You may wish to read and try out some of these.
An extract from [4]:
>>> A man lost his right hand in a freak accident. He quit his job and became really negative and bitter. Unable to put up with his attitude, his girlfriend broke up with him. This young man went into deep depression and shunned everyone. For months, he didn’t meet or talk to any of his friends. Just when his wounds were starting to heal, he went online to see what his ex was up to. He was shocked to find out that she had already married someone else.
He saw her pics. She was happy, laughing, partying in every one of them. He went and visited Facebook pages of his other friends. Someone had got a promotion, someone else had a child. Everyone seemed to be having fun.
“My life sucks,” he thought. “I’ve lost my right hand, my job, my love and my friends. No one wants me, no one needs me and no one is even bothered.” Negative thoughts began overpowering his mind so much that he decided to end his life.
He went on the top of his high rise building and looked down with the intention to jump. Just then he saw the most amazing scene.
There he was, a pedestrian on the sidewalk dancing most joyously, as if no one was watching him. Not only that, he had no hands, not even arms and yet he was merrily dancing.
Giving up the idea of suicide, he rushed downstairs to know the secret of the pedestrian’s happiness.
“Sir,” the man said humbly, “I’m so inspired and touched by your positive outlook. I see you have no arms and yet you are dancing. What’s the secret of your happiness?”
“Happiness? Dancing?” he replied somewhat awkwardly, without stopping his dance. “Man, I’m just trying to scratch my bottom. It’s not easy I tell you.”
Now you know the secret of people’s happiness when you see them dancing or partying. Just itchy bums.
Happiness is your personal state, a private matter (though the more you spread it, the more you get to keep). When you fail to see the good in your life (and everyone has abundance of goodness if you choose the right perspective), there’ll be nothing good left to feel. Be simple, be grateful. An ostentatious or flamboyant lifestyle can bring you attention but not happiness. You are entitled to have your comforts, but extravagance is a disease.
Socrates lived a frugal life and he believed that only a wise person understands the beauty of frugality, of simplicity. It is said that he would not even wear shoes and yet every so often he spent hours and hours in the marketplace looking at various goods on display.
“Why do you waste your time in the market,” his friend asked him once, “when you never buy anything?”
“Because,” Socrates replied, “When I go to the market, I discover how many things I am perfectly happy without.”
I don’t think there’s anymore to happiness than noble actions, gratitude and contentment. No doubt, happiness is not merely an emotion but a state of being. Above all though, happiness is an attitude. When you make it a point to live your life positively, to appreciate the goodness of your own life without measuring it against the lives of itchy bums, your world will light up with the radiance of a thousand suns.
“What do you think the weather’s gonna be like today?” Mulla Nasrudin’s friend asked him.
“Just the kind I like,” he foretold patting his donkey.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Knowing that I can’t always get what I like, I’ve learned to always like what I get,” Mulla said. “So, I’m certain we’re going to have awesome weather today.”
1: http://omswami.com/2016/12/the-secret-of-being-positive.html
2: http://omswami.com/2014/10/source-emotions.html
3: http://omswami.com/2017/05/five-principles-happiness.html
4: http://omswami.com/2016/03/an-attitude-of-happiness.html
