2 practical ways to be happy

Some useful tips for when you don't feel so great.

Your grades? They are what they are. Your sleeping habits? An unreliable reality. Your social life? Totally underwhelming.

Parents and teachers have expectations of you. You have expectations of yourself

How do you find balance and even (gasp) happiness?

Here’s some advice…

Speak truth to yourself.

Ultimately, happiness is not derived from grades, the person who (finally) talks to you, or the job you land. The biggest factor in being happy that I’ve found is simply choosing it, as simple as that sounds.

Choose to, in your mind, speak as much truth as you can.

Yes, you have a huge assignment due. Great. You have the opportunity to learn and you can speak the truth to yourself that God is good and will give you the strength you need (Psalm 136:1; Philippians 4:13).

With every thought, we can choose to submit it to Jesus and His truth (2 Corinthians 10:5). Then, we can be happy because His truth never changes (even though our circumstances do).

Get outside of yourself.

Another habit can exponentially improve your happiness: getting outside of yourself.

It’s natural. Centering our lives on ourselves is something we all do. This centering can be a problem as – focused on us – we are prone to unhappiness when life doesn’t go our way.

Instead, try seeking to see and meet the needs of others. With eyes centered on helping people – through a smile, advice, an encouraging conversation or message – we become happier as we seek to make others happy and, in doing so, simply seek to obey Jesus’ command to love (Matthew 22:37-39).

All in all, life is what you make of it, so speak truth and see and meet the needs of those around you.

Much is determined by your choice, so choose wisely. Choose happiness. Choose truth. Choose Jesus (John 14:6).