"Don't Worry, Be Happy," sings Bob Marley. But happiness appears to be a lost art. The stress of day to day living has made us worried and very unhappy. Our scarce resources don't seem sufficient to balance the demand.

Yet is worry itself only an illusion? A bad habit? A self-defeating way of thinking?

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful. It is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from stress.

Worry, on the other hand, creates stress, which itself is linked to heart disease, cancer and stroke.

How can you embrace change, stop worrying, and feel happy?

Make A Decision To Be Happy

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be," said Abraham Lincoln.

To be happy is relatively easy. Just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people can choose how happy or unhappy they want to be. Wouldn't you rather be relaxed rather than tense, bright rather than gloomy?

The choice is simple: choose to be happy.

Happiness, then, as Abraham Lincoln pointed out, is actually a decision. It's not based on a perfect equilibrium in all your affairs. It's based on a choice to adopt an optimistic view. If you're going to wait for everything to be perfect before you give yourself permission to be happy, you may catch a window of opportunity only once or twice in a lifetime.

Improve Your Relationships

One certain way to be happy is to make all your relationships positive ones.

Social networks are essential for happiness. People are different, accept them the way they are. Avoid clashes. Shun arguments. Let go of resentments. If an argument seems inevitable, try and understand the situation from the other person's perspective before you lose your temper. Often, this expansion of perception, is enough to end disagreements and misunderstandings.

Happiness is our natural birthright. Everyone has that capacity. Increasing it can make life wonderful. You'll also feel healthy, think clearly, and do everything better.

Adopt An Attitude Of Gratitude

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have much to be thankful for. Thank the sun for rising, the sky for its beauty, and the meadows and hills for bright, living colors.

Thank the air and the water for sustaining your life; the food placed before you for nourishing you; the work given to your hands to do to provide all your material needs.

Thank the people who think you're special.

There is no limit on things to be grateful for.

Avoid Malcontents

Life is a challenge and many people develop a peculiar joy from sharing their "ain't it awful" stories with you.

Somehow, after listening to them gossip or whine, you suddenly feel empty and defeated.

While you may enjoy offering a friendly word of advice, prefer to spend your time associating with happier people.

If you can't get enough bad news, then turn on the radio or television.

People who are miserable can sap your energy. Do you really want to spend your time with them? It's just as easy to find uplifting joyful companionship and tune into information that is informative and inspiring.

Avoid Ugly Environments

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

Tune In To The Infinite

A spiritual perspective can tune you into the big picture. All of life is evolving before your very eyes. Relish the adventure of being here, now.

Do things that remind you of your own spiritual nature. For some, it is walking out in nature, for others it is a formal practice like meditation, contemplation, or joining a like-minded group.

Manage Your Time

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can make every part of your life work better.

Time management involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing.

With just a modicum of effort, you can develop efficient personal time management skills.

Make Time For Humor

Watch funny movies, listen to and share jokes, and do things that make you feel silly and light-hearted. Life has its hilarious side as well.

Share Your Affection

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate. Try to release pent up anger or frustration. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. It makes life for everyone, including yourself, so much easier.

Do Work You Love Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. You feel competent when you finish your tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us. They give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time. Love what you do and do what you love. It's a great way to make more money because your energy is aligned with your desires. Enjoy Learning New Things

Learning is a joyful experience. Try and learn something new every day. Learning broadens your horizons. It also improves what you can do and be in the future.

Get In Touch With Your Body

Run, jog, walk, exercise, make love. Get in touch with your body. Be present in your body. Feel alive in it. These are just a few simple things you can do everyday to be happy. Once you think about it, you can come up with quite a few more.

The best place to start right now is to remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

The pursuit of happiness may be easier than you think.

About the Author

Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas His book Never Ever Give Up tells you how. It is offered at no cost as a way to help YOU succeed. The Empowered Soul