The Happiness Two-Step

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Do you want to be happier? You can be. And you don’t have to overhaul your life to do it. In fact, you can be happier in the next ten minutes without actually changing a single “thing” in your life!

See, as I write about in my new book Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now, happiness isn’t about the situation we’re in but how we see the situation we’re in. It’s all about our perspective. And this is awesome news! Because it means you don’t have to change your life to get happier. You don’t need a make more money or buy a brand new car or get a promotion or have a perfect relationship to be happy. You just have to look at the life in front of you bright side up and see what’s great about it right now. 3 Easy Ways To See The Bright Side Today

To get you started, here’s an easy two-step formula for feeling happier when you’re faced with your next rough or tough situation.

1. Stand back from your frustrating situation and say, “The good news is…” and then finish the sentence. Yes, you’re in late for work, but the good news is…there’s no traffic when it’s not rush hour. Yes, your relationship just ended, but the good news is…now you can cook with the mushrooms he hated and you’re open to meeting someone who appreciates and loves you the way you deserve! Help! My Boyfriend & I Always Argue

Sometimes you have to dig deep to find the good things, but the more you force yourself to list them, the more positive your situation will seem. So start writing or typing yourself a list of the good news and, really, the more or more outrageous the better! You’ll find yourself feeling better in minutes. Do You Have a Happiness Measuring Stick?

2. Shift your perspective completely in the other direction and say, “At least I’m not…” and imagine all the ways it could be worse. Yes, you should have been paid more for your hard work, but at least you have a job to pay the rent in the first place. And yes, your last date was another disaster, but at least you have friends at the ready to cheer you up and you now have a super funny story to give them in return. This step is like taking that “glass half-full or half-empty” and saying, “Hey, at least there’s some water in it at all.”

There is a bright side to every situation if you look for it. The next time you hit a setback, look for the good news and appreciate how much it could be worse. And before you know it, you’ll feel better and happier than ever. 5 Ways To Stop Complaining And Appreciate The Life You Have

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Check out Amy’s new book Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now, get the companion iPad and iPhone Bright Side App, sign up for Amy’s weekly Vitamin Optimism email and visit her blog TheLifeOptimist.com. Follow Amy at twitter.com/datingoptimist.

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