(As originally featured on goodmenproject.org)

Have you ever noticed that it’s easier to focus on the negative rather than the positive? It’s easy to complain and find faults in everything. You deserve to be happy!

According to inc.com, only one in three Americans says they’re very happy.

Happy people take control of their life and emotions rather than reacting to what is going on around them. Who or what else except yourself can you blame if you are unhappy with your life? And how will blaming someone or something else help you live a better life?

Unfortunately, bad things happen to everyone. But it’s not about what happens to you in life. It’s all about how you respond. Here are two secrets to a happier life you can apply that can change your life so you can be an incredibly happy person:

• Let go of having certain expectations. Our Life does not always go according to plan. There are hiccups. Things happen. We make mistakes. Over-focusing on specific results and basing happiness on them leads to sadness.
• Do what makes you happy. Self-sabotage is a skill that many people possess. We regularly act in ways that are in direct opposition to our goals and ideals.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” The smaller the gap between what you should do and what you do, The happier you will be.

• Be grateful. Happiness is as simple as gratitude. How could you possibly find happiness when you relentlessly want more and never appreciate what you have?
• Live in the present. Don’t miss the moments that matter most, and focus your life on what’s important to you.

You deserve to be happy, but it must be found internally first. What blocks your happiness?

Found this article to be helpful? Grab a copy of Own Your Kingdom: How To Control Your Mindset So You Can Control Your Destiny