Did you notice that well-being, motivation, energy, and happiness have a default level that you are coming back to, again and again?
There is a good reason for it; it’s our way of adapting to whatever happens in life. For example, a lottery winner and a person injured in a car crash, get back to their default level of well-being and happiness in less than two years. We adapt to fortune and misfortune pretty fast and pretty well.
Think of your default level of happiness and well-being as your home. No matter where you go, you always come back to the same house (it’s waiting for you in the state as you left it.)
If your default level of well-being is not where you’d like it to be, then check out these six ways to increase it (your default level of well-being) and develop a new baseline to come back to no matter what happens in your life.
1. Believe in yourself
Self-confidence, willpower, and motivation are NOT compulsory to start walking your success journey. Your success and achievement are not bound by how much you believe you can do it, but how much effort you put into getting there.
Those are relevant facts to know about self-belief and confidence. Many people condition starting whatever they want to accomplish by feeling motivated and reassured that they could do it.
How many things you believed you are not capable of achieving and yet, you have done it? Have you been confident about riding a bike before you learned how to do it?
Most times, confidence and self-belief come from the successes you have; they need evidence to back them up. Is it not?
Then, what means to “believe in yourself”?
It means to rely on your ability and power to face and deal with whatever life puts in front of you. You already have the evidence that you CAN do that successfully; your life so far is the proof.
Believe in yourself:
- believe you have the power to learn and improve,
- believe you’ll always find your way,
- believe you grow as a person each day of your life,
- believe you have the wisdom to choose right,
- believe you can make the first step and do it.
Believe in yourself? Yes, be confident you can face whatever life throws at you; you have done it so far, you can do it!
2. Be curious
Curiosity keeps your mind active, allows you to observe the world and opens the door to new perspectives and possibilities.
Curiosity is a euphoric state of being and helps your mind make new connections and pathways which, in return, keep your brain young.
That is not to say that’s a good thing to be a “pathological” curious person, wondering all day long about everything that moves and exists. There are no benefits to your mental power and health if you get curious about what is your neighbor doing on the other side of the fence.
Use your curiosity to discover exciting things, learn new skills, and increase your awareness.
3. Stay active
There are many ways to enjoy life, and one of them is staying active.
A few physical activities that you could fit comfortably in your life:
- Dance around the house;
- Play with your pet;
- Take a walk;
- Get together with friends and play team sports/games;
- Socialize – at most parties you are standing and moving around, right?
Have fun moving and playing because staying active is an excellent investment in your well-being and future.
“Today I missed the bus, so I ran behind it, and I earned the bus fare, 4 dollars.”
“Why didn’t you run behind a taxi? You would have earned 20 dollars.”
4. Build meaningful relationships
Your well-being is directly influenced by the relationships you have:
- It is reassuring to know you have a soft place to fall;
- It gives you a boost of confidence to know you are loved, appreciated and needed/wanted, useful;
- It increases your self-esteem to be accepted as you are;
- It shows you how to love yourself when you feel liked by others too;
- It pleases you to see how your actions are contributing to the well-being of others.
Learn how to relate to people and gather around yourself family and friends; stay connected and build meaningful and long-lasting relationships.
5. Live with passion
Celebrate life; honor this fantastic gift you have received: life! Wake up with a smile:
“Another opportunity to feel alive. I will do great things today!”
Perhaps, you don’t have too much time to live your passions, but don’t let that stop you from living with passion. Love life and life will love you back.
6. Keep on learning
Now is the second time in your life when you have the opportunity to learn what you want. The first time, you were a baby, and because no one could manipulate you with words, you learned what you wanted. Rediscover the pleasure and satisfaction of learning.
What would you like to learn today? Is it something about yourself? Maybe about others? Perhaps, why do we perceive time, moving faster as we age? What would you like to learn today?
Would you like to increase your default level of well-being and happiness? Remember these six ways of doing it:
- Believe in yourself;
- Be curious;
- Stay active;
- Build meaningful relationships;
- Live with passion;
- Never stop learning.
These six ways help you improve or build a new home to return to from your travels.
