This is Nathaniel Kramer’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

America’s Declaration of Independence started by saying that everyone has an unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, yet many Americans have anything but a happy life in spite of how much we have. It doesn’t have to be like that though. Here are some tips on how to live a happier life.

• Realize that more things only bring temporary satisfaction, and a short period of happiness. Happiness is something that does not come with more, or less possessions. Happiness is something that comes from within. The first step to being a happy person is to stop trying to get material things to make you happy.
• Make someone else happy. It’s amazing how much you can brighten your own day by brightening someone else. Little gestures can go a long way in bringing satisfaction. If you need a little something to boost your spirit, do a little something for someone else. The holiday season is the perfect time to get in a habit of doing little things for people. When you make others feel important, you will find that you have made yourself more important. It is better to give than to receive.
• Stay busy doing good things. Studies show that the most depressed people are people who do nothing all day. If you have spare time, fill it up with something good. Volunteer for something. Be active all the time. If you make yourself useful, you will feel more valuable.
• Listen to positive music. Music always been known as a tool that can effect people’s attitude. If you want to make a crowd excited, you play exciting music. If you want to calm a crowd down, you play soft music. Music has a direct effect on your spirit. It’s not healthy to always be listening to music that is negative.
• Use uplifting words. Just like music, words can effect your mood in a direct way. Try to stay away from people who gossip, and tear down each other, and don’t be the person who tries to belittle others. When you belittle someone else, you always belittle yourself. This disrupts your spirit. Instead, find something positive to talk about. Keep conversation upbeat as much as possible.
• Guard your mind. Don’t think about things that aren’t true, pure, lovely, or of a good report. Think about things that are praiseworthy, and virtuous. By guarding your mind, you are guarding you spirit, and by guarding your spirit, you are keeping yourself from becoming an unhappy person. You can always find something good about a situation. Even the most horrible things have had good come out of it.

Being a happy person is not about what you have, or what your position is in society. Being a happy person is all about perspective. Some see the glass as half empty, and others see the glass as half full. Which do you see it as?

• Are You Happy?

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Are you happy? I don’t mean just going through the motions. Are you actually happy? Where does happiness come from? Does it reside inside of us, or does it come from external sources? Some would argue that you can find happiness. Sometimes happiness is elusive, depending on what’s going on in your life at the time. Maybe there are things you can do to find it. According to Smogsy, there are five things you can do to help you be happier in your work and life.

• Stay positive Even if you have a lot of work to do, and you think it may not be possible to finish in the alloted time frame… stay positive. Take two seconds to stop and think, then write down all of the things you need to do. As you complete a task, tick it off the list. You will feel much better if you actually tick something of a list, rather than just thinking you have done something.
• Have a Laugh When work gets too serious, it becomes a chore rather than something you enjoy. Spend a minute or two talking to a co-worker or someone in your house about what they are doing. You will learn more about their role in the company, and most likely end up chatting about common interests.
• Beating “Work is a Chore” When going to work every day, it can eventally become a chore. You may get in the mindset of “do I HAVE to?”. Think of something you want to buy or are saving up for. Every time you think “do I have to”, think “I’m getting a such and such soon”. You will instantly forget that you’re at work, and you will be happier thinking about the rewards of your job.
• The Boredom Feeling Are you bored at home? Look into your cupboard or attic, and grab that old console/game/film that you haven’t even seen for last 2 years. When you begin to play it, it will be like the first time all over again. When bored at work, ask others if they need any help with anything. Time will go much faster if you keep busy.
• Learning When you are at work and don’t feel happy, ask your boss if you could learn some new tasks. S/he will be happy that you asked, since you are asserting yourself. You, in turn, will be happy to be learning something new, and to be challenging yourself.

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• How to Be a Happy Person