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By Dannie De Novo

Get in a good mood and stay there, right? This phrase may easily roll off the tongue, but when it comes to rolling out of bed on a dark, cold morning, you may find yourself needing a little more incentive to put a smile on your face and some pep in your step. Here are some tips to help you focus on your overall mood and happiness in 2019.

Happiness tip #1: Meditate

It is difficult to keep a certain level of happiness without incorporating a spirituality practice into your daily routine. I have found the best way to make this spiritual connection is through meditation.

I use my daily meditation to check in on my body, on my mind and on my spirit. I use meditation as a means of listening to what is going on inside of me and quieting my thoughts. I use meditation to connect with the Universe and feel as though I am part of something expansive, timeless and good. It is a great way to develop clarity, creativity and a sense of peace.

The more frequently you practice meditation, the more the effects sustain themselves throughout your day and throughout your life. Daily meditation practice equals daily sustained good mood.

Happiness tip #2: Be Grateful

Gratitude is feeling or showing appreciation toward someone or something. There are few things you can do to build and maintain your happiness as important as exercising daily gratitude.

Gratitude allows us to celebrate what we have now and what we have accomplished. It also allows us to refocus our energy on what we truly value. A sense of gratitude shines a light on the positive in our lives. Gratitude leads to a sense of love, and is there anything that is more indicative of happiness than love?

Happiness tip #3: Set the Right Goals

You can’t get to where you want to be in life by holding on to the edge of the shallow end of the swimming pool. So, if you are in a place where you can still touch the bottom with your tip-toes, you are not setting big enough goals for yourself and your life.

Without inspired goals, your efforts in life will be mediocre at best, and you will lack the discipline and grit needed to keep going when the going gets rough. Thinking big causes you to act in a big way, and consistent, productive action makes you feel confident, resourceful and happy.

Happiness tip #4: Forgive

Holding on to the past isn’t helping you. In order to move forward, you need to let go of what is behind you. Take the time to forgive yourself and others and abandon past failures, pain and disappointments.

That past version of you no longer exists. You are here today, with the added benefit of increased wisdom and resources. So, give the past you a break and abandon those old feelings of pain, loss or regret. Take the lessons learned forward with you and let go of the rest.

Happiness tip #5: Live in the Present

Not dwelling in the future is as equally important as letting go of the past. Do yourself a favor and set your attention on today.

I think, given our society today, we often place a lot of weight on what the future will bring us. We get ourselves into trouble when we are constantly looking into the future, waiting for future events to bring us…something…happiness, something new, or the idea of something different.

Since we cannot find happiness within and with the here and now, we place it on some future event or ideal and attempt to convince ourselves that we only need to achieve this milestone or reach a certain life destination, and all will be as we hoped.

To constantly be attached to some future outcome leaves you living your life in a time where you have no control and that does not yet exist. You are missing today. You are missing your life as it is, right now, right in front of you. The only real time that you have is the present moment.

So, focus on the present and what that means for you and to you. You will be much happier with your journey and with life in general.
Happiness doesn’t have to a complicated idea. In fact, happiness can be as simple as adopting a few good daily rituals. Live in the present.

Forgive the past. Find your passion and set inspired goals toward that passion. Live with a sense of wonder and gratitude. Connect with your spiritual side. Set aside twenty minutes each day to focus on these ideas and see how quickly your good mood comes to the surface and thrives. Wishing you much happiness in 2019 and beyond!

Dannie De Novo is the author of Get in a Good Mood & Stay There. She is an attorney, coach, entrepreneur and podcast host who loves horses, traveling and learning. Her website is www.DannieDeNovo.com