Happiness and Self-Esteem

“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.”

One of my friends sent me a picture with the above quote on it today and it spoke to me on so many different levels. This post is not going to be about beauty or fashion or any of the other topics I typically talk and write about. This is going to be on the importance of happiness and self worth. 

“No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart.”-Kevyn Aucoin 

I am about to be 27 and I feel the happiest I have ever been and I can certainly tell you that it took work. This isn’t something that happened overnight but here are some tips I can offer to anyone who is looking to increase his or her own happiness and self-esteem.

Let It Go: Don’t ruin a new day by dwelling on a bad yesterday. This is the easiest way to ruin your day and self-esteem. Allow yourself an appropriate amount of time to “dwell” on something and then move on. When I am dwelling on something I tell myself to “stop” and I move on. I am done waisting my time and energy thinking about whatever it is that is not adding to my happiness or success. Once I tell myself to stop, I am literally done thinking about the topic. This certainly took time and practice for me to get use to but it is one of the best things I could have ever done for myself.  

“Sometimes you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who your are and where you want to be.”

Surround Yourself With Happy And Motivated People: The first step to getting what you want is having the courage to get ride of what you don’t. You can’t expect to be happy if you are constantly surrounding yourself with people who are miserable. Surround yourself with people who you look up to and motivate you. Negative people will suck you dry.  

“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.”

One Day At A Time: Everyone is at different places in their life. Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Work on your goals and ambitions one day at a time.    

Find Your Outlet: It’s unhealthy to keep things bottled up so you need a healthy way to let your emotions out. For me, it is working out. I find that when I am stressed, I am really into my Zumba or weightlifting class. After I have completed the session, I feel so much lighter. For some people dancing could be their outlet or art. Find out what your outlet is and make time for it in your schedule.

Daily Affirmations: I am a true believer that everyone is responsible for his/her own happiness. It is just as much a conscious decision to be happy as it is to be sad or angry. You should not rely on anyone else to make you happy with yourself. It simply isn’t healthy. Everyday you should take a few minutes to affirm that you are smart, you are powerful, you are strong, you are gorgeous, and you are talented. Love yourself.

Build Others Up: The people who are always building others up and giving compliments are some of the happiest people I have ever known. On the other hand, people who are constantly tearing others down and belittling people are some of the most insecure and unhappy people out there. If someone is ever rude to me I remind myself that it is not a “me issue”. I think we all see this everyday; the person that is unhappy with themselves, home life, career, etc. take their frustrations out on others. Don’t allow someone else’s unhappiness impact your happiness.   

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Talk To Yourself Like You Would To Someone You Love: We are our own worst critics. Be gentle on yourself. No one is perfect. Being perfect would be awfully boring.   

Well, there you have it. These are some of my tips to staying happy and confident. Have a wonderful day and remember to take everything one step at a time.