15 Things To Give Up If You Want To Be Happy

Happiness is a very important aspect of our lives. When our hearts are dampened and heavy, we dread facing whatever the day has to offer and we loose out on friendship, love, and the beauties of life. I found these tips on Pinterest about 15 things to give up if you want to be happy.

1. Give up your need to always be right. Well I guess I really have to drum this into my ears and inscribe them on the wall of my heart because sometimes I can be a control freak; always wanting to be right at all times and to feel I'm on top of any given situation. Most times I end up beating myself up if I get anything wrong. So acknowledging the fact that one cannot be right always can go a long way in making you more happy and less disappointed.

2. Give up your need for control. This is sorta like a sequel to the first tip. 

3. Give up blaming others. The earlier you begin to take responsibility for everything that happens in your life and quit finding someone of something to peg it on, the better for you. I have imbibed this habit of taking control of my life and being responsible for whatever happens. It happened because I allowed it. Don't blame anyone one for your failures or down turns. Accept your failures, learn from them and celebrate your successes.

4. Give up self-defeating talk: Your mind is a very powerful instrument of success if used correctly. If used negatively, it can be very destructive. So watch your thoughts because they become your words and with time they become your reality. Don't destroy your future with your tongue. Speak positive things to yourself daily and ditch the negative mantras. 

5. Give up your limiting beliefs: "Everything is possible only if you believe" says the Creator. Stop limiting yourself and your potentials by your thoughts and start exploring the length and breath of your possibilites and potentials. 

6. Give up complaining: The fastest way to being unhappy and remaining stuck in your present situation is to complain. Complaining doesn't change a thing. If you do not like where you are, get up and do something about it. If things are beyond your control, don't complain. Remain optimistic and find the tiniest joy  in your present situation. It can only get better.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. "Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others." - Christian D. Larsen. 

8. Give up your need to impress others.  To find true happiness you must give up the constant need to please everybody. Why? because human beings are insatiable and different people in your life constantly demand different things from you which you cannot fulfil 100%. So as James R. Fisher said "Don't try to impress others, let them have the fun of impressing you."

9. Give up your resistance to change. Be flexible. Joseph Campbell said "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."

10. Give up labels. The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know about. Quit stereotyping. Open up your mind and learn. With enough information you can either ditch the idea or embrace it but first of all know about it and don't judge. Knowledge is key to making informed decisions

11. Give up on fears. Fear is a paralyzing catalyst to your dreams. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. it prevents you from taking risks and forging ahead (trust me I speak as a witness). So give up your fears, break through it, confront it and embrace the wealth of opportunities and its corresponding happiness ahead of you.

12. Give up on your excuses. George Washington Carver said "99% of failures comes from people who have the habit of making excuses." Quit giving reasons why you CANT do something and start finding reasons why you CAN

13. Give up the past. Holding on to the past robs us of the pleasure of the present and prevents us from looking forward to a brighter future. "Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future." - Christian D. Larsen 

14. Give up attachment. "The wise individual doesn't get too attached to any of life's pleasures, knowing that wonderful science hard at work proving it is bad for him." _ Bill Vaughan. Nothing is worth holding on to in life because nothing follows you to the grave when you die. So don't get to attached to material things that perish and start embracing the 3 things that last forever -hope, faith and above all LOVE

15. Give up living your life to to other people's expectations. This is one fast killer of happiness - the constant desire to measure up to other people's expectations. Be the best version of yourself you can ever be. Don't let anyone's opinion or expectation be your measuring standard. Be your own competitor. Work hard to becoming a better version of yourself than you were yesterday and find true happiness knowing that you are transforming into a wonderful and amazing person created to make a difference in the world.