7steps to becoming a Happy Person Others want to be Around

Here are seven steps to reversing this pattern and becoming a happy person others trust and want to be around.

1. Become self-aware. Are you a negative person? Do you tend to see the glass half empty or half full? If you are in doubt, ask your spouse or a close friend for candid feedback. Negativity is costing you more than you know. Frankly, it’s like having bad breath or b.o.
2. Assess your needs. What need are you attempting to meet by complaining? Perhaps the need for connection? Maybe a need for significance? Are there better, more healthy ways to meet these needs?
3. Decide to change. Complaining is a habit. And like all bad habits, change begins when you own your behavior and make a decision to change. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. It will take conscious effort at first, but it will become automatic over time. You can start today.
4. Shift your identity. The most powerful change happens when we modify our identity. When I declared myself an athlete, daily exercise suddenly became easier. What if you said to yourself, I am a positive, encouraging person? How would your behavior change?
5. Greet others with a smile. According to health expert Ron Gutman, “smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, and increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphins.” While smiling has this impact on you, it also has a similar impact on others. This is one reason they unconsciously want to be around you.
6. Catch them doing something right. The corollary to the principle “you see more of what you notice” is "you get more of what you notice. If you catch people doing what is right and complement them for it, guess what happens? They start doing more of it. This is not manipulation; it is influence. It too is contagious.
7. Speak well of others. I’m not saying you shouldn’t deal with bad behavior by confronting it. I’m saying you should deal directly with the people involved rather than complaining about it to those who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. Your mama’s advice was right: “If you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all.”

While complaining about others may hurt them, ultimately it hurts you the worst. By becoming more aware and more intentional, you can become a person others seek out and want to be around.

by Michael Hyatt

Kindness List

FOR YOU LOVE LETTER: write a letter to someone you've never met and let them know what a great person they are. Spread the love!
FREE HUGS: Don't underestimate the power of a warm embrace.
SHARE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES: A little "words of wisdom" is all it takes sometimes.
MAKE SOMEONE LAUGH/SHARE A SMILE: "Laughter is the best medicine". A smile is contagious.
LET SOMEONE GO IN FRONT OF YOU: Patience is key... "Go ahead, I'm in no rush, I was just standing here enjoying myself".
WRITE AN APPRECIATION LETTER/NOTE: Let someone know that you recognize their efforts and are thankful for it. (ex: mail carriers, bus drivers, coaches, teachers, etc.)
TREAT SOMEONE: Maybe event tickets for a single parent, a meal for the homeless, or simply a coffee for the person in line behind you. A little goes a long way.
SHARE A COMPLIMENT: While others may be negative or bullying, be positive. Share a compliment and brighten someone's day. Stop negative conversations. Walk away from gossip.
RETURN LOST & FOUND ITEMS: Create a better community and/or city.
TAKE TIME TO PLAY: Children are told to go and "play", but as adults we forget that it's ok to do so. Be silly and have fun!
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME: Babysit for free. Help out at a local food bank. Volunteer to build a house through Habitat for Humanity. Help at an event. Volunteer some time to talk to your sales clerk, or a stranger on the bus, or a little conversation with the homeless.
LEAVE MONEY: Leave a very generous tip for your server. Treat someone to a snack by leaving money in a vending machine/gumball dispenser. Give to a local charity/auction.
SUPPORT THE CHILDREN: Give a donation to the local children's team, whether by money or equipment, or maybe even volunteered time.

 SPREAD THE LOVE                   I.M.P.A.C.T. EVERYONE

Gratitude In Others

I have had a wonderful experience in the last week... I have been helping others with things they were not able to do themselves or afford a company to do it for them! They were given the opportunity to give whatever they wanted in return for my assistance. All 4 of the people I have helped in the last few days were more than grateful for me helping them in their time of need. So much so that 2 out of the 4 required a HUG at the end, in order to show their appreciation, and 1 called the next day for more help!

Although all of them were very grateful and appreciative about it, it seems that I got the most out of it! To be able to see the gratitude, joy, and appreciation in each one of their faces was more than enough to make my day, and fill me with the same!

So go ahead, give someone a hand if they need it! You don't have to know them to be a part of their life and make a difference.

Pass it on.