Secrets of the Perpetually Unhappy

This post was originally published in June last year. Please enjoy again or for the first time.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us are searching for happiness. If you have already found it well done! But there are several people who remain quite unhappy and I’m about to share their secrets with you. Here are some ways to ensure unhappiness in your life.

How to successfully be unhappy

1. Live in the past. Unhappy people are stuck in the past, replaying every situation and wishing they could have done it differently to get a better outcome. Fortunately for them the past cannot be changed nor can the outcome, so they will always have something to dwell on.

Cure: Live for now, right this minute, today. Living in the past is truly pointless, as it cannot be changed no matter how hard you try. If you’ve screwed up guess what? We all have. The best thing you can do is learn from it, apologize if need be, move on and try not to make the same mistake again. Alternatively, and just as pointless really, you could be living in the future. You have no idea what the future has in store and the more attached you get to an idea of how things should play out, the more disappointed and unhappy you will be when it doesn’t.

2. Let life happen TO you. Perpetually unhappy people don’t take much into their own hands. They are life’s victims and are simply taken along for the ride with no say in how things unfold. You’ll often hear unhappy people say things like “I can’t”, “I have to” or “I have no choice”.

Cure: Grab the reins and get active. Everything you’re doing, you are doing because you made a choice to do it. Instead of “I can’t” try “I don’t want to”. Instead of “I have to” try “I want to”. There’s a subtle difference but when you make these changes it becomes something all about you. It empowers you. You are actively choosing how your life is unfolding.

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