If you believe that your happiness is connected to things outside of yourself, you will never experience true fulfillment in life. Chasing happiness only leads to pain and suffering.

You already have everything that you need in order to be happy and live an extraordinary life. It resides within you.

In the words of Democritus, “Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold. Happiness dwells in YOUR soul.”

HERE ARE FIVE DAILY HABITS TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE

DAILY HABIT  #1 EXPRESS GRATITUDE

Start a gratitude journal that you write in daily.

We keep getting told that to live a happy life is to sip margaritas on the beach or buy whatever we want or go away on endless vacation…

The reality? Far from it.

Happiness comes from appreciating what’s in front of us. Happiness aren’t necessarily achieved through ‘having’ more, but rather through expressing gratitude for what we already have.

It’s hard to feel gratitude when you’re going through a tough time, but the truth is no matter how tough life may seem, there is always at least one thing that we could be grateful for…

As you begin to express gratitude for the little things and the big things in your life — your family, your friends, the roof over your head, the internet you’re tapping into to read this — suddenly we start to see the world in new light.

 DAILY HABIT #2 GET UNCOMFORTABLE

Do at least 1 thing every day that tests your comfort zone.

The funny thing is, comfort zones aren’t about comfort, they’re actually the old patterns and hidden fears that can keep us stuck.

If we say we want to live a happy life, we have to be willing to take risks, to grow, to challenge ourselves.

And although it can seem scary, you don’t have to jump out of a plane or travel the world. Start small; do things as little as trying a new restaurant, taking a different commute to work, or even getting a new haircut. Identify your fears. Make small changes on a day-to-day basis.

It’s not about banishing your fears or busting your limits overnight – it’s about consistent action that help you grow a little more every single day.

DAILY HABIT #3 NEVER STOP LEARNING

Learn something new each day and apply it on the next

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma GANDHI

The most successful people are voracious readers. Leaders are readers too.
Someone wise once said that the only way to mastery is through teaching. Once you start teaching, you’re also learning and forming new experiences and new neural pathways in your brain. You’re stretching and growing.

The world is infinite place with so much to offer, so don’t stop looking for ways to self-improve. Surprisingly, the small steps of accepting little discomfort and learning new things can take you a long way to live a happy life.

DAILY HABIT #4 STOP COMPARING WITH OTHERS

Compare yourself today with the person you were yesterday instead

As a teenager, I remember feeling constantly engulfed by envy, belittling myself because I was never the smartest, the most outgoing, the prettiest, or the “best.” I discredited my achievements, and instead spent days wishing I had (what I assumed) other people’s perfect lives. It took me years to accept that the presence of another person’s success is not the absence of my own.

Like Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparisons are the thief of joy.” They are a human tendency that deprives us from living a happy life. We compare the worst of ourselves to the best we presume about others, and begin to resent our lives.

A better strategy? Compare yourself to your earlier self. What are the qualities you’ve recently developed? What can you do now better than before? These are the healthy comparisons you should be making to appreciate your evolution, and pursue further development.

DAILY HABIT #5 CARE FOR YOURSELF

To live a happy life, do something every day to improve your overall state of well-being. Such as preparing a good meal, exercising, or watching an inspirational video on Youtube. Or it could just be as simple as sitting in silence.

Our body, mind, and soul are connected. Make a change in one of them and you change the state of all three. Isn’t that nice to know?

Take charge of our happiness. Things can change if we really want them to, whenever we want.

It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary. Especially if you want to live a happy life.

Take care and keep smiling,

Dr Arun Dhir
Surgeon, Health & Wellness Advocate.
Author of “Happy Gut, Healthy Weight” and “Create a New You Health Journal“