6 Keys to Happiness

by Brian Tracy

Achieving your own happiness is the best measure of how well you are living your life and enjoying your relationships.

You can learn how to be happier and more fulfilled in everything you do with these six principles: 

1. Everyone is different. Happiness in life is like a smorgasbord. If 100 people went to a buffet and each put food on their plate—in the quantity and mix that each felt would be most pleasing—every plate would be different. Happiness is the same way. Every person requires a particular combination of ingredients to feel the very best about themselves.

2. Listen to your heart. Only you can tell what it takes to make you happy. The only way to judge whether a job, a relationship, an investment or any decision is right for you is to get in touch with your feelings and really listen to your heart. 

3. Be true to yourself. You’re true to yourself only when you follow your inner light. You’re being the very best person you can be only when you have the courage and the fortitude to allow your definition of happiness—whatever it might be—to be the guiding light of every part of your life.

4. There are no limits. Accept the notion that you deserve all the happiness you can honestly attain through the application of your talents and abilities. The more you like and respect yourself, the more deserving you will feel of the good things in life. And the more deserving you feel, the more likely you will attain and hold on to the happiness you are working toward.

5. Make happiness your key measure. You should make happiness the organizing principle of your life. Compare every possible action and decision you make against your standard of happiness to see whether that action would make you happier or less happy.

6. Pay the price. Of course there are countless times when you will have to do little things that don’t make you happy. Sometimes these interim steps don’t increase your happiness directly, but the bliss you achieve from attaining your goal will be so great that it totally overwhelms the temporary inconveniences and dissatisfactions you have to endure in order to get there.