Secrets on How to Live a Happy Life

Our present vantage point lets us see how our ideas of frugality, simplicity and sustainability are not separate entities but are all a part of the same idea.

Cutting back, or frugal living, cannot be done properly without simplifying and being mindful of the environment.

While the idea of simplicity or frugality may seem, to young people, like a quaint ideal of the anorak brigade, the economic recession will see folks on a global level spurn over consumption and wastage.

Living within your means and saving for goals and retirement is so singularly valuable and unfortunately, not always fully grasped on the right side of forty. On the wrong side of forty, you must have a handle on financial fundamentals, and the magic of compound interest should now be working in your favor.

The path out of money problems or to a secure financial future is not just in a higher paying job. Although career advancement in itself is impressive, as long as you have the right mindset, however usually more money equals more spending and bigger debt.

To do this, you need to do more than change how you act, you need to change how you think.

Let’s look at what is going to undermine your efforts to make this change.

Stress: Roadblock number one as we over commit, overwork and then when we are overwrought, we take the expensive path of least resistance. When stressed, we make poor decisions about our health, diet and money.

Pride: Keeping up with Joneses is playing financial chicken. Don’t buy new toys you can’t afford, to massage your own ego. Don’t be undone by stuff.

Exhaustion: Complexities of long weeks and long hours at work may lead you to think that the 10 day exotic break is deserved. Frugality walked out the back door as the exotic extravagance walked in the front.

Expediency: Sometimes it is easier to pay someone to mow your lawn or clean your house, as after a long day you are rewarded with the extra hours needed for cleaning and cooking. This where menu setting, bulk cooking comes in to its own.

Immediacy: The inevitable curved ball such as, when the family car dies, or your daughter needs a new outfit for the class outing. Immediacy means more cash and there is no time to bargain hunt.

Misgivings: When family and friends do not understand simplicity and we need to re-dedicate our commitment in the face of “the culture of more”.

Advertising: Don’t be manipulated by suggestion, or let the advertiser create fear of what you don’t have. Advertising is at epidemic levels, and I wonder if the exchange of our time, energy and money is fair or are we the hamster on a never ending treadmill?

Life is change, but if you have a solid foundation, you can handle any situation or at least know you will be alright in the end.

Happiness takes effort, discipline and courage, but a decent routine will soon have everything flowing smoothly.

Learning how to be happy with life is learning to appreciate what you have. Being content means knowing that possessions will never make you happy nor fulfill you, only then will you stop looking to the next purchase in the vain hope it will make you life complete.

As you cannot have it all, choose the life you have, along with its problems and its joys, over the life that exists only in your head.

Content means making peace with a past and choosing to live in the present. A choice you may have to make over and over again when you feel discontent rising.

Accept the difficult things in your life, particularly if you cannot do anything about it. When you have achieved this, you won’t need consumerism cycles as you don’t need to spend to be happy. You will also be on path of mindful frugal living.

Start small by noticing your frustrations and things which you wish were different. Without trying to change things, examine them by just holding them, look at them and notice how you react to them, Your ability will grow to allow you to let these things go and let them be.

• Optimism: When you are confronted by what you don’t have, remind yourself of what you do have. End each day by remembering what you liked best and the moments that meant the most to you.
• Quality of Life: Ask yourself the question - are you buying this for short-term pleasure, or will it make you happier in the long term?
• Family: Spend more time with the people you love and who love you in return.
• Friends: Learn to form more meaningful relationships with people that go beyond the ordinary “how are you”, to give substance to your life.
• Attitude: Discontent gives you a tight neck and back muscles, stomach ache and general malaise - know the symptoms and let the discontent go. Tell yourself “I have enough.”
• Social Interest: When you give, you feel great so make time for giving. if you haven’t time to volunteer, or do Granny’s shopping, smile at strangers in the street and say thank you to the checkout person while looking in their eyes.
• Self Esteem: Be kind to yourself: Even though you may be doing what you love, remember to set aside a little me time.
• Take Responsibility. Stop thinking about why not and think about how you going to get there.
• Health You are what you eat. Serotonin is a naturally occurring anti-depressant the levels of which omega-3 fatty acids will raise. A complete multivitamin rich in 'B' vitamins and minerals will feed the jangled nerves. Avoid the delicious and malicious processed or fast food, and eat whole fresh food as much as possible.
• Sense of Purpose. If you don’t know what you are doing and why you are doing it, life is not going to be fulfilling is it? Find your passion, keep trying and do your best eventually you will find something that fits.
• Financial Stability. Reward success like paying off credit cards, bringing down the mortgage, watch your bank account grow. The rush of seeing your efforts pay off will replace the high you used to get from spending money mindlessly. Financial milestones should be celebrated for the truly momentous occasions they are.

Embrace the success of simplicity, embrace the failures and most of all embrace the road that gets you where you want to go.