How to Live Life and Be Happy

It would be nice if the U.S. Constitution guaranteed happiness, but it just allows you to run around pursuing happiness without giving directions on how to find it. Ultimately, of course, happiness is an inside job. Jump in with both feet and map out your own route to nirvana.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Dream big. Go out on a limb and pursue a life that interests you, not one others expect you to live. Read How to Set Goals and go live the life you were born to.

2. Make a conscious decision to be happy. This is paradoxically the simplest and the most difficult aspect of the whole venture. As most cheery people will tell you, though, at some point they simply decided to be happy.

3. Have fun. (Seriously.) Get out there and do things that tickle your funny bone.

4. Live within your means so that you're not stressed out about money. See How to Live With Less.

5. Take care of yourself--but focus on helping others. Living a meaningful life nurtures long-term happiness. See How to Live to Be 100 Years Old.

6. Find activities that ignite your passion--from orchids to inventions, discover what fires you up. Find a hobby, such as knitting, cooking, gardening or woodworking, to serve as a creative outlet. See 367 Start a Knitting Circle and 92 Set Up a Woodshop.

7. Meet new people and experience places, near and far. Spend time in the wild soaking up the peace and tranquility found only in nature.

8. Slow down, turn off the phone and stop rushing. Be open to new experiences. Take time to notice what you have rather than what you don't. It's natural to feel discouraged at times--practice shifting your focus to what's positive.

9. Eat chocolate. Work out. Both will give you an endorphin rush (one just takes less effort). Getting regular exercise and staying fit will have you feeling great, staying healthy and looking marvelous. See 25 Design Your Workout Schedule.

10. Find satisfaction in simple things: Spend time with children and see the world through their eyes. Smell tiny babies, watch an ant trail with a toddler. Pick wild blackberries. Laugh. Eat ice cream. Turn up the music and dance!

Tips & Warnings

• Mark Twain put the secret of happiness in a nutshell: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

• Take responsibility for your actions. Many criminals and substance abusers share the common trait of blaming their circumstances on other people. You're in charge of you, so act like it.

• Get medical help when unhappiness has a psychological basis. Signs of depression include chronic fatigue, apathy and suicidal thoughts. If any of these symptoms apply to you, consult a doctor.

• Stop complaining. It doesn't make you look smart and discerning; it makes you look like a complainer. It also causes you, your friends and colleagues to focus on the negative aspects of any situation.