Change Your Perspective to Increase Your Happiness

With the tumultuous world around us, hectic personal lives and seemingly endless demands on our attention, how can we find any time for happiness? A trick I have used recently to increase my personal happiness is changing my perspective. Whether or not you realize it, the way that you feel directly correlates with the perspective that you are using to digest information. How can you slip on a different pair of glasses and potentially increase your personal happiness today?

Write it Down

We’ve already discussed how journaling and writing down your thoughts can transform your personal happiness. List making is another powerful tool that I use to change my perspective. Start with a clean piece of paper and write down things that you dislike. Don’t be afraid to think of huge things that seem impossible to tackle, small things that don’t seem overly significant and abstract or emotional pet peeves.

To get you started here are some of mine:

I don’t like when sports bars turn into social lounges.

I don’t like when people do not see the value in what I offer them.

I don’t like it when I do not know an answer.

Shift Your Perspective

Once you have your list of things you do not like, write down a reason that you are grateful for them below. It might be tricky at first, especially if you are not used to completing gratitude exercises or changing your perspective. Dig deep or keep it light—this exercise is all about being able to find gratitude and personal happiness in seemingly negative things.

Here’s what I came up with:

I don’t like when sports bars turn into social lounges.

I am grateful that I have places to watch sporting events and meet new people at the same time. 

I don’t like when people do not see the value in what I offer them.

I am grateful that people listen to what I have to offer and respect my thoughts.

I don’t like it when I do not know an answer.

I am grateful that I still have the opportunity to learn new things in life.

What are some things that you do not like but are grateful for? How has changing your perspective increased your happiness?