How to be Happy in 4 Steps – #1
I do not profess to be a guru, but these 4 steps have worked for me.
Happiness Step 1 – Friends.
Good friends and family members will save you a fortune in counselling or psychiatry bills! But don’t take friendship for granted, something as good as this needs to be cultivated. Keep in touch with your friends, and your relationship with them will strengthen.
There is no excuse today for losing friends. Technology and the Internet means you can now contact practically anyone. If you have lost touch with old companions you could re-establish contact with Internet sites such as Friends Reunited.
When you have a number of close personal friends, any troubles that come your way will disappear. You can talk over your problems in depth, because your friends know you better than any professional counsellor ever could. So friends will pick you up when you are down, but more importantly they can take your enjoyment of life into the stratosphere with shared laughter.
I am ‘lucky’ to have a wide circle of friends, and many close personal friends who I know I can turn to in times of trouble. However, I made my own ‘luck’. I kept in contact with my brothers, and old school friends, to make sure we met up every Friday – usually for a pub crawl :O)
In March 1998 I formalised this contact by producing a 4 page booklet which I posted to everyone, reminding them about pub crawls, parties, holidays, card playing nights etcetera. I am proud to say that this has grown into a 24 page, full colour booklet, which I now post to around 50 friends. We have organised holidays together and sporting events as well as the usual booze or card playing nights.
I know this is unusual, and I don’t expect you to go to these lengths. But think about your friends and how you can keep in touch. If your partner is your best friend you are already on the right track, and If you cultivate more friendships it’s YOU that benefits! Keep Happy.
Hi John,
What a wonderful post! Good friends are hard to find, and once I fond them I tend tot he friendship like a garden – it’s beautiful to see a friendship blossom over the years!
Although some friendships end up being transitory connections, they are all valuable and add so much happiness and joy!
Friendships allow us to allow to safely be who we are and who we are becoming …
I am very much looking forward to tip #2!
Many Thanks,
Svenja
P.S. And yes, my beloved man, is my best friend in many ways
Hello Svenja,
JohnI like your idea for cultivating friendship like a garden, to see it blossom over the years.
I'm worried about my tip #2 now - I haven't written it yet.
[Reply]
Hi John, this is a great post. You are so right about keeping in touch. And I love your newsheet idea, you’ve mentioned it before.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Hello Mandy, it was one of your articles that gave me the idea for this. I refered to the newsheet in one of my comments on your blog. Keep up the good work.John[Reply]
[...] One of my great friends, John McNally, has written about how he maintains connections with those important people in his life. You can read his blog post about it here. [...]
Mandy, Thanks for the ping-back. Best Wishes.JohnI think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.
Thanks Gary. I hope steps #2 to #4 will be as useful.
John[Reply]