In the world, people are either dreaming of happiness or remembering happiness. That is either being in the past or the future. But happiness is that which is in the present.

Many times you postpone your happiness until some perfect future date, but it never arrives. Be in the present. If you are happy now, the past will not torment you and the future will take care of itself. This is the art of living!

Here are 10 important steps that you can explore to help you be happy.

#1 Take this decision: ‘I will not allow any situation to bog down my happiness’

You have to take this decision; nobody else can take it for you. You smile when everything is normal, and when things are going your way. But awaken the valor inside of you, and say, “Come what may, I am going to keep smiling.” You will notice tremendous energy rise from within. Then problems will feel like nothing; they just come and disappear.

Being happy, keeping the environment around you happy, and not losing your smile in any situation is the real sign of enlightenment.

#2 Dedicate your life to a larger goal

The key to happiness in life is not to stay stuck in “me and mine.” Dedicate your life to some larger goal or to the service of others around you, then you will find that only happiness flows through your life.

#3 Lessen your needs and increase your responsibilities

If you sit and make a note of all your responsibilities and all your needs, and if you find that your needs are more than your responsibilities, then life will lead to misery. But if you take more responsibility and have fewer needs, then you will be happy. This is the secret.

When you take more responsibility and your needs are less, everything simply comes to you - enthusiasm, happiness, creativity.

#4 At all costs, save your mind

In your day to day life, people come and put some negativity in you, and that makes your mind and your determination shaky. Don’t let this happen. Put a filter to your ears and just smile through it.

It is natural and common that people will put out some negativity, but when you are deeply connected with your Self, and when you have intuition, then you will just smile through all such incidences. You will put a filter in your ears.

There are some pleasant and some unpleasant things, that is how the world is. How we manage them and keep our direction is what is most important.

#5 Look at people who have greater problems than you

Once a wise man drew a line on a board and told his student to make the line shorter without touching or erasing it. How would you do it? You have to shorten a line without touching it.

The student then drew a much longer line underneath that line. So, the line automatically became shorter.

The lesson here is that, if your difficulties appear to be very big, lift your eyes because you are only focused on yourself. If you lift your eyes up and look at those who are in a worse condition than you, you will suddenly feel that your burden is not as bad as you thought it was.

The moment your problems appear smaller, you will get the energy and confidence to deal with it or solve it. And also, serve those who are in greater need.

#6 Don't be unhappy about being unhappy

Never mind if you are unhappy for a little while, so what? If you think, “I should never be unhappy,” then that becomes a cause of unhappiness.

When we are happy, we experience a sense of expansion. And when we are miserable, we experience a certain depth. That is why whether you experience happiness or sorrow in life, treat both as equal because happiness brings expansion and sorrow brings depth, and both make you stronger.

#7 Drop unpleasant memories of the past

The nature of the mind is such, it leaves all the pleasant memories and it grabs onto those few unpleasant events and chews on it. How can you be happy if you’re holding onto unpleasant memories of the past? Unpleasant memories are the biggest hindrance for you to be in the present.

#8 Know that everything is temporary

None of the events are permanent. Pleasant or unpleasant, it all moves away. When you realize that everything is temporary, and it all fades away, then you can be perpetually happy.

#9 Have faith because faith by itself can make you so happy!

What you need to remember at all times is this, “There is someone who loves me very dearly, and is taking care of me at all times. He cannot be without me and He is capable of removing any lack that I have.” Knowing this, brings such joy in one’s life.

#10 Share your happiness with others and it will grow

When you are content, when you are happy, you want to share it. The nature of joy is to share with others.

Joy has the tendency to spread, and whenever a person is genuinely happy and joyful from within, they want to just share it with the whole world.

Quotes on 10 steps to happiness