A-B-C-D-E: 5 Ways to be Happy

Flicc
Flicc
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

This is part of a #TuesdayThoughts series by Flicc, where we pen down our thoughts related to our sharing community, happiness, and life 🎉


Everyone loves to be happy. Then again, what is happiness? Many people have different definitions. For some, it may be getting that good exam grade. For others, it is simply the weekends.

If you currently have too little time to think about this, but crave happiness in some way, allow us to share what we think are the ABCDEs — 5 ways — to Happiness:

  1. Appreciate
  2. Be happy
  3. Carry a smile
  4. Decide on positivity
  5. Embrace meaning.

To us, happiness is not about feeling good in the short-term (e.g. binging on Netflix, or getting 200 Instagram post likes). Happiness goes beyond being a temporary emotion — to that of a permanent way of life. It is something that warms you up and lifts your spirit. You know you feel happiness when the weight on your shoulders are lifted; and you believe you can handle what life may throw at you.

Read more about the ABCDEs below.


1. A [Appreciate]

Life ain’t a bed of roses. We know having to deal with exams and assignments sucks. We know your boss is not the best person to work with. Somehow or rather, an aspect of your life may not be working out. But, wallowing in your own despair or complaining about life is not going to make things better. What’s important is that you:

a) Act. Your first instinct should not be to blame others for what has gone wrong. Reflect, and see if you need to change some part of yourself to make the best out of the situation.

And,

b) Appreciate. Know that even in the worst of circumstances, however hard it may be to see them, there are positives that still exist. Most of you have supportive family and friends. Most of you have a roof above your head. Most of you have food on the table. And, most of all, all of you reading this are alive and breathing. You have been given this awesome gift of life. Treasure what you have, and stop focusing on what you do not have. Treasure each day as if it is your last, and understand that it is already a blessing to be able to open your eyes and live one more day.


2. B [Be brave]

Open your mind, and your heart, to define what happiness means to you. Think not about what will instantly gratify you, but think what you want to get out of your life — long-term. It is never too early to start thinking about these hard questions. After all, it is not meant to be easy.

Don’t do something because someone told you to, and don’t do something because someone told you it’ll be good for you. You have to fully understand, for your own sake, the purpose of each decision and each action you undertake — because it is your life that you are leading, and not someone else’s. Have the courage to question if what you are doing is worth it, and break away from the routine for what it is worth.

Have the courage to confront your fears, and evaluate what is holding you back. Have that difficult conversation with yourself, and your parents or friends. If they truly love and care for you, they will listen. Have the courage to ask those questions, and never give up to find ways to help you get one step closer to your dreams — and your happiness. Make it happen!


3. C [Carry a smile]

The mere physical act of smiling can lead to a noticeable difference in levels of happiness. That’s right, simply activating your smiling muscles is an underrated way to making you feel more happy, even if it may be just for a moment. However strange or hard to explain as it sounds, it shows you the often underestimated power of a smile. So go ahead and show some teeth, alright?

Carry a smile on your face even when you are having a tough day, and know that better ones are only to come. Yes, they will come. And when you smile, you put a smile on the faces of others as well. The strength and positivity will build up from there.


4. D [Decide on positivity]

To decide on positivity means to choose positivity over other things. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, you are the average of five people you spend the most time with. Who you choose to associate with, has a HUGE impact on who you are and how happy you are. Simply put, if you surround yourself with people who complain and largely adopt a negative outlook on life, you will think and act similarly— and the fact of the matter is that you will never be happy.

You have 2 options. One, influence. Be that positive influence on your friends and impact their perspectives in one way or another. Two, leave. If they don’t listen, stop sustaining a toxic relationship wherein you will never be happy. If it does not bring any healthy value to your life, and depresses you further, there is no point in staying. A relationship is only worth your time if everyone willingly helps one another to attain a desired level of meaningful happiness.

Make a conscious choice and opt for positivity.


5. E [Embrace meaning]

Author Harold S. Kushner said this: “You don’t become happy by pursuing happiness. You become happy by living a life that means something.” (emphasis added). As deep as it sounds, we think what Mr. Kushner is implying is that finding meaning and purpose, is the key ingredient to happiness. Ultimately, a happy life is a fulfilling life — one where we feel we have ticked stuff off our bucket list, learnt and done things we’ve wanted to do, and say we can die with zero regrets. Till that happens, we have to embark on a journey to ask some questions, and live life according to our unique passions.

It is perfectly normal to not know what you want in life now. Most people (us included) will experience, and have experienced this conundrum. You just don’t know…yet. It is a process of discovery. Try, fail, and try again.

Find meaning in your own adversity or challenges. Some things happen for a reason, and so don’t give up. Remember to breathe deeply, and know that you are made for this. Understand that the journey is what matters, not the destination. And this journey will be rich in meaning and happiness.


No one knows what life will bring, and if there will be another tomorrow. But one thing is for sure: happiness is a choice, and it cannot be taken away from you unless you let it. Don’t compare yourself to others as you will only always feel inadequate when you do so. People tend to only showcase the best parts of their lives to you or on social media, and what you don’t see are the tough challenges they are coping with. Focus on what you have, and not what you don’t. Stop wasting your time — life is too short to not be happy.

It is never too early to think about how you want to be happy, and what makes you genuinely happy. To recap, here’re the ABCDEs of happiness:

  1. Appreciate
  2. Be brave
  3. Carry a smile
  4. Decide on positivity
  5. Embrace meaning

We hope you find happiness, and positively impact the world in more ways than one. We’re rooting for you!


Flicc is a consumer community that shares happiness through barter trade. Join the sharing movement on today, and stay tuned for our barter mobile app coming soon in September 2018 🙌

Flicc

Imagining a world which creates and shares 100x happiness through barter

Flicc

Written by

Flicc

Sharing happiness through barter | www.flicc.io

Flicc

Flicc

Imagining a world which creates and shares 100x happiness through barter

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade