So, in honor of my 27th birthday tomorrow, I decided to share some of my infinite wisdom with you lucky people... ;3
27 Ways to Lead a Happier Life
1. People are not always who you perceive them to be, so donât judge by what you see on the surface. Theyâre a lot like booksâyou donât know what they contain until you spend a little more time with them. Warning: I might talk about books a lot in this list.
2. Netflix is probably the most genius invention since food. If you donât have it already, I dare you to try it and not get addicted. Spoiler alert: You will get addicted. Proceed with caution.
3. Sometimes, the urge to scrapbook, journal, and otherwise document your life cannot be suppressed. Embrace it.
4. If youâre passionate about what youâre doing, nothing and nobody can keep you from succeeding. Tell yourself that every day.
5. If you havenât watched The Office yet, you wonât regret doing so. Dwight Schrute is easily one of the greatest TV characters of all time. And the whole series is on Netflix. SooooâŚ
6. Donât skimp on spending time with your family and those closest to you.
7. TAKE PICTURES. Not so many that it keeps you from actually experiencing things, but when you can, take a picture or two. Incidentally, scrapbook-making is a great way to put all those pictures to good useâŚ
8. Do things that make you happy. Donât do things that make you unhappy. Obviously, this advice must be taken with a certain amount of caution. You canât always opt out of being a responsible human being, but you can decide to leave a job thatâs making you miserable, or stop hanging out with people who treat you badly.
9. On that note, surround yourself with like-minded, positive people who make you happy.
10. Make other people happy! Being kind takes very little effort, and the rewards are exponential. Why wouldnât you want to do it?
11. Let yourself say YES more often. Try new things. Either youâll find out you donât like something, or youâll discover something you really enjoy.
12. READ. Keep reading. You can never, ever read enough. Seriously.
13. Stop trying to control everything and everyone all the time. You canât. And itâs okay.
14. Laughing at yourself can be really, really entertaining. Also necessary. Do it often.
15. Step outside of your own little bubble as often as possible. Learn about other cultures. Teach yourself a new language (or two or three). Pick up an instrument. Listen to music you think is weird. TRY MORE THINGS. TRY ALL THE THINGS!
16. Unfortunately, no matter how many things you try and do and learn, never will you EVER know everything. Try to listen more than you speak, though, and you just might come close.
17. Eating healthy doesnât have to be gross! (Oh geez, I made a rhyme. Sorry.)
18. Anyone who tells you that you canât accomplish something youâre passionate about is wrong. Donât heed their negativity. I know I kind of already said this, but itâs so important that it warrants being said multiple times.
19. Disney and/or Pixar movies are absolutely appropriate for all age groups at all times. Do not ever feel weird about watching them.
20. Read other peoplesâ autobiographies, even if youâve never heard of them before. Here are a few I 250% recommend:
Hyberbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling.
Donât Worry, it Gets Worse, by Alida Nugent.
Yes, Please, by Amy Poehler.
Graceâs Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown-up, by Grace Helbig.
21. Libraries are still relevantâand a fantastic, FREE resource. USE THEM.
22. It 1000% DOES NOT MATTER how other people choose to live their lives. If it is not your thing, you do not have to do it, and you do not have to listen to anyone pressuring you to do it. Whatâs right for one person is not necessarily right for another, and thatâs absolutely, completely fine. In the words of Amy Poehler (seriously, read her book), âGood for you, not for me.â
23. Itâs so silly to buy most books at full price when there are things like Book Outlet and Book DepositoryâŚif you read a lot, check those sites out. You wonât be upset about it.
24. In the same way that you shouldnât go to bed angry, you also shouldnât overuse social media when youâre angry. If youâre really worked up about something and all you want to do is rant about it all over Facebook, Twitter, etc., STOP. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Put away all electronic devices. Let your rage subside. Later on, when youâre clear-headed and coherent again, youâll probably thank yourself for not posting your jumbled thoughts for all your co-workers, old friends, and distant relatives to see. Tip: create a word document titled âRant-asticâ (or whatever you feel like calling it) and type out all your feelings in a safe, secret space.
25. Re-read and re-watch things you loved as a kid. Youâll probably love them even more as an adult.
26. Donât patronize or underestimate people younger than you. Theyâre a lot smarter and more capable than you think.
27. SMILE, and try your best to make others smile, too.