Humans do a fantastic job of making things more complicated than they really are: relationships, work, love, organization, productivity, faith, losing weight, etc.

Happiness. We all want it, right?

So, why do so many people (maybe you) not have it?

One of the biggest myths is that happiness is this elusive, massively complex and difficult thing to attain, yet when you look a little deeper, you will find happiness is one of the most intensely studied aspects of human psychology and philosophy of all time. We have figured it out and it has nothing to do with buying things or a specific amount of money – and everything to do with how we choose to live our lives.

The Past – To be happy, we need to be accepting of the past. It is done and there is nothing that will ever change it. Therefore, when we look back, it is important that we are at peace, that we accept and that we are grateful for everything that has ever happened. After all, you wouldn’t be you without your past…both the good and the bad times. And the you that is here now, is a person to be proud of.

The Present – The present is the ONLY moment you actually have in life – the past has gone, the future is unknown, but right now you have. It is glorious, colorful, and special. Be consciously aware of the now, take notice of the now…it is the only thing you ever truly have, so make it live!

The Future – We need to find excitement in the future. The future is unknown, therefore, we have the opportunity to feel excitement about the joy that can come to our lives. If you can’t think of anything, that is more a reflection of your mindset than there being nothing to be excited for. Even something simple can give you that moment to look forward to… a walk in the park, meeting with friends or spending a few moments reading a motivational blog post!

Connection with others – Connection is a human need. We feel safe, trusted, and happy with connection. This can be family, friends, lovers, anything… but connection is vital. To create a deep connection in your life, you have to give – Give your time, give your focus, your appreciation, your love… You have to give what you want to receive and you have to do this often. Giving can feel scary at first and sometimes you will get hurt, but never let that stop you reaching out, giving, and connecting. The fact is, that over time, the more connection you give the more connection you will be surrounded with.

Physical Wellbeing – If you want to be happy, then you need to look after your body. If you don’t, the chemicals it will produce and the energies you will develop will help generate sadness. It is really simple, but scientifically true… If you ensure you sleep enough, eat healthy, move around and breathe deeply – You will be happier!

Putting it all together – Happiness is not elusive. Happiness is yours for the taking… It just takes a little work and a mindful approach. Be grateful for the past, be excited by the future, live in the now, make connections and look after your body… Make the effort and the effort will make you.

Humans do a fantastic job of making things more complicated than they really are: relationships, work, love, organization, productivity, faith, losing weight, etc.

It’s easy to create complexity—buying more stuff, building systems that take a lot of effort to use. The mind loves to think. So it thinks and thinks about things. Making them more and more complex than they ever really were. And so you bog yourself down with too many thoughts and perhaps a lack of action due to things just seeming too complicated and hard.

Recognize the simplicity of life. Simplicity is important in our lives, it’s a useful tool to help us unwind. Reduction of extraneous input (phone, kids, parents, loud sounds, bright lights, phones, computers or whatever) and focusing on the one simple thing (which could be kids, loud music or computers) really helps.

To be simple in our awareness and mind can let us see more clearly. Simple doesn’t mean boring; there’s a big different between simple and boring. It means focus on what really matters.

The need for simplicity and its correlating economic value is at its greatest. But simplicity itself isn’t simple. Simplicity takes courage and a quality already heralded as a necessity for any kind of business.

Summing-up: Life is really, truly simple, and so is business. Don’t make it unnecessarily complicated and messy. Don’t get lost in details and unimportant things. Realize what is most important and discard what you don’t need.