I believe that everyone wants to feel happier -- sometimes

they just don't know where to begin. So here are ten

sure-fire ways to increase your happiness quotient - and

achieve your goals more easily than before!

1. Don't expect perfection from yourself or anyone else.

Don't forget this is planet Earth. And don't expect

perfection in working these happiness tips, either. Lean

into them everyday, and your life can change. Progress is

good enough.

2. Accept. Stop judging.

When we judge ourselves, our circumstances, or other people,

it leaves no opening to settle into and accept "what is." If

your circumstances seem too severe to accept, try to resist

less. And less. You will give yourself emotional space to

move toward acceptance and change at the same time. Sounds

like a contradiction, but that's the beauty. It isn't.

3. Stay in the present.

Do not waste time and energy regretting the past or worrying

about the future. Worry is a drain. We might think that

worry teaches us or motivates us, but calm presence is the

best source of happiness, wisdom, and positive action.

4. Be grateful.

When we put our attention on all the good in our lives, the

good tends to increase. Remember to be thankful for the

small blessings, the everyday things. At the University of

California at Davis, psychologist Robert Emmons found that

those who wrote in a "gratitude journal" weekly experienced

better health, more energy, and for patients with

neuromuscular disease, less pain and fatigue. The more they

found to be grateful for and the more detail they described

in their journals, the greater benefits they experienced.

5. Decide to be happy.

Having the intention to be happy, regardless of current

circumstances, attracts conditions that support you. The old

saying that "like attracts like" even works with your

intentions. They act like a magnet and draw to you more of

what you are already resonating. If you want to be happy,

make happiness your first desire.

6. Be self-authorized

Stop making choices based on what others believe you should

do, think, or be. Stay true to your own innate knowing of

what is best for you. Speak your truth in a kind manner. Let

others be responsible for their reactions.

7. Choose how you feel.

We often say that something or someone "made" us feel a

certain way. And yet, as we watch people react so

differently to the same event, we see with our own eyes that

people choose how they feel. Learn to pause. Take a moment

to choose how you wish to react and feel. You may be

surprised at how much leeway you have!

8. Examine your beliefs.

Often things in our life we accept as facts are really

self-defeating beliefs. Once you find these beliefs are not

true, they will shift and dissolve. Beliefs influence every

decision you make.

9. Expand your options

Allow for more possibilities in the present and future,

regardless of past experience. Drop the word "can't" from

your self-talk. Allow yourself to dream big. On a weekly

basis, write down all your desires, and let the sky be the

limit. No one has to see this list but you!

10. Create what you desire

Rather than putting all your energy into pushing away the

things you don't want, direct your energy into creating what

you do want. Come up with even just one action step - and

then the next - and start building the life you desire.

Happiness is worth your time and attention because feelings

affect every choice you make, every action and reaction.

They, along with the hidden self-defeating beliefs that

underlie them, create your life.  They affect your brain

chemistry, your immune system, your ability to fight

disease, and your longevity. They can make the difference

between creating a relationship of mutual acceptance and

respect, or going your separate ways.

So, go ahead, dive in. Don't feel guilty for wanting more

happiness. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "By being happy,

we sow anonymous benefits upon the world." And ourselves.