t solve all your problems by reading a list on the Internet, but it might help anyway.
As I sit here to write this, the first article produced in my new apartment, I look around and reflect on the previous few months of life. Much has changed. Things are crazier, hectic, and in some ways, uprooted.
I look around at this beautiful place I’ve become fortunate enough to live in. The music in my headphones is mildly sentimental, and tonight we celebrate a special occasion.
It’s all a bit surreal, actually. For seemingly the first time in months, there is, but for a brief moment, calmness. Nowhere to rush to quite yet, no clients to call, no errands to run. Just some time to sit and wonder.
To sit and wonder how I’ve handled all of the transitions that have happened in my life recently. Have I been the best son? Brother? Boyfriend? Have I let the stress get to me even when I pride myself on handling things calmly?
While I’ve exceeded personal and professional performance goals as of late, I feel that some time is still well-spent on making sure I remain the person who I’ve worked so hard to become.
For that reason, I write this reminder — both to myself and all of you — of the seven rules I feel every good person should live by. If we remember to implement these into our daily lives, I believe they will always guide us down the right path to happiness and contentment.
1. Help Those You Can, Whenever You Can.
I find myself observing people often these days. Not just observing, but absorbing — absorbing what they’re feeling in the moment; the challenges they’re facing; the simplicity of sitting down alone at lunch; the struggle of scaling the third flight of stairs as they likely wonder if they should work out more often. The challenges we all face, simply by being human.
I had a routine doctor’s appointment and as I was leaving, getting on to the elevator, the door opened and I found myself making immediate eye contact with a woman being pushed in a wheelchair. She glanced at me for a brief moment before looking into the distance as she continued to her appointment.
But in that moment, I felt her sadness. I felt it in a way that will stay with me for a long time, and I’m reminded that all any of us want is to live a happy, healthy life. The realities of the world are often harsh, and sometimes we all need a helping hand.
The next time someone bumps into you, accidentally says the wrong thing, or needs help lifting something heavy into their car, don’t lose sight of the realization that how you react in that moment towards them could be the best or worst part of their day.
2. Stay True to Your Commitments.
While I mostly talk about relationships, commitments come in all shapes and sizes. Loyalty is a seemingly rare commodity in today’s society. People are so busy and connected to so many different things at once, that it’s easy to lose track of things you’ve said or promises you’ve made.
For this reason, perhaps one of the most impactful things we can do for another person, is to do what we told them we were going to do, regardless of whether or not we’re in the same mood we were in when we said it. This is referred to as integrity…
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