So you want to be happy, don’t you? Browsing the internet and reading articles on other people’s happiness won’t do it. If you expect a piece of other people’s writing to boost your energy levels and your self-esteem, you’re on the wrong path. Here’s something interesting (but hopefully not new) for you – happiness requires action.

If you expect to be feeling the ultimate joy after reading this article, I’ll disappoint you. What I can do for you, though, is give you some simple tips for bringing order into your everyday life and neat ideas that can give you a smile. And that, my friend, is a start.

Are you ready? Have you already had enough motivational talks?

Let’s check out some smashing ways to be happier

1. Smile – it all begins from there. I don’t care if you’ll call a good friend whose company you enjoy, load up a hilarious video on YouTube or play your favorite song. Just do it.
2. Express your emotions – if something is troubling your mind, probably the best way to forget about it is to express yourself. Write an article and publish it in a directory, draw something on a piece of paper or some software, sing a track aloud. Let your negative feelings flow until the cup is empty.
3. Do something new – start a blog, take up some hobby or even start reading about a skill that you never intended to master. Sooner or later, you’ll get involved in the process, you’ll start putting efforts, getting results and enjoying your own success.
4. Hang out with happy people – happiness is often contageous. If you don’t have a talkative, positive and energetic person in your entourage, it’s about time you met one today.
5. Meet new friends - put on your best social persona, go out in the field and meet new people. Start up a conversation with anybody that looks like a nice person. It doesn’t really matter how long your talks last, as long as you feel the swell vibe in the air.
6. Eat a piece of delicious food – unless you’re a world-known cook, then just call a good buddy of yours and visit one of the best restaurants in your area. Enjoy the conversation, atmosphere and fantastic taste. Be happy in great moments, because it’s those little joyful moments that we remember most.
7. Buy something that will make your life better. It could be a self improvement or even a happiness book. Or maybe new headphones for your iPhone because your old ones don’t work. If the credit crunch hasn’t hit you so bad and you don’t have a dishwasher – go out and purchase one. From time to time, money can buy temporary happiness. So it’s a good thing this list doesn’t end with it.
8. Make your bed in the morning – it’s a great tip that I first heard from Gretchen Rubin. Most people just don’t take the three minutes to bring simple order into their homes. And most often, disorder brings chaos into your thoughts and emotions. It’s just the beginning of making your life more organized. Tidy up your living space, your work space or even your garden if you have one. The results can only make you happier.
9. Stay healthy – if your body’s a mess, don’t expect your mind to be different. Got a fever? Do everything you can to cure it. You’re overweight? Start doing exercise for beginners 15 minutes every night. Tooth hurts? Well, there’s a reason why a profession called dentist still exists.
10. Give a hug, get a hug. Did you know that a mere hug can reduce your heart rate and even cure panic attacks? Besides, it’s just so nice to show that you care for somebody or that you appreciate them. The more you give, the more you’ll get. So start today.

I trully hope that now you’re motivated to do at least one of the tips from this list to be happy.

I’d like you to stop for a bit and think about this: Do you know a person that has no problems whatsoever? Because I simply can’t. I suppose that neither can you.

Problems are a natural part of your everyday life. Only when you realize that, will you be able to start concentrating on how to solve them, unless on the negative thoughts and emotions they provoke.

What I’m trying to share with you is that things go wrong sooner or later. So instead of thinking that they will never occur, be as much prepared for them as you can be.

Expect the worst and enjoy the best. A simple and sure way to happiness.

You can start by enjoying the comfort of your home. Or by relishing a humble cup of sweet relaxing tea. Start with anything you want. You don’t have to invest anything, nor make efforts – you simply have to feel grateful and happy with the moment.

Now that you’ve started, why not enjoy yourself, your family, your loved one, your good friends, your helpful contacts and every positive, energetic person you know? Yes, that too would be a small step towards happiness.

At work, savour your success and productivity. Experience the goodness of having a relaxing conversation with your colleagues (at least those who have a calming effect on you). That’s a start as well.

Just dive into the joy of the moment. Choosing at least three three of the upper things to start enjoying will guarantee a kick start to being a much more satisfied person. Or simply think about something else that you’ll like. After all, you have a simple choice in life: to focus on the positive or to whine about the negative, without making efforts to change it.

One of the happiest places on earth is Iceland. It may be cold and dark out there, but Icelanders are quite comtempt with life simply because their culture doesn’t stigmatize failure. That’s what writer and traveller Eric Weiner has concluded in his latest book and I fully agree with his thesis.

Here’s my question: how can we know what success and happiness are unless we fail from time to time? And should we really think of mistakes as something lethal? I don’t think so.

Cultivate a mindset that accepts failure as something human. Istead of being frustrated by it, simply learn from it. It gives you priceless know-how that no book, blog or motivation speaker is going to teach you.

I’m happy to introduce my small ebook called Be Remarkable: The Simple Guide to Being A Great Person!

It contains 18 easy-to-apply tips that will help you make friends, influence people and be perceived as a wonderful person that people want to be with.

The ebook is light, of 8 pages, made with great love and appreciation for all of you who regularly read my blog. Get it today only for $5 USD, available for instand download after paymend in .PDF format. I have tried to summarize all of my life values and tips on successful relationships in a short and pratical manner.

I’ve caught a nasty flu and as I’m writing this post, my body is doing everything it can to become healthy again. Looking on the bright side of it all, I have quite a lot of time to catch up with my blogs, to read some great books and to come up with more self improvement ideas.

Keep a positive attitude towards life, no matter how negative the situation may seem.

Despite my sickness, I try not to think about the state of my health at all. I know very well that I’m improving and that by Sunday I’ll be in perfect shape, so there’s no reason to concentrate on my problems.

Choose on what to focus your thoughts – on problems, on important issues or on solutions. But always try to maintain a positive attitude, as it will help you stay calm and make the right decisions.

It turns out that antidepressants leave you in a never ending cycle. Once you’ve started taking them, you’re bound to need them again so as to feel happy. I’m glad I’ve never resulted to such type of happiness boosters.

Money can buy happiness as much as income causes satisfaction when it’s higher and depression when it’s lower. But love of money leads to forgetting the real pleasures of life. Quite a nice insight into the world of happiness in our bodies and minds, isn’t it?

Thanks for taking the time to watch the video!

I’m bringing a new habit into my life. Each time I want to buy something, I’ll be asking myself the question if I really need it. To memorize the question, I’ve placed it as a note on my monitor, so that I can see it all day long.

Do I really need to ask that question?

The idea behind my new initiative is simple. From now on, I’ll be buying only what I really need and what I deeply desire. Only what I will use and enjoy after my purchase.

I really recommend you try the same thing. We often get involved with buying too many items that we don’t really need or even use. So by limiting our own possessions, we focus on what’s important.

Quite a long time ago, I stumbled upon a speech by Guy Kawasaki given in Palo Alto High School in 1995. What he shares is amazingly inspirational and true. One particular part of it, the one on happiness, really impressed me. So let me share his wise thoughts in today’s post:

Pursue joy, not happiness.

This is probably the hardest lesson of all to learn. It probably seems to you that the goal in life is to be “happy.” Oh, you maybe have to sacrifice and study and work hard, but, by and large, happiness should be predictable.

Nice house. Nice car. Nice material things.

Take my word for it, happiness is temporary and fleeting. Joy, by contrast, is unpredictable. It comes from pursuing interests and passions that do not obviously result in happiness.

Pursuing joy, not happiness will translate into one thing over the next few years for you: Study what you love. This may also not be popular with parents. When I went to college, I was “marketing driven.” It’s also an Oriental thing.

I looked at what fields had the greatest job opportunities and prepared myself for them. This was brain dead. There are so many ways to make a living in the world, it doesn’t matter that you’ve taken all the “right” courses. I think only one person on the original Macintosh team had a classic “computer science” degree.

You parents have a responsibility in this area. Don’t force your kids to follow in your footsteps or to live your dreams. My father was a senator in Hawaii. His dream was to be a lawyer, but he only had a high school education. He wanted me to be a lawyer.

For him, I went to law school. For me, I quit after two weeks. I view this a terrific validation of my inherent intelligence.

Thanks for taking the time to read this great quote of Guy Kawasaki. I would really appreciate if you share your thoughts on persuing joy, not happiness.

The really happy people I know put remarkable diversity into their lives. One friend plays golf and currently is one of the best in Bulgaria because he loves it. Another one likes winter sports and goes to winter resorts each time enough snow falls to go skiing or snowboarding.

The list of the things that smiling and cheerful people do never ends. They always find something new to do. Something to devirsify their everyday lives. Something that makes them feel like a conqueror of new continents.

So? What’s the lesson I learned today?

Always search for something new to make your life exciting. It could be sports. Or going somewhere new with family or friends. Or finally going to a date after your divorce. Or creating that new blog you feel excited about.

Whatever you do, always bring diversity into your life.

There comes a time when you have to think about who you really are. You are, like me or everyone else, a persona of positive and negative qualities. You can’t pursue true happiness unless you accept both of your sides.

Accepting yourself means admitting that you know who you are. It’s the first step towards a positive change of your negative aspects. It’s simple: you can’t change something for the better if you’re not completely sure what it is.

Try this tip: lie down on your bed by yourself and ask yourself the question “Who am I really?“. Just let those thoughts emmerge but don’t get emotional. Put some reson into unreasonable thoughts like “I’m a boring speaker.” Say “I’m a boring speaker, because…” Now choose three things you so willingly want to change and write them down. During the next 30 days, do as much as you can to make change. I wish you the best of success.

Life is stunning. It’s amazing, thrilling and dangerous at the same time. It can bring you joy and tears. And so it does. So please, whatever it gives you, enjoy it as much as you can.

If you haven’t watched Emir Kusturica’s Life Is A Miracle, do it now. It’s a great movie not only about what life used to be on the Balkans, but on life as a whole. Let me share it’s soundtrack’s lyrics. Doesn’t make great sense, but neither does life. Unless you put some sense into it, that is.

Life it’s a candy
With a red hot chilli papper
Filling inside

Life! Are you ready
You’ll be a butterfly in the ultimat fight

Life treats you gently like
Virgin Mary
But then strikes back
Like Chriss Eubank

Life
It is full of surprise
Crossroad to hell
or papadise

But little did I know
Mr. Preacher man
What real life could do
And shit could hit the fan
Life is beyond peace and war
Destiny and God
I remember that time

When Life was a miracle
As if Zidane played for Liverpool

Life is a buisness
Risky and confused
God gave you a deal
That you cannot refuse

Life is a Terrorism
Globalisam Optimism
Give peace a chance
Give war romance

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!

Image by Dany Sabadini

Happiness is achievable only when you search for it. In that search, you may come across some obstacles. You may even fail the first, second, third time you try. Whatever you do, please keep on searching. Don’t quit that easily.

Why most easy-to-follow tips don’t work

Here’s the news: most happiness tips just won’t help you. I’m not sure that most of mine will help you, too. Unless you adapt them to your life.

Experimenting your way to happiness simply means trying out what makes you smile and feel well. For example, blogging might make me feel great, because I’m able to communicate ideas. But maybe you don’t feel the same. You’ve tried it out and it didn’t work for you.

So you switched to something else, didn’t you? Golf? Watching that favorite movie? Proposing marriage or finding a new girlfriend?

If you try a happiness tip and it doesn’t work, find a new one or adapt it to your own everyday life. But please, keep on experimenting and trying until something makes you smile.

Image by Sarah

Easter holidays make me happy. We’re celebrating them this week here in Eastern Europe. We even have one day off work on Monday. But just painting those eggs won’t make a greatly spent holiday, will it? Here are my tips for really making use of Easter:

Catch up with relatives that you rarely see or call. During any holidays you have the chance to bring some difference into your social life with people you already know but rarely socialize with. So take that chance and enjoy the communication. As long as it is with relative that you like.

If you have to see someone from the family that you dislike or vice versa, just try to keep the irritation to a minimum. Remember that you can’t please everybody in the whole world. However, understand that the person in front of you is also a human being and there’s a reason for your dislike – realize it and change it.

Buy some presents. Even something as simple as a chocolate easter egg or a bottle of great French wine can give the person who they’re for a true smile. And a true smile is the best present possible for any holiday there is.

Feel free to check out some easter gifts here.

You also have more time to spend with your family. So try to iron out any problem that has occured during this week and chase those negative feelings out of you and your loved one. After all, holidays are all about gratitude and forgiveness. If you feel and spead them, then you’re the hero of the day.

No matter how many tasks or challenges you’re coming up to, always try to do what you love.

It could be something that makes you smile or you’re excited about. Or it might be something that makes you satisfied after completion. Even if it’s making a cup of great coffee in the morning, just do it if you love doing it. That’s the only way to true happiness.

Time is never a problem. If you’re not doing what you love now, that means you’re wasting your time with other tasks that don’t really make you happy. Blogging makes me happy. I’m busy, yet I always spare some time for communicating my ideas and believes.

How about you? Do you save some time regularly to do what you really love? If not, please try. The result is instant and lasting.

This week has been full of social life contrasts for me. I attended two conferences lasting 9 hours each and socialized with nearly 50 people. The rest of the time I spent alone, working or simply relaxing. It is only in such intense social situations when you understand how important speding time alone is.

That’s why I decided to share my top 10 ideas for spending some great time by yourself. Here we go…

1. Just relax – on the bed, on the couch or on the floor.
2. Find a new book to read.
3. Revise a book you already read.
4. Check out your favorite magazine – the new or an old issue.
5. Learn a new skill. You can find tutorials on everything on the internet.
6. Cook a favorite meal. Or just learn to cook.
7. Daydream – visualize something you really want to achieve.
8. Turn off and recharge your mobile devices.
9. Take a shower. Nothing more refreshing than it.
10. Make yourself an aromatic cup of coffee. My top espresso brands are Davidoff and Illy.

The days I spend by myself this week helped me get things done and relax. I collected a lot of thoughts (read about the process here) and currently feel great. I have no patience left to start the next exciting week!

Image by Jyn Meyer

Today I went to my dentist to finally fix a broken tooth. It didn’t hurt but I knew I had to do something about it. This was something I had to do, so I thought of it as a challenge to see in what shape my teeth are.

After everything was finished, I went to see some friends and have some fun, as the weather was perfect and I had a day off. I realized how much happiness something small as a fixed tooth can bring. I couldn’t stop smiling all day simply because of a trip to my dentist.

Find something small that makes you happy each day. After all, happiness is temporary. To keep it, you have to search for it. That small thing could be fixing a minor problem that you hadn’t paid much attention to before. Or it could be getting a box of your favorite chocolates. Just name it and take some of your time.

The satisfaction of doing something so small can bring you so much happiness. Please, try it for yourselves!

Image by Piotr Bizior

If you are, please stop. The glamorous beauty we see on television is a result of perfect lights and good make-up artists. The amazing lives we watch and read about are created by tallanted screenwriters.

It’s a good idea to enjoy life and always strive for the best. But it gets dangerous when you’re trying to be perfect – it will only lead to desparation.

Success and happiness lesson no. 1: Nobody’s perfect. But everybody can be grateful and happy.

So the next time you secretly desire to be perfect, just remember that you can’t. Instead, think of something or someone that you’re grateful for. Think of what you’ve achieved so far and what you’re satisfied with. And ask yourself what you really want. I’m sure it won’t sound “to find the perfect partner”. It will be more like “to meet a friendly and smiling girl with brown hair”, for example.

Always know what you want, but never want too much. Because those who want too much usually fail.

Image by Sean Jackson

Happiness is just a temporary attitude. It’s not a great achievement by itself, because it can be ruined at any time. The real key is constantly doing things that make you happier. This way, you’re recharging you happiness batteries each day, giving a longer life to positive energy and thoughts.

You need to cultivate happiness – to do what you love, to find an interesting hobby, to surround yourself with people who you have a great time with every time you see each other.

You find happiness only when you persue it.

So always do your best to feel great. But remember that once you take a break, you can’t expect that feeling to last long. So the more pesistent you are, the higher chance you have to actually feel happy.

Image by Henning Buchholz

The greatest success, is successful self acceptance, said once Ben Sweet. We can only be happy when we respect ourselves first.

Yet it’s so tough to say you’re fat, for example, isn’t it? I used to be, too. But one day I decided to face that hard reality and actually do something about it. Now, I’m fit and exercise daily. What I learned from this change was one of the greatest life lessons:

By admitting you have a negative side, you start taking action to change that. That’s the first step. Then, you suddenly stop worrying or complaining about it and start realizing that it’s all in your hands. Life is what you make it. And often, to make it, you have to change it. Because it was made in a way, sometimes not satisfactory enough, when we were born.

If you’ve grown up in a line of bad fathers, the only way to change that is to become a great father. That’s what my father did, and I’m deeply thankful for it.

Accepting yourself is quite easy, yet so few of us do it. There’s only two steps to it!

1. Face reality. “I’m a boring person.”
2. Change reality. “I’ll try to smile more, I’ll learn some new jokes and watch some videos on humor on YouTube.”

Are you ready to finally accept yourself? Are you willing to take action to finally change your negative sides?