By Ahsan

Have you ever wished that you could be someone else? When you look at your life, your career, your physical traits or mental abilities or just plain old circumstances, have you not thought this way?

This has got to be one of the most common thoughts that strikes us from time to time.

But Why Do We Have These Thoughts?

We know that this is probably not a good thing to do but yet we do it. We do it for one primary reason, we all yearn to be happy. Sometimes we look at our situation in comparison to someone else and think we would be so much happier if we were in their shoes. To be happy is one of our strongest desires in life. And as you know, the grass is not always greener on the other side. If we want to be happy, we need to find a way to be happy given the situation we have now, even if it seems tough to do so.

Let us remind ourselves that our thoughts influence our feelings. If you want to feel happy, then think happy thoughts. We should not do the opposite, which is to think thoughts that bring you feelings of misery. In summary, you can choose to be happy and joyful or miserable and blue.

So how do you do sow and cultivate personal happiness?

1. Stop comparing yourself to others. If someone seems to have a better life than you, wish them well and silence the voice of envy. Now you are being kind to yourself.

2. If at all possible, and it should be…why not think about what you wish you had and work out a plan to achieve it! Now you are being proactive.

3. Spend some time every day where you take a time out for yourself and think about three things that you are grateful for. Be the most grateful person you know. Now you are becoming more self-aware.

Whatever your scenario happens to be, focus on what is good in your life and by doing so, harvest the crop of happiness and do away with the weeds of misery.