A practical guide to a happy life: happiness vs satisfaction with life

People spend their lives in search of happiness. All concerned with the question of how to live happily and to reside in this stream. But the state of happiness - a very precarious state. Our self-perception can vary depending on which foot today we got up, we dream and how today the moon phase.

Happiness - fleeting and impermanent. But the feeling of satisfaction - a much more stable state. On the question of whether you are satisfied with his life, the answer is much simpler than to determine whether or not you happy?

Maybe instead of the constant pursuit of happiness it is time to slow down a bit and focus on the feeling of satisfaction out of life? The first causes neurosis, the second - gives peace of mind and confidence in the future.

Leo Babauta believes that before embarking on the quest for happiness need to find their way of enjoyment of life.

Many people mistakenly believe that life satisfaction depends on the social status of the person and his success in business. But in fact this is not the case. Many successful, rich and famous can be dissatisfied with their lives, while most ordinary (and even the poor) people can feel complete peace and gratitude for the opportunity presented to them live.

And it's called. This means that out of life can receive both rich and poor. As the famous and ordinary people. This feeling of all calls. And it is much easier to learn than to catch the tail constantly fleeting happiness.

Way Satisfaction

In 5 years we could dance in public places under hear music and we did not care what others think about us. But over time, growing up, we lost the ability to be direct and not constantly rely on someone else's opinion. Kids know that all their love, they are beautiful, intelligent - they are the best! Adults also for a sense of self-confidence needs constant approval from outsiders. They need social proof of their talents. Hence all the problems.

First of all, we, as an adult, must again learn to trust themselves.
Our relationship with them is no different from a relationship with someone else. Above them, too, need to work constantly.

The second problem is that we are constantly judging yourself. We compare ourselves with the ideal models in all spheres. We want us to have a perfect body. We want to achieve some success in personal development and in their business. We want to travel the world, learn languages, to draw, to write books. And with all this, we want to be yet and ideal parents.

Do you think all of the above in a perfect performance capable of fit into a single simple person? I think not. And Leo said as well;)

The way of life, which we are happy with the present, lies in making himself. We must let go of all these ideals, to stop themselves to condemn and to learn to trust themselves.

Changing habits and life satisfaction

Many people think that being satisfied with life is to do nothing and lie on the beach, sipping a cocktail and enjoying another incredible sunset.

In fact, satisfaction with life begins to change. But this, too, should be approached wisely. Most especially want to change themselves. Change the parts that do not like and which we consider imperfect. And this is wrong! It is a vicious circle, because there will always be that change or improve. But no limit to perfection, remember?

Thus changing yourself you will constantly seek happiness from external sources. Happiness must be inside.

Satisfaction with life - it's not prolezhivanie her on the beach. You can engage in their favorite work, and even if you have it taken away, you will still be satisfied with their lives, because they can help other people. Or find a new job and realize that you now move on and things got even better.

Satisfaction - is the inner feeling that can not be taken from external sources.

Practice

Now the main question - how to reach this state?

You need to learn three main things:

Cultivate one's credibility. The only way to correct the lack of confidence in itself - it is to do it gradually, in small steps. If you were an unreliable friend who would like to fix it and again to improve relations, would not likely get you started with a proposal to friends immediately trust you with their lives. This is wrong, because here so no one will trust at once (especially if miss was enough). Trust is built on the little things. You should start with small, eventually opening up more and more.

Give yourself a promise to drink every morning after waking up a glass of water. And clearly stick to the given word. If you can hold out for two weeks, from then on it will be easier and you can continue with something more serious. For example, to give up fatty foods, or promise to do exercises every morning. Or go to bed on time and get up early in the morning.

The mistake many people make is that they immediately grab the serious and complicated things, and give yourself a little unrealistic promises.

Pay attention to their own ideals. The second problem is with a sense of satisfaction out of life - a desire to exaggerated ideals. As mentioned above, in one person is very difficult to find room for a successful job, a strong family, travel, children, self-education, a hobby, a perfect body, and so on and so forth. These images are imposed on us by the media - glossy magazines, TV shows and commercials.

Looking at the cover of a fashion magazine, we can see a successful, beautiful, rich and famous. But happy there? No one will tell us the whole truth, and try to master Photoshop so that the model itself can not recognize themselves in the picture. We will never know how happy and contented lives of public people. So that there is public! Many relatives (seemingly) friends can not admit that they actually is not so great as they are trying to show. But we are constantly striving to meet the standards imposed upon us.

Most importantly - we must discard all unnecessary, all the husks and to learn to love ourselves as we really are. Learning to love and accept yourself the real and unique.

Release these ideals. Once we have accepted ourselves, we must let go of the ideals imposed on us. And stop yourself to compare. You can not compare the white and hot. All people are different. Everyone has his own inclinations, talents, preferences and values. In pursuit of the images we lose ourselves this already and we do not understand what we really want. And are we doing what we want, or what they want others? Or, now just fashionable?

Individuality - concept complex. Every human being is a certain set of traits and inclinations of those people with whom he lives (his family) and it crosses throughout life (friends, colleagues, enemies). But the core still remains unchanged. This is something that moves us, and it will not change no friends or relatives.

And when we stop to compare myself. When we learn to accept yourself the present and the real world. Then we will cease to be upset because of the fact that the grass is greener, but his wife - longer legs. And then we will be able to enjoy life in the present and all that it gives us.

In conclusion, I just can not help but be reminded of a remarkable film "The Joneses", Which is very tough show something that can cause false ideals and the desire to meet them.

A photo: Shutterstock