20 Hard Things You Need to Do to Be
Happy
There are no shortcuts to any place
worth going.
You have to do hard things to be
happy in life. The things no one else is doing. The things that
frighten you. The things others can’t do for you. The things that
make you question how much longer you can hold on and push forward.
Why?
Because those are the things that
define you. Those are the things that make the difference between
existing and living – between knowing the path and walking the path – between a
life of mediocrity and a life filled with happiness and success.
Of course, the hard things are often
the easiest things to avoid. To procrastinate. To make
excuses. To pretend like they somehow don’t apply to you and your life situation.
But reality always rears its head in
the end. And the truth about how ordinary people achieve immense
happiness and incredible feats of success is that they step out of their
comfort zones and do the hard things that their more educated, affluent and
qualified counterparts don’t have the courage, drive or determination to do.
So for your own sake, start doing
the hard things TODAY. I guarantee, you will be blown away at just how
remarkable you really are and just how amazing life can be. Here are some
ideas to get you started:
1.
You
need to take small chances every day. – It’s the best way to face
any problem, crush every fear and overcome life’s greatest challenges.
And you get just about as many chances in life as you’re willing to take.
So never let your fear decide your future. Take small chances every day,
one step at a time. Some will work out and some won’t. But good
choices or bad, if you never take these chances, someone else will build your
life for you. And you don’t want that.
2.
You
need to worry less about what other people think of you.– A beautiful life is about spending
your time passionately, being happy with who you are inside, and not worrying
about everyone’s petty judgments. If you want to achieve greatness, stop
asking for everyone’s approval. You don’t need anyone’s approval to be
happy or to follow your heart.
3.
You
need to ignore what everyone else is doing and achieving.– Your life is about breaking your
own limits and outgrowing yourself to live YOUR best life. You are not in
competition with anyone else; plan to outdo your past, not other people.
4.
You
need to invest in yourself even when no one else is. – Truth be told, there are
only a few people in this world who will stay 100% true to you, and YOU should
be one of them. Prioritize your own needs into your daily to-do’s.
Invest in your education, health and happiness every single day. Create a
life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside
to everyone else. (Read Choose Yourself!)
5.
You
need to walk the talk. –
Do not ask others or the universe to guide your footsteps if you’re not willing
to move your feet. If you really want it, prove it! Happiness will
come to you when it comes from you. Success will be yours when you take
responsibility for making your goals a top priority.
6.
You
need to put your heart into your work. – Love is a verb. Act on
it. Put your heart into goals that move you. Work hard. In
the end, love is what makes you smile when you’re tired and still struggling.
7.
You
need to deliver results, even when making excuses is easier. – NO shortcuts. NO quick
fixes. NO blaming others. NO “I’ll do it tomorrows.” NO MORE
EXCUSES! Just get started. Quit talking and begin doing! Laziness
may appear attractive, but work leads to happiness.
8.
You
need to make mistakes and look like a fool sometimes. – Quite often, the successful
people who act the happiest are the ones who have overcome the most.
Sometimes you have to lose something precious in order to gain something
priceless. Never regret your past mistakes and failures, because they
have given you strength. The one who falls and gets up is much stronger
than the one who never fell.
9.
You
need to let go of yesterday’s struggles. – The story of your life has
many chapters. One bad chapter doesn’t mean it’s the end. So stop re-reading the bad
one already and turn the page. Accept what is, let go of what was and
have faith in what could be. Remember, life does not have to be anywhere
near perfect to be wonderful in the end.
10. You need to refrain from feeling sorry
for yourself. –
To those who are struggling, I understand how rough things are right now.
I just want to let you know that things will get better, I promise. Keep
pushing forward. I know you feel like nobody really cares, but you’re
wrong. People care. I care, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing
this. You’re not alone. We may be miles apart, but we’re all going
through similar challenges. Realize that self-pity is not helpful.
Life is not about feeling sorry for yourself. It’s about forgiveness, acceptance
and looking forward to what makes you stronger and better off in the long run.
11. You need to toughen up. – The strongest, happiest,
most successful people are NOT those who always win, but those who don’t give
up when they lose. They fail forward. So keep calm when everything seems
to be going wrong. You may feel weak, but your spirit is strong.
When things are tough, you must be tougher. Don’t pray for an easy life;
pray for the strength to endure a hard one that leads to long-term success and
happiness.
12. You need to fight hard for what you
believe in. –
Great strength comes from overcoming what others believe is impossible.
And sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war. So if you
believe strongly in something, fight for it. In time things will fall
into place… maybe not today, but eventually… maybe not exactly how you planned,
just how it’s meant to be. (Angel and I discuss this in more
detail in the “Adversity” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do
Differently.)
13. You need to be patient. – Don’t rush it.
Practice patience. Keep a good attitude while working hard for what you
believe in. When the time is right, it’ll happen.
14. You need to take control of your
thoughts before they take control of you. –It’s often our own thinking
that hurts us. Realize this. You can’t solve your problems with the
same thinking you used to create them. There’s no reason to imprison
yourself. Don’t think outside the box. Think like there is no box.
15. You need to be positive. – Happiness is in the heart
and mind, not in random circumstances. Beautiful things happen when you
distance yourself from negative thinking. Be positive and smile right
now, not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of
everything. Smiling doesn’t always mean you’re happy; sometimes it simply
means you’re strong. And smiling will help you feel better.
16. You need to spend more time with the
right people. –
And if you know the people around you aren’t the right people, you
need to change the people around you. It’s not easy, but it’s
worth it. Don’t expect to see positive changes in your life if you
surround yourself with negative people. Don’t give part-time people a
full-time position in your life. Know your value and what you have to
offer, and never settle for relationships that always bring you down.
17. You need to stand up for yourself. – Some people will do anything
for their own personal gain at the expense of others – cut in line, take money
and property, bully and belittle, pass guilt, etc. Do not accept this
behavior. Do not let people walk all over you. Most of these people
know they’re doing the wrong thing and will back down and apologize
surprisingly quickly when confronted. In most social settings people tend
to keep quiet until one person speaks up, so SPEAK UP.
18. You need to forgive everyone who has
wronged you. –
Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness, nor forgiveness for
acceptance. It’s about knowing that resentment is not on the path to
happiness. Remember, you don’t forgive people because you’re weak.
You forgive them because you’re strong enough to know that people make
mistakes. (Read Loving What Is.)
19. You need to reach out and help
people. –
The closest thing to being cared for is to care for others. We are all in
this together and we should treat each other as such. Your beliefs alone
don’t make you a better person, your behavior does. Use your voice for
kindness, your ears for compassion, and your hands for charity, always.
You don’t need a reason to help someone else.
20. You need to be present enough to
enjoy your journey. –
Find your balance between planning and presence. When life is good, enjoy
it. Don’t go looking for something better every second. Happiness
never comes to those who don’t appreciate what they have. You must be
willing to loosen your grip on the life you have planned so you can enjoy the
life that is waiting for you in this moment. It may not be everything you
want for your future, but it’s everything you need right now.
The floor is
yours…
What else would you add to the
list? What’s one hard thing you do that makes you happier? Leave a
comment below and share your thoughts.
