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How to Find Inner Happiness: Top 5 Tips

By Operation Meditation

Remember that old tale about a man, wondering about how to find inner happiness, traveled the whole world (well, not really the “whole” world because you can bet they were talking about a few limited civilizations back then) only to end up where he had started. And only when he finally gave up in trying to find happiness outside himself did he actually find it. Inner happiness is like an elusive butterfly—the more you run after it, the more it becomes out of reach; the moment you settle down, it flutters back to land on your shoulder.

Finding inner happiness is no rocket science, but most people tend to forget that. Instead, they end up doing all sorts of things that are the exact opposite of finding happiness. So to start, here are the five most effective tips on finding inner happiness.

1. Keep it simple

Inner happiness is the child of inner peace. And inner peace can be achieved only by being aware of what you need and want and not over-reaching for those that are not only unreachable but are also not needed. That is why the very first step on how to find inner happiness is keeping things simple. Avoid complications. When you’re making a to do list, only include the items that you consider most important. When you’re online, check your Facebook or your email inbox only in a limited time every day—do not succumb to the obsession. Set a deadline to the things you must do each do, then do them. Nike has nailed it down: just do it. And to avoid forgetting this, you should write this where you can read the words “Keep it simple” each time you wake up or you go about your daily chores.

2. Learn to accept

Learning to accept may be one of the hardest things to do, but it is one of the most important. Refusal to accept is a major roadblock on the path to inner peace and happiness. Without acceptance, you simply could not move forward—it is as simple as that. You must accept the things you can’t change—either the things about you or those in others. You must accept the differences. Acceptance, however, is not the same as surrendering or giving up—instead, it is the wisdom to discern when to act on things when needed, and when to realize what you can’t change.

3. Learn to forgive

Learning to forgive is almost the shade of meaning as learning to accept. In fact, these two are almost interchangeable, and hence, equally important. Forgiveness and acceptance are both ways of letting go—when you do not forgive or accept, your heart holds on to negative feelings that only damage you over time and sacrifices your own happiness. For instance, if there is someone you hate, you continue to link your feelings to that person—this is ridiculous because by hating or resenting someone, you are inevitably condemning yourself to stay “paired” with the devil of self-loathing. Forgiveness, therefore, frees you and destroys that negative link.

4. Enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy

Of course, happiness is found in the everyday things that we do, and if we find joy in the things that we do, half the battle is won. There’s no sense in learning the previous three tips on how to find inner happiness if, every single day, you go to a job that you feel is sucking the soul out of you.

5. Meditation

Most importantly, all the previous four tips can be much easier to achieve if you give your heart and mind a little push by means of meditation. Engaging in regular meditation enhances your resolve to accept and forgive and banish these negative feelings from your life. By finding a comfortable, quiet spot each day to meditate, you will soon find that what seemed previously insurmountable disappears or becomes easier to manage.

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