Strengthen a Loving Relationship

Love relationships can be difficult at times with varying degrees. They
can keep you in a constant state of anger, make you not want to see
the person, and even the thought of that person can put knots on  your
stomach. On the other hand, there are times when things are bliss. You
have loving thoughts for the person, enjoy their company, and there is
always understanding and agreement. And of course, there are
relationships that are somewhere in the middle; the area for the
majority of relationships.
 
One thing is certain, that for a relationship to flourish, the good times
have to predominate the bad times. Good times predominate when
there is a mixture of understanding, respect, generosity, unselfishness,
trust, levelheadedness, empathy, and even creativity. Both members
need to be on the same team. In addition to having in common love,
ideas, and interests, a common space also needs to be maintained.
That is not stating that everything has to be shared, because it doesn't.
The key is to respect the differences.

Achieving Happiness

The results were out a few months ago regarding a survey of where the happiest people are. According to the survey, they are in Denmark. The US made 16th place (wow). Some of the things that the survey took into account were life satisfaction, unemployment rate, health care access, and basic education provision. While Denmark has a high tax rate (sometimes over 50% of income), it also has a broad range of social services. Denmark’s strength lays in its good quality public schools, low unemployment rate (about 2%), health care provision, and good retirement pensions. You might not get rich in Denmark but you can survive on a smaller salary. People seem to be more satisfied with their jobs and life overall.

While these things can contribute to life satisfaction and happiness, it is our own responsibility to actively seek to be happy. Happiness should be pursued, rather than rely on something or someone to make us happy.

Since our day to day activities puts the feeling of happiness out of minds, we need to focus on our intent to achieve it. Once we focus on it and start practicing it, it becomes a habit. Here are some ways:

 I highly believe in the saying: “Fake it until you make it”. If you tell yourself that you are happy and believe it, you will be. This goes hand in hand with smiling. If you don’t feel like smiling but make yourself smile, it will come naturally thus bringing you closer to happiness.

 Engage in activities that bring satisfaction and that are enjoyable.

 Think of how you feel when you are happy; it’s a feeling of giddiness and butterflies in your stomach. Take a moment and imagine it and try to retain the feeling.

 Concentrate on what you truly need in your life. The more we want, the more we acquire. Do material things lead to happiness, especially when you are drowning in debt and clutter?

 Seek people who are enjoyable to be around and who are optimistic. Talk happiness topics with them.

 Be aware of those negative moods and thoughts (anger, jealousy, sadness) and try to turn them around. Remember that tomorrow, whatever caused these feelings might be forgotten. Ask if it is worth to waste precious energy on these feelings?

 Maintain close friends and family relationships.

There are many ways that we can make ourselves happy and help those around us to do the same. It is our right, so let’s practice!