For the past few years, I've kept a file on my desktop titled "A Happy Life" which contains things I've conceived or found online that reorient me as I drift. On occasion, I read it in it's entirety:
Contentedness is a matter of being satisfied with what you have.
Be content with less. Simplicity means examining why you want more; at the root of wanting more is not being content with what you have. Once you’ve learned to be content, you don’t need more. Stop acquiring and start enjoying.
If You Don’t Need It, It’s Not A Great Deal
We choose whether we are happy or unhappy.
Discontented people tend to be complainers, or grumpy, or negative. People who are content tend not to complain and tend to have a more positive attitude, and in my experience that almost always leads to more opportunities.
Focus on the good things in your life.
Learn to be content with the person you love, just as they are. Remind yourself that you should try to be happy with that person for who he/she is. Take a moment to think about the good things about that person, the reasons you love that person. Then accept their faults as part of their entire package.
If you’re unhappy with your job, change it.
I have learned that being a content person in other areas of my life, and being content with my life in general, has generally helped me at any job.
keep a 30-day list … when you want something, put it on the list with the date, and if you still want it in 30 days, you can buy it.
Worried that you might miss it? Put it in a box with the date on it. Check it a month or so later. Did you miss it?
Appreciate your life.
Show people you appreciate them.
breathe and smile.
21 day complaint free test. Try it.
yoga
running
gym
fire in a pit in the backyard
pour used water on plants, even when waiting for hot water.
Be careful about collecting things. They are dorky and waste space.
Glass jars are very handy.
Netted produce bags can be made into scrubbers by balling them up.
Just ask. Call everyone you pay a bill to and ask them for lower rates. This can be applied to cell phones, cable, internet, credit cards, loans, etc (I no longer have any debt, but still good advice).
state farm can discount by combining home and car insurance, also low mileage.
A man who does not know loyalty does not know men.
confidence is leaving the lights on
Always make sure you have something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
Ask others "what do you want to happen"
A man always judges himself by the balance he can strike between the needs of his body and the demands of his mind
Don't use time to make money; use money to make time.
Excess crap restricts freedom. To keep an item, it must have specific, valuable purpose. See through your clutter.
Happiness is the people around you, not the places.
