Everyone wants to live a happy life. That is why we all work to earn money, why we push ourselves out of our comfort zones, why we search for love and friendship and it’s why we keep reaching for success.
For a lot of people, happiness is their main goal in life. They will do anything to get a hit of happiness which can lead to disappointment.
The truth is we simply cannot be happy all the time. To appreciate the good times, we have to live through the bad times. To be happy sometimes we have to be sad. That doesn’t mean that we should not strive for happiness though and don’t deserve it.
In today’s video I am going to reveal 16 harsh truths you need to accept to live a happy life. If you can truly accept these, you will have more happiness in your life.
Hard truths you need to accept for a happy life
Not everyone is going to like you
Ouch! This one hurts, but it is true. We all want to be liked by other people even if we are introverted. It is part of being a human.
Sometimes we meet someone though and it becomes clear, they don’t like us. We can fuss around them as much as we like, trying to get them to like us, but if their minds are already made up, there is nothing we can do. I am sure you have met a stranger before or made a friend and decided you actually don’t like them. It might seem harsh but it’s a fact of life.
The more time you spend trying to get someone to like you, the sadder your life will become. You will start doubting yourself and losing your confidence. Instead think to yourself, ok well they don’t like me and that’s ok, I have lots of other people in my life that like me and love me. Then move on and enjoy your life.
People are too busy thinking about themselves
Have you ever not gone to the gym because you are worried that everyone will be watching you? Have you ever tripped over and have then felt so embarrassed because you think everyone saw you do it? We all worry about what other people think of us.
For some people it causes anxiety which prevents them from doing things. For others it makes them feel insecure in certain situations. Worrying about what other people think about us can really damage our happiness.
If you want to live a happy life, you need to accept that people are too busy thinking about themselves to think about you. When you are at the gym, worrying that everyone is watching you, they are actually focused on what they look like, on not dropping the weights or falling off the treadmill. Once you accept this, you will be able to live a life that is a lot freer.
You are not defined by what you own
There is a lot of pressure to own the newest car, the most expensive house, to dress in designer clothes and always have the new I-phone.
We all work to afford basics like food, housing, clothes, and petrol. This alone is an achievement because everything is more expensive in today’s world.
If you want to spend your spare money on designer clothes or a bigger car, that is fine, but these objects do not define you. What defines you and is really the most important thing is your personality, who you are as a person and if you are kind to other people.
You always have a choice
We all have choices that we have to make daily. Some are easy and some are difficult. Sometimes we find ourselves backed into a corner, but this is normally because of the choices we have made.
Even if it feels like something is happening to us that was unavoidable, normally it is something that has happened because of a choice we have made.
It is about learning to make the right choices for you which can mean you need to be a little selfish. Once you realize this you will always have choices in life. It becomes easier to live a happier life.
You have to work your way to the top
Some of the richest people in the world started their career in McDonalds. It is hardly ever true that you get to step right into the CEO position and start at the top (unless you are the Queen).
You need to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. When you eventually reach the top, you will be grateful for all the experience you have gained and all the work you did to get to where you are.
Your feelings are caused by your thoughts
If you are thinking in a negative way, you will not be happy. If you find yourself in a situation that is not positive, but you stay positive, you will come out much better off.
Your thoughts are really powerful, and they can shape your life. You need to be able to re-frame them. Everyone is sad sometimes and everyone occasionally has negative thoughts. You just can’t let every thought be negative.
You need to learn accountability
We all make mistakes, it is a human thing to do. Real power comes from owning these mistakes and holding ourselves accountable. Sometimes we just need to put our hands up and say yes, I did that, I am sorry.
In the moment it will be scary but in the long run, the situation will be over faster. You don’t have to live with guilt and others will respect you for owning up.
If you refuse to be held accountable for your mistakes, you can never truly be happy.
People want you to do well but not as well as them
Friends, family, and partners want you to succeed. As humans we are selfish and even though they want the best for you, they don’t want you to do as well as them. They might not realize this as it is often a subconscious thought we have which can lead to them sabotaging your success.
Have you ever received a promotion at work and suddenly your sibling jumps in with something they have achieved which trumps what you have done? I am sure your sibling is happy for you, but they still want to be seen as doing better.
There is never a perfect time to do anything
We spend so much time waiting for the perfect timing to do something like breaking up with a partner, leaving a job or starting a business. When we finally do it, we think why did I not do this earlier?
The harsh truth is, the timing will never be perfect, you just have to do it. It is better to do it and not have to regret the time you have wasted waiting.
Life is about perspective
We can get so wrapped up in our lives that we forget to have perspective. We start focusing on every bad thing that is happening in our lives instead of being grateful for the good things that are also happening.
It is important to remember that someone is always better off than you and someone is always worse off than you. If you experience something bad take a moment to put it into perspective and think, is it really that bad?
Fear will keep you from living
Does this one hit home? We spend way too much time living in fear instead of just living our lives. We might be scared of failing so we don’t try or worried about what could happen to us if we ride a roller coaster.
If you want to be happier in life, you need to strip away the fear and live outside of your comfort zone, that is when you will really be living.
Your expectations are what cause disappointment
Disappointment is a very normal emotion to feel. It is a great motivator and can often keep us working towards something we want to achieve. The problem is our expectations are what cause disappointment.
Let’s take your birthday for example. Maybe you expect to be made a fuss off, you would like a cake, presents and dinner in your favorite restaurant. You expect this but you have not told anyone you want it. Your partner does not really celebrate birthdays and as you have not voiced your expectations, they don’t plan anything. You are left upset and disappointed.
If you had not expected anything, then you would not have been disappointed. I am not necessarily saying that you should lower your expectations, but you should be aware of patterns of disappointment. For example, if you keep getting disappointed every year on your birthday, you need to change what you expect the day to be like. If you do that you will find that on the day you are a lot happier, and the small things mean a lot to you.
You need to work hard
Life isn’t easy and you will not get everything handed to you on a plate. Everyone has to work hard to get to where they want to be in life or to achieve success. The harder you work, the luckier you will become which will lead to a happier life.
Time is more important than money
Money makes the world go round. We all want it and work for it. Sometimes we can find ourselves getting wrapped up in earning money.
We have a number in our head and that number keeps getting bigger. No matter how much we earn or buy, we never seem to get happier. This is because money itself cannot make you happy. A lot of money can buy you something that is so valuable that it is priceless…it is time.
Time is our single biggest asset. Every minute that passes, is one less minute we have to spend on this planet. Every minute matters and money allows you to step back and enjoy the time you have. Once you realize this, you will live a much happier life.
Life can’t always be good
I told you these would be harsh truths. It’s unfortunate but life cannot always be good.
Sometimes when we have our darkest times, our happiest times follow. When life is not going well, use the power of your thoughts and actions to make it through.
You live a life that you have created for yourself
Some people are born into poverty and others are born into wealth. We don’t all have access to the same resources and we don’t all have the same luck.
What we do have is the power to take every opportunity that is handed to us and make the best out of it. Many very wealthy people were born into poverty and many wealthy people end up in poverty. We have more control over how our lives turn out then we realize. If you are not happy, it is time to look at what needs to change and start working towards the life you want.