Dr. Rakish Rana (The Clear Coach) is a life coach who challenges, encourages and supports clients to find direction, happiness and purpose.
getty
I came across someone recently. I'll refer to him as a gentleman due to the fact that he was impeccably groomed, clothed and articulate. It seemed to me that he led a very happy and prosperous life. During the little time we spent together, we introduced ourselves, shared our occupations and swapped names. When I told him that I worked as a life coach, he stared at me in a manner that suggested he was confused. I elaborated by stating that I helped people become more successful, more confident and to live a more balanced life.
Following that, he looked at me with a smile and told me that he could use someone like me. I have no doubt that he was being serious. After exchanging business cards, we decided not to pursue the matter further.
Did this conversation take me by surprise? Not at all, not at all. I was more shocked at myself for being so presumptuous about the situation. Yet, what it did demonstrate to me once more was the fact that even though he may be considered "successful" in the eyes of most others, including himself, that success does not automatically translate to pleasure.
I do talk in general about the necessity of discovering your life's purpose in order to live a life that is fulfilling, but for many people, the goal is just to find happiness in their lives. I do believe that the only way to have pleasure, in the long run, is to live your life in accordance with your purpose, but this does not imply that you should not experience joy while you are still on the journey of finding yourself.
Because the things that make people happy are, themselves, subjective, the experience of happiness can differ greatly from person to person. I have compiled the following list of what I think to be some easy things that you can do to increase the likelihood that you will have happy moments:
• Gratitude: Gratefulness means that rather than being unhappy about the things that you do not have, you can be glad for the things that you do have. Simple things, such as waking up to a day filled with sunshine or having a hot meal in front of you, a roof over your head, a pet or someone to come home to every night. Simply entertaining the idea of making another person happy is enough to put a smile on my face.
• Music: There is evidence that music, specifically songs, can improve one's mood. If you want to feel happier, sing your favorite song instead of just listening to music; this is certain to make you feel better. Have you got a favorite song to sing along to?
• Laughter: Being around individuals who are joyful and full of cheer can make you laugh more. Happiness, like laughter, may easily spread to other people. Find occasions during the day to "have a laugh" with your coworkers at work or to remember with your friends or family about hilarious experiences you've shared.
• Food: I bring up food because some kinds of food have been found to have a chemical effect that improves one's mood. Cooking dinner together, whether with loved ones or good friends, is one of the best ways to bring joy into your life when it comes to the topic of food. In point of fact, being with loved ones and friends brings its own special kind of joy.
• Play: Playing sports or video games might bring about enjoyment, but the type of play I'm referring to here is the kind of play you might have done when you were a youngster. Activities such as kicking through a pile of fall leaves, painting and drawing, spending time on your bike or even just play-wrestling with your children are all great ways to get some exercise. Returning to one's childhood brings with it an incredible sense of fulfillment.
• Holiday: It can be pleasurable to take some time off from the rat race and relax on a warm beach, see some exciting new places or do something different on a holiday. But instead of that, you can also just sit quietly for a while. Try being mindful. The practice of mindfulness is more about "being" than it is about "doing." Therefore, make use of mindfulness in order to give yourself a vacation from the fact that you are always "doing" something.
At the outset, I mentioned that I'd come across a man who appeared to be successful, but who, according to his own admission, may not have been completely content. I have no doubt that these suggestions may have been of assistance to him; nevertheless, life will always have its highs and lows, and it's important to be able to identify the times when you need to look for ways to make yourself happy.
There is a well-known quote from one of my all-time favorite films, Forrest Gump, which goes as follows: "My momma always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.'" You can't predict what will happen in life, but there are steps you can take to increase the likelihood that the rest of your days will be filled with joy.
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
