Seven Simple Ways To More Blissful Living

This week’s guest post comes from life coach, speaker and mentor, Samantha McGraw, who gives tips for living a more blissful life. 

So many people live in a place of putting their happiness on hold. Waiting all week for the weekend to come back around, waiting all winter for summer to return. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I’ll be happy when . . . “ then you know what I’m talking about. When you find the perfect job or meet the right partner or lose those last ten pounds then you’ll be happy.

We even give up control of our happiness to someone else. Something along the lines of “my partner doesn’t make me happy” or “my boss is making me miserable” are examples of this. We count on other people to make us happy.

Are you living each day with purpose, enthusiasm and energy? Or are you stuck in a rut, just barely getting by? What if I told you that you could be happy no matter what your circumstances are? You can find happiness even when you’re life isn’t exactly perfect. Does that sound crazy to you?

In life we are either chasing happiness or choosing happiness. There is no in between. While it’s normal to get bogged down with the details of life, it’s important to make happiness a top priority. These simple tips will help you live each day with more bliss:

Tip 1: Let it Go

Holding on to pain, resentment, hurt and anger from the past is only dragging you down. You are the only person that is being hurt by holding on to it. The person that caused this pain has long since moved on from it, and most likely, forgotten it. Stop letting your feelings and emotions be controlled by someone else. Take control of your happiness by making a choice to forgive and move on. Lighten your load.

Tip 2: Be Nice to Yourself

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” – As children we wanted to believe this was true but as adults we know it’s a total lie. Your words DO hurt. And the words you speak to yourself hurt the most. Your internal dialogue is crushing your spirit. You deserve to be loved by the most important person in your life – YOU!! You have to be your own best friend. Be kind to yourself by watching what you say to yourself. When you catch yourself thinking an unkind thought about yourself, stop and ask “is this true?” Most likely, it’s not. Remind yourself that you are smart, you are beautiful, you are capable of figuring things out and you deserve love because all of those things are true.

Tip 3: Don’t Collect Other People’s Garbage

When you open yourself up to the complaining, gossiping and all around hateful chatter of others, you are poisoning your mind. We all have enough drama in our own lives that we’re trying to deal with every day; we don’t need to invite other people’s drama in through our front door. Practice closing the door and staying out of it. Enjoy the freedom and peace that comes from creating healthy boundaries.

Tip 4: Love Yourself

You are not a body that happens to have a soul; you are a soul that has a body to carry you through this life. And you only get one body to take this journey with. Treat it with respect, love and TLC. Eat well, drink lots of water, get plenty of restful sleep and get some exercise. When you cherish your body, it will take care of you and nourish your soul. If you don’t like going to the gym, that’s okay. Find something else that you can enjoy. Yoga, long walks in the park, riding your bike. Just move. Listen to your body and be mindful of what it needs.

Tip 5: Be Generous

Whether it’s time or money, helping others will bring peace and joy to your heart and mind. Giving is receiving. Give generously and often. It will come back to you. Spend some extra time with a good friend or family member. Donate your time to a charity that you believe in. Engage in random acts of kindness by buying someone a cup of coffee or paying the toll for the person in the car behind you. Be generous with your compliments too. It feels great to get a compliment. Share some kind words with a friend or stranger and make their day.

Tip 6: Be Grateful

The more gratitude you have for your life, the more you will have to be grateful for. Start a gratitude journal and write down all the things that you’re grateful for. Begin and end each day by writing at least 10 things that you are grateful for that day. Think outside the box. Don’t just be grateful for your family, your job and your health. How about the hot water you had to shower with, the food in your pantry to feed your family or heat to keep you warm on a cold day. Throughout the day, when something good comes your way, just say a quick “thank you” in your mind.

Tip 7: You are Like the People you Spend the Most Time With

Choose wisely. Spend your time with people who are happy, grateful and living life with purpose. You will absorb their energy. They will encourage you to live the same and you will easily have more bliss in your life.

Share your thoughts below!

Samantha McGraw

Samantha McGraw is a life coach, speaker and mentor to people who want to live a happier, more fulfilling life. Her mission is to encourage everyone she meets to love themselves and appreciate their uniqueness so that they can be the best version of themselves that they can be, navigating their journey with purpose, joy and balance.

Read more at www.samanthamcgraw.com and you can also find her articles on the Huffington Post.