1. Practice upbeat thinking.
If you take care to monitor your thoughts and to delete any negative ones, you'll go far in maintaining a positive point of view. Upbeat thinking requires constant attention to the flow of your mind's output. Without knowing it, you could be letting undue critical, negative, or worry thoughts into your mind—where they will stay unless you train your mind to refuse them. So practice upbeat thinking—and focus only on those thoughts that bring you joy.

2. Take time for meditation.
Spend about twenty minutes a day in nature or in a quiet room at home, just allowing your mind to be still. There's nothing more helpful than to be peaceful and calm in serene silence for a while. Especially if you are a person who is ultra sensitive to environmental stimulation, you'll want to rest your mind from the barrage of thought jabber that typically goes through it. Give yourself the tremendous gift of time spent in private contemplation. You'll notice a more joyful outlook as a result.

3. Do only those things that make you happy.
If you find yourself choosing activities just because you should do them, and not because you want to do them, you may need to change your approach. You may be filling your schedule with plans and tasks that you really don't feel like doing, but you set about performing them anyway. Because life is meant to be happy and fulfilling, anything that doesn't please you should be removed from your life. Whether it's a job, bad relationship, or too many things to do, you'll have to decide what to get rid of and what to hold onto. If you manage to streamline your life to where you are satisfied in every area, personal and professional, your positive attitude will soar.

4. Associate with other positive people.
At work and in your personal life, make sure that you surround yourself with people who are uplifting and optimistic. Enthusiasm is contagious, so do your best to select upbeat friends. On the job, it might not be as easy to control the people around you, but you can avoid those negative individuals by steering clear of them as much as possible. Should the people in your work environment turn out to be too challenging for you to handle day after day, you may have to find another place of employment. One shouldn't have to put up with negativity on a constant basis—it tends to drag even the most positive person down.

5. Choose a fulfilling career.
Because your work should provide food for your soul as well as food for your table, it's paramount that you select a job that offers you satisfaction and growth. Your career can be one of excitement, challenge, and service, instead of a lackluster way to pay your bills. The choice is yours to make at any time—it's never too late to pursue a career path that brings you joy and fulfillment.

Next time, we'll discuss the five additional ways to be happy in this hectic world of ours.

© Kathy Sanborn
Life Channels Staff Writer
All Rights Reserved
Life and Career Coaching
Grow Your Own Love

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