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 don’t judge by what you see on the surface. They’re a lot like books—you don’t 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 don’t 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 you’re passionate about what you’re doing, nothing and nobody can keep you from succeeding. Tell yourself that every day.
5. If you haven’t watched The Office yet, you won’t regret doing so. Dwight Schrute is easily one of the greatest TV characters of all time. And the whole series is on Netflix. Soooo…
6. Don’t 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 use…
8. Do things that make you happy. Don’t do things that make you unhappy. Obviously, this advice must be taken with a certain amount of caution. You can’t always opt out of being a responsible human being, but you can decide to leave a job that’s 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 wouldn’t you want to do it?
11. Let yourself say YES more often. Try new things. Either you’ll find out you don’t like something, or you’ll 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 can’t. And it’s 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 doesn’t have to be gross! (Oh geez, I made a rhyme. Sorry.)
18. Anyone who tells you that you can’t accomplish something you’re passionate about is wrong. Don’t heed their negativity. I know I kind of already said this, but it’s 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 peoples’ autobiographies, even if you’ve 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.
Don’t Worry, it Gets Worse, by Alida Nugent.
Yes, Please, by Amy Poehler.
Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown-up, by Grace Helbig.
21. Libraries are still relevant—and 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. What’s right for one person is not necessarily right for another, and that’s absolutely, completely fine. In the words of Amy Poehler (seriously, read her book), “Good for you, not for me.”
23. It’s so silly to buy most books at full price when there are things like Book Outlet and Book Depository…if you read a lot, check those sites out. You won’t be upset about it.
24. In the same way that you shouldn’t go to bed angry, you also shouldn’t overuse social media when you’re angry. If you’re 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 you’re clear-headed and coherent again, you’ll 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 “Rant-astic” (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. You’ll probably love them even more as an adult.
26. Don’t patronize or underestimate people younger than you. They’re a lot smarter and more capable than you think.
27. SMILE, and try your best to make others smile, too.
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