By Ahsan

What is your experience with being and staying happy?

Are you able to stay happy once you feel happy? Is being happy your natural state or something you have to work at?

If you wanted to be happy in an instant, what would you do to be happy?

Take a moment to think if you need to.

The best thing to be happy is to do the things you enjoy and to make time for it in your daily schedule. A few examples might be things like reading, listening to some music, spending time with your friends, playing a video game, writing or volunteering. These are all excellent ideas.

How do you know when you are truly happy after volunteering or playing a video game? Is it because you feel a warm giver's high or the dopamine hit from going to the higher level in the game? Are these forms of happiness long-lasting? I think you will agree that these are only temporary boosts and not long-lasting.

To have a long-lasting form of happiness that stays with you and is easy to replenish is available anytime, you do a bit of prayer. Yes. Prayer. If you are spiritual and believe in a Creator, don't forget to add this to your list of things to do every day.

There is no way to know if this works unless you try it. To maximize your prayer, you can try three things as a reminder. Before starting your prayer, try to erase your mind of its thoughts of the day. Once you start your prayer, don’t forget to show gratitude for the big and small things in your life. During your prayer, let all your questions, complaints and concerns come out; remember that you are having a private and personal prayer⎯don’t hold back.

Prayer is the overlooked technique that very few people are talking about. Your mental peace comes from doing a lot of things, but if you pray for success in what you are aiming for, don't be surprised if you start feeling happy in the very core of your heart. If others start asking you about that light you keep shining, don’t keep this technique or this short article a secret either!