5 Things that I do daily that have made me happier or changed my worldview

In my 37 years on this planet I have made mental notes of things I have incorporated into my daily life that have changed my mood or made me happier. These things are by no means one-size-fits-all but I wanted to share them anyways.

“We forge the chains we wear in life.” — Charles Dickens

1. Break the routine. I routinely break routines and as illogical as that might sound, it really works. For example, when you’re driving a vehicle take a right down that street instead of the usual left, pick a different route altogether. Shop somewhere else, jump in that puddle, make something different for dinner. Break the chains.

2. Be kind to people. Yes, hold that door open but also go ahead and compliment that person. Give up a parking spot, your place in line, help not just the elderly but everyone you come across. Do this just once a day and you’ll notice how quickly your worldview will change.

3. Be flexible. It’s widely known that Spielberg’s shark troubles in Jaws could be seen as a deal-breaker in the making of that film. Despite setbacks that occurred because of the malfunctioning robot Spielberg focused on making the best of it. Instead of showing the shark onscreen in most scenes he realized less was more and showed very little of the shark in the final cut. Oh, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the music by John Williams helped as well.

4. Be curious. Just the other day I was wondering how one would go about cleaning a long-neglected tombstone and so I did some research. It turns out it’s not as easy as throwing a bucket of soapy water on it and scrubbing. With this in mind I try to keep a running log of things that I’m curious about and follow up when I’m feeling bored or needing some brain food.

5. Take walks. All it takes is a ten minute stroll and I’m feeling better about myself. It’s in these moments that I can contemplate the finer things in life and let my subconscious mull over whatever might be bothering me or keeping my brain from spinning too many cycles.

As I mentioned this isn’t a list that will apply to everyone (mileage will vary) and certainly won’t prevent you from sometimes losing sleep or having a bad day. They have been things that I do to let the light in every once in awhile and refocus on what’s truly important in my life.