Heartaches are a part of everyone’s lives. We all lose loved ones at some point in our lives, we all get frustrated with certain issues, and we all have our fears. Through it all, we know we have to face the world, make the best of it,  and continue our lives in a forward direction no matter what! Living a fulfilling life takes a little work on our part. It doesn’t just come naturally.

At the same time, it is easy to get sidetracked in our journey to becoming happy again as we continually face stressors and other factors in our lives that can easily zap our efforts if we let them. If you find yourself in a place where you know your “happiness” factor can use improvement, here are a few points to keep in mind that can help you smile from ear to ear, permanently:

1. Know that you completely control your own happiness. Regardless of anything negative that has happened to you in your lifetime, you are the only one who can decide whether or not you want to be happy. Life throws us a curve, all the time. Our job is to make continual adjustments until we can hit that ball out of the park and circle the bases with a big smile on our face. If you can equate finding happiness to hitting a home run in life, your competitive spirit will carry you through, even in your darkest moments. This leads us to the next entry (#2).
2. Never feel sorry for yourself. It’s perfectly normal to go through the “why did this happen to me?” stage but you need to quickly force that attitude right out of your head. There’s a time for us to cry, so if that’s what you need to do at a certain point or moment in your life, then let it out. At the same time, you should be thinking in the back of your mind, “I will get through this and I will prevail.” If you have a winning attitude, there is nothing that can prevent you from finding happiness.
3. Stay close to your family and friends. The worst thing you can do when things haven’t gone your way or when you face a difficult moment in your life is to alienate the people who love you the most. You may need time to be alone but there is nothing you will ever face in this life that calls for completely staying away from and avoiding everyone for more than a few months. People who do this are usually in the “feeling sorry for myself” stage” and can’t break free from their self-pity. They make excuses to not continue their normal lives when in fact, that is exactly what they need to do! It’s perfectly okay to grieve, but it is not okay to become a recluse for the next three years and come back out of the blue after those three years expecting everybody to welcome you with open arms. Stay in the loop and let your family and friends comfort you. They are the shortcut to helping you find your happiness once again. It’s always the best way!
4. Believe there is nothing you can’t overcome. There is a positive solution for everything in life; you just need to find what that is for your particular situation. The easiest way to learn how to become happy again is to not focus on whatever problem you have. Instead, focus on the solution and you will always get ahead and find the way to happiness in your life.

One final note: Anyone can learn the basics of how to become happy again but if you have the slightest idea that you may be depressed or know someone who you believe is suffering from depression, do your best to make certain you seek professional help. Depression is oftentimes something you cannot physically control and it requires medical intervention to help the person overcome their condition.