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The Secret to Staying Happy.

The Secret to Staying Happy.

Young people get it, they live in the moment and of course this is because they have more energy and haven't given up on their dreams. If there is something we should know about happiness it comes from staying youthful. There is an innocence that of course can't be fully recaptured, but if you aren't careful you might grow up to become jaded, you know like those people you always resented in your youth. Bob Marley in Redemption Song said "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds." Part of staying happy is being kind to yourself, and being carefree to a certain degree.

When you get older you might have less energy but that doesn't have to make you unhappy. Part of keeping yourself young at heart comes from knowing your limitations, but not letting that stop you from feeling young. Just because you have more responsibilities, that shouldn't stop you from dreaming. Life is short and we were meant to live our lives no matter how old you are. Yes it looks silly when we don't act our age, but how old are you anyways? Fear of dying is something that comes closer when we age, but we shouldn't let that stop us from realizing our dreams.

Things are hard for some people who are younger too. I believe that part of the purpose for our lives is more lived out when we are younger, why? We have less inhibitions and act with more conviction in the things we believe in our hearts. When people age they are more concerned about what others will think if they act from their hearts. Yes, I'm not saying to give up all your dreams, but as you take on more responsibility like a family don't forget that part of the reason why you might have been happier while you were younger is because you had a different perspective about life and about getting older. When we see that, we can be kinder to ourselves.

The conventions of society might be strict, but that doesn't mean you have to be unhappy. Happiness is a state of mind and isn't fully determined by our circumstances. If you can't change something, change your attitude about that thing. We are more adaptable when we are younger and we are more resilient. Becoming set in your ways only becomes a reality if we let it. The secret is to live with conviction at any age, and it happens when we take a stand for something that makes us feel good about ourselves. If you can't find something to stand up for, that might mean that you are becoming more safe as you get older. What would you say to yourself about that thing if you were younger?

Maybe nothing needs to change, maybe you just need to start seeing things with fresh eyes, which just takes a little bit of risk and a little bit of imagination. This is Mike.

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