Learning to be happy in all circumstances makes sense. After all, it’s easier to be happy by the pool on vacation than when we’re in the office. And yet, we’re in the office far more often than we are on vacation. That’s why I’m sharing with you 7 tips for living happiness in all circumstances.

1 – Happiness is a decision

You don’t become happy, you decide to!

Yes, happiness is a decision. We decide to see the positive, to focus on it.

Because life is full of beautiful and not-so-beautiful surprises. And every day, we have a choice to make: do I focus on the nice surprises or the not-so-nice ones?

To learn to be happy in all circumstances, it’s essential to decide to do so.

Whatever happens, decide to be happy where you find yourself, with what you have and the people around you.

2 – Differentiate between needs and desires to learn to be happy in all circumstances

We want many things, but need very little.

Unfortunately, we often confuse wants with needs, and this leads to a great deal of frustration in our daily lives.

Because all too often we desire things that are futile, unnecessary and that also require us not to satisfy our needs.

For example, to satisfy certain desires, we take time away from sleep, which is an essential need.

We eat things out of desire rather than need, and our health suffers as a result.

This is not about living an ascetic’s life, but rather a life that rhymes “less” with “better”.

Because happiness isn’t about having lots of things and doing lots of things, it’s about having little and doing little, but with immense joy!

3 – Have good habits

Happiness is like a garden: it needs attention. Yes, happiness needs good habits to nourish it, and our vigilance to prevent it from being infested by bad habits.

What is a good habit? It’s something you do regularly that contributes to your happiness.

A bad habit? It’s something you do often, but without being aware of its harmful effects on your happiness.

I invite you to take stock: what are your current good habits? And what are your bad habits?

Take the time to observe yourself. Make a list of everything you do over the course of a week, then sort it out.

Do less of what doesn’t really make you happy and do more of what does.

4 – Choose a goal

To be happy in all circumstances is to have a goal, a direction in life. A goal!

What’s the point? Because when life presents you with challenges and obstacles, you’ll be better able to overcome them.

Indeed, if you have a direction to follow, you’ll be less upset and tossed about by life’s ups and downs.

A goal doesn’t have to be grandiose. It can be as small as running a marathon.

A goal isn’t serious. Besides, life isn’t serious – we make it that way.

Remember, you’re here to be happy!

Choose a goal, something that makes you happy.

It doesn’t have to conform to the opinions of others and society.

What would you like to do? What goal would you like to pursue right now? In fact, what’s important to you?

5 – Choose your job well to learn to be happy

We spend a lot of our time at work. So why not be happy?

Then it’s essential to understand that the perfect job doesn’t exist. There’s you and the job you like, no more and no less. Other people and society have no say in the matter.

What’s more, you have to accept that finding the job you like doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers. It’s an ongoing quest.

So be patient. Keep looking. Don’t give up.

Your work doesn’t define you as a person, it’s simply a way for you to be happy and useful to others. Nothing more, nothing less.

6 – Act now to learn to be happy in all circumstances

Action is liberating and calming.

Yet many of us are paralyzed by our thoughts and doubts.

We’re afraid to do certain things that we feel would make us happier.

Go for it! Take action!

What’s the point of living if not to experiment?

Stop being afraid of failure and what people will say, just do it!

You don’t have to leave everything behind, you don’t have to do anything big, just take one small step!

Just do it. Because happiness isn’t a word, it’s an action verb. It needs you to do things, to feel emotions, to live!

In other words, to learn to be happy, do something!

7 – Accept

To learn to be happy in all circumstances, it’s essential to learn to accept everything from life, from others and from yourself.

This means accepting the good things as well as the not-so-good.

It means accepting that we can’t control everything, but that happiness depends on us!

Because it’s not the experiences that happen to us that define our level of happiness, it’s what we decide to do with what happens to us that makes us happy or not.

First of all, always accept what happens to you. Don’t reject. Don’t run away from it.

Then, as a second step, do your best. No more, no less.

Nothing’s perfect. Nothing lasts.

And yet, everything is to be experienced, felt and lived!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Personal fulfillment: 6 simple questions to ask yourself
Discover Personal introspection: 80 questions to help you get to know yourself better

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World’s Happiest People by Dan Buettner

Dan Buettner’s The Blue Zones of Happiness explores the key factors contributing to happiness in the different regions of the world where people live longest and happiest. Buettner identifies what these communities have in common in terms of lifestyle, mindset and social ties. This book is a guide for anyone wishing to draw inspiration from the world’s happiest people and implement practices that lead to lasting happiness. By distilling the wisdom of these blue zones, we can discover valuable insights and practical strategies for cultivating happiness in their own lives.

I wish I’d read this book a few months earlier. I was struggling to help a friend achieve even a little happiness. After reading the book, what I should have told her and how I could have helped her now seem quite obvious to me. There are so many answers in this book. So many actions a person can take.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself