Happiness is within our grasp but many times out of reach. The major key to finding happiness more often is understanding what works best for you.

For me, over the years I have cultivated and maintained some habits that has helped me reach the state where I find happiness.

First is I always listen to my heart. When there’s a decision to be made, I consult few family members and close friends to expand my mind but in the end, I follow the direction my heart pushes me.

This is because I am the only one who understands what fills my heart up. Nobody(whether family or Friends), really knows what will truly fit in for you. This has propelled me to be able to do the things that I love every now and then. An example is resigning from my 9-5 to pursue my passion. I have been tremendously happier since I chose this path. Doing what I love and getting paid while doing it, has been a major source of happiness for me.

Also, I strictly hold on to the values I believe in. I have been able to discover myself and I have channelled all my energy to being true to the values I find true. One of such is that ,I strongly believe in love, friendship, family and humanity at large.  There’s no amount of negativity churned out about family and love that can derail me off the path that everyone needs love and family is the first and most integral unit of the society. Trust me when I say that over time, the more you honor the values you believe in, the better you will feel about yourself and those you love.

Conflict and negativity brings unhappiness to our lives. Our ability to manage conflicts is a major factor that determines our happiness. It takes two people to be in conflict. I always try not to be the other person. For example, most marital conflicts are trivial and unimportant matters. Managing it is very essential. The ability to listen well, communicate well an let minor things roll off my back always keep me from being sucked into conflicts whether at home or outside with others.

I will be lying if I said we can totally eradicate conflicts. When they arise on few occasions, we must learn to practice forgiveness and always reflect on positives. Conflicts don’t mean we should cut ties with other people. I most times create closure and not have nagging thoughts about anything.

Finally, I practice simplicity and gratitude.  We all know joy can be gotten from the most basic things in life. Just as the expression of ” The basic things in life are free”. I know my own happiness comes from simplicity and not complexity. I prefer quality to quantity and many times I engage in moderation.

So what’s happiness without gratitude?

The practice of appreciation for simple things brings a level of satisfaction to the heart. Contentment and happiness comes when we count our blessings, not when we focus on what we don’t have.