1. Appreciating What You Already Have

Now I don’t want to come off as preachy but I’m not one to necessarily sugar coat what I’m trying to get by. So hear me out when I say this: life does not have to be perfect for you to be happy. Everyone is always going to be striving for the better and setting new goals. But it is when we are all so focused on ourselves, that these random obstacles come into our lives and slap us in the face, quickly leaving us annoyed or frustrated for the rest of the day. What I want to ask you is that, when you achieve this goal of yours, is that when your happiness will begin? Will life suddenly become perfect? If your answer is yes, well damn I want to know what your goal is! But if your answer is no, like mine, then I want you to ask yourself why you are making yourself suffer until you obtain this goal. And as cheesy as this may sound, why not enjoy the journey instead of having the mindset of suffering now and being happy later. Which I call bullshit. Yes, I know, you may be going through some tedious school work or dealing with clients that are not the most pleasant company but it should not mean that your entire day or week is suddenly labeled as sad or annoyed on your mood tracking phone app. Don’t let those issues stop you from being present and live life being grateful for what you already have. So the main point I’m trying to get across is that being aware of your surroundings with an overflowing gratitude will break the curse of a delayed happiness in your life.

The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

Socrates

2. Surround Yourself With the Right People

I remember when I was in middle school and how real the struggle was to find friends. At the time, I defined friends as nice people and those who actually wanted to hang out with me. Yeah it was a pretty short definition but more importantly it was a crappy one. It may sound obvious to surround yourself with people that will make you happy but us teenagers are often poisoned by this dangerous snake called “peer pressure”. We all naturally, as human beings, want to fit in and feel accepted. As a result, you begin to slowly change yourself to fit a certain clique’s mold. I remember how I used to play games that others were playing so that I could fit in and hang out with them. I was happy to be with them, not because I enjoyed the games they played but because they didn’t make me feel lonely. And I admit that loneliness is most certainly one of my biggest fears. This fear was definitely active when I first entered high school where I wasn't familiar with many people. Sitting alone at lunch and taking the bus home by myself made me feel so... small. It’s a hard feeling to describe but it’s the sort of feeling you get when you are the last one to be chosen for gym class except that pang of indirect rejection rings on and on, never fading. But when I actually started making friends, I learned if you wanted true friends, you have to go and look for them. Don’t just wait for people come to you because if I did that in my first few weeks of grade 9, I definitely would've become a different person now. Remember to find friends that will make you a better version of yourself. Surround yourself with people that will stop you when you’re doing something that will hurt yourself and encourage you when you are scared to keep going. But also remember that they are not your bodily organs, that they have a life of their own too. So don’t feel jealous when they can’t always talk to you and be sure to keep in mind that friends are the cherry on top of a life that's already pretty sweet. Don’t rely on them to give you all the happiness and support in the world because a relationship has to go both ways.

3. Do Something That Will Help You Grow

Whenever you have free time, try not to always click Netflix or scroll through social media. Yes, I know it can be so terribly difficult but trust me, if you are constantly doing the same repetitive leisure activities, you are being stagnant. And you should never be stagnant. Why, do you ask? Well, I know through personal experience that I can all too often transform into a robot living out some lifeless, boring routine. But doing something new puts me outside my comfort zone and makes life exciting. Whether it’s reading a new book, cooking or baking something you haven’t tried before, picking up a new sport or a new instrument– all of these new skills will ultimately help you grow and expand your mentality. The key to do this is to not overthink it. Whatever excuses may go through your head, stop thinking so much and just start. Trust me, beginning something is always the hardest step and it may be uncomfortable at first but you have to stretch a little. That’s the only way you will grow.