There are a lot of unhappy people in this world, and there’s a good reason for that: this world doesn’t always let people easily flourish and be the best they can be. It takes a great deal of effort to be happy. Chronically happy people didn’t just wake up that way. They worked at it. This is what they do.
1. They give back.
Few things create greater joy than giving back to your community and helping people. In one of the lowest, darkest points of my adult life, I pulled myself up by beginning to volunteer with a nonprofit that helped low income and homeless people in my neighborhood. It felt great!
2. They never stop learning.
Happy people consider themselves the stewards of this world, and to do so, they must continue educating themselves. They travel, experience other people, experience other cultures, and use education to become more worldly.
3. They don’t get bent out of shape over little stuff.
Chronically happy people can be sad. There’s no rule saying they’re not allowed to be. What they don’t do is sweat the petty stuff. Little nuisances happen to all of us. They don’t react by blaring their car horn or yelling. They just let it go.
4. They set goals and work hard.
Happy people are in a state of perpetual self-improvement. They’re happy with the person they are now, but they know they could be more. It is for that reason that happy people are goal oriented people, establishing well thought out goals and working persistently to achieve them.
5. They don’t settle for less.
And why should they? You won’t achieve happiness by settling for less – never in a million years. Strive for the best, don’t settle for less. source