For years, I thought that happiness was the end goal, the final destination, the landing point, etc. I thought that happiness was an “if” or a “when”. If I achieve this, then I’ll be happier. When I’m at this place in life, I’ll be happier. Whatever that “if” or “when” was, I was convinced that it was the key to happiness.

But after a lot of self-discovery, personal development, and spiritual work, I recognized that it was up to me to choose happiness. I found out that happiness is not the destination, but rather the journey. 
 

Here are 6 Facts About Happiness You Need To Know:
 

1) Happiness is a choice.

As I mentioned above, it took me years to uncover this truth - so hopefully I can save you time by letting you know that, in no uncertain terms, happiness is a choice. When we can connect to our higher selves then we are in a place to make a choice about our own happiness and peace of mind. You have to consciously decide each day if something is going to bother you and change your mood, or if you are going to take the higher road and choose happiness. It takes a deep level of consciousness to do this; to be aware that our thoughts aren’t always our friend. But it’s worth the effort and making the choice to be happier is a win-win. I urge you to test this theory (which I call FACT) and next time something stands in your way or doesn’t go your way, choose to look at the bright side. See what happens next.
 

2) Gratitude makes people happier.

When you are in an “attitude of gratitude”, you generally look at the world in a more positive way. Being thankful for the things you have, no matter how small, contributes to a happier existence. Having more of an optimistic outlook on life also helps to relieve stress, anxiety, depression, and so on - so consider gratitude as a way to naturally banish negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
 

3) Happiness is contagious.

The more popular version of this statement is “laughter is contagious”, but so is happiness. It’s hard not to feel happy when you’re around others who are joyful and laughing. Do your best to seek out happy, positive, and joyful people - your own life will be richer for it. I surround myself with people who have positive energy, people who raise my vibrations and don’t bring me down.
 

4) Happiness is a skill.

Do you know what makes you happy? When you catch yourself smiling for seemingly no reason, next time make a mental note of what’s going on around you to make you smile. What did you see? What did you hear? Then, reinforce that behavior. Learning to “make lemonade from lemons” and practicing that skill over and over will help you learn how to become a happier person. Eventually, you will subconsciously choose happiness as you sharpen this skill.
 

5) Like wine, happiness gets better with age.

Maybe it’s just my personal experience, maybe I’ve learned to mellow out with time, but whatever it is - happiness does get better with age. Once you learn to appreciate the small things and learn to enjoy the journey that is life, happiness simply feels amazing. 
 

6) You don’t need ‘things’ to be happy.

We may all know this in an abstract sense, but to really know it, likely takes some digging and spiritual work. Living in the material world, flooded with social media and feeling forced to “keep up with the Joneses” can be touch. But getting past that, understanding that true happiness comes from within is one of the greatest freedoms you’ll ever experience.

And before you go, my last and final truth about happiness is that you must visualize yourself actually being happy. If you think negative thoughts, you attract negative things.

And if you need help attracting more positive vibes and energy into your life, I highly recommend you checking out my FREE visualization exercise. 

What are some of your tips on how to become a happier person? Do you have some thoughts about choosing happiness? I’d love to hear in the comments below. 

Until next time, choose happiness! :-)