In today’s world time has become a very limited resource, and unfortunately, people forget the most important thing: to live a happy life!

It is often said that “money can’t buy happiness”, but no one really believes this until they are in that situation.

Luckily for us, science is backing up this claim, and there really are some ways to become a happier person and therefore improve your life and become smarter.

So, if you wish to start improving your life, follow the steps below, and see for yourself the improvement in your mood:

• “Buy Experiences Not Goods. Want to buy happiness? Then spend your hard-earned cash on experiences. Go out for a meal. Go to a concert, cinema, or theater. Go on holiday. Go and learn how to pole dance. Go paintballing. Go bungee jumping. In fact, get involved in anything that provides an opportunity to do things with others, and then tell even more people about it afterward. When it comes to happiness, remember that it is an experience that represents really good value for money.”
  ― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
• Take a walk in nature every time you have a chance to do so; nature has always a calming effect on our mood since the brain will be better oxygenated, the stress level will diminish, and we will start feeling better
• Try to do a good deed every single day; scientists have discovered that you will be much happier if you offer a gift to someone, rather than buying yourself something. This is also in line with what Jesus said: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets”
• Have a “gratitude attitude”! It’s been proved that if you count your blessing every day, you’ll become more optimistic and you’ll start seeing the good part of life. Remember, there are millions of people starving to death in the world, and there are people suffering from wars, illnesses, persecution, humiliation, and many other problems that you’re safe from.
• If you are a religious person, go to your church and pray, help the people in need and be kind to everybody, even to the people that don’t deserve it. You will be rewarded with a happier and healthier life

•  Keep a personal Journal in which you can analyze your emotions much better than any psychologist. Richard Wiseman mention in his book “In 59 seconds”, that science has proved that this is much better than talking to a shrink (and cheaper). No one can understand your emotions better than yourself, and when you put them on paper, your perception will change. This will make you happier.
• Do some physical exercise! By this, I mean starting to lift weights and going daily to a gym! Start with a 15 minutes walk every day, and increase the duration step-by-step, until you reach an entire hour. The best exercises are those in which you use your own body weight, like push-ups, squats, and others. No machine will ever match these exercises, which will work your entire muscles, not just a few.
• Smile more often! It was discovered that there is a direct link between our expressions and our emotions. Because we usually smile when we feel good about something, we can use that to our advantage. If we smile even if we don’t feel so good, for about 15 seconds, our brain will assume that we are happy, and it will make us feel accordingly.
• Don’t watch the news! They will make you feel bad instantly, since today’s news is focused only on bad things happening in the world, and they are all just tabloids like shows. Don’t watch TV at all! You can choose what to watch from the infinite library of the INTERNET. Choose only positive videos, like motivational ones, documentaries about nature, etc.
• Don’t go to a job that you hate! I know, you have bills to pay, kids to feed, a mortgage to pay, and so on. I’m not saying you should quit on the spot, but you should start saving money to follow your dream. Start working on what you really want to do in life, every single day. Remember that today’s situation doesn’t have to last forever! You can choose your life, and it’s time to choose yourself. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”- Less Brown
• Read as much as you can! This will make you smarter and happier. I recommend starting with biographies of some important people like Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, etc. You will see that not everybody was born into a rich family and some people struggled a lot to follow their dreams. You can do it too!
• Plan a trip, together with your loved ones, and take that trip, no matter what! Research made in the last years has shown that the biggest regret of people on deathbeds was not about what they didn’t have, was about what they didn’t do! No one has the chance to re-living their own life! Your time on this earth is so limited, that you can’t afford to waste it on unimportant things.
• Always take care of your friends, no matter where they live in this world. Friends are important to everyone. It’s better to have 5 close friends than to have 100 that don’t give a dime about you. Call them on their birthday, invite them over, and always surprise them with a nice thought. You will be happier when you make other people happy, especially your close friends.
• Start to meditate! If you don’t know how to search on YouTube. You will find hundreds of exercises and you can choose the one that fits you. You don’t have to do it for hours, 15-30 minutes it’s enough. You are your own master, so you can decide exactly what to do, but to start doing it for a few days, and then give up it’s not worth it. Remember: it takes 21 days to form a new habit, so don’t give up!

These are just a few recommendations that I have for today. I really recommend reading the book “In 59 seconds”! It will change your perception of happiness, and you’ll be amazed to find out the latest discoveries in the area of personal improvement.

Thank you for your time, and like always, feel free to share your thoughts!