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Research shows that spending time with loved ones makes people happier than focusing too much energy on acquiring money, power and possessions. When it comes to making big life decisions, consider that arranging your life to be more family-focused may make you feel happier in the long run. Look for ways to spend more time with friends and family. Schedule it in if you have to so you get in the practice of seeing people more often. Remember that close friends are just as important as family. If your biological family is dysfunctional or hostile, you can still find happiness by spending time with your best friends. Giving back to strangers also helps to boost happiness. Find a way to help people each week by volunteering in your community. You've heard it before, but this is a very important way to increase your happiness. If you're a "grass is greener" person, you're hurting your chances at happiness. Think about times when you made the choice to switch jobs or move cities, only to realize that the grass has brown spots no matter where you land. Instead of wishing for something different, focus on loving what you have. Make a list of things you're grateful for. Writing it all out can help you realize just how much you have going for you. Post the list in a place where you'll be reminded of the good things in your life every day. If you have trouble finding things to write down, find ways to add more positive elements to your life. Go out of your way to make a new friend, or learn a skill that brings you pleasure. Cultivate the positive and don't dwell on the negative. If you carry anger around with you everywhere you go, realize it's affecting you much more than it's affecting the subject of your ire. Even if you have a very good reason to feel angry and bitter, holding a grudge isn't going to make you feel better. If there's nothing you can change about the situation, let it go, no matter how hard that might be. You'll be a much happier person for it. Be a more forgiving and open person. Try to let small things like negative comments roll off your back instead of dwelling on them. Let go of feelings like envy and jealousy as well. You can't control other people, but you can control your reactions to situations you face. While the occasional bout of negative feelings is inevitable, keeping them stored up inside you for long periods of time is going to get you down. Emotions are infectious. If your friends are dreary and negative, it's going to be hard to stay happy around them. That's not to say you should ditch your friends, but it's important to find people who make you feel light and happy, too. If there's a person in your life who tends to make you feel bad more often than good, consider having a frank conversation about the problem. If that doesn't work, it's OK to give yourself permission to end the relationship, for the sake of your own health and happiness. Not everyone gets to make a living doing what they're most passionate about, and even those who do have job dissatisfaction sometimes. When it comes to your work, the important thing is that you feel as though you respect your employer, your work is worthwhile and you're getting adequate credit for your efforts. Even if it's not your dream job, you can still be content. Your work, like other areas in your life, is not going to be perfect. Take the negative with the positive and learn what you can live with and what you can't, and make changes if necessary. If you're having trouble finding work that meets your needs, consider seeking career counseling.
Invest in people instead of things. Appreciate what you have. Don't hold grudges. Surround yourself with people who are happy. Make sure your job is working for you.