Appreciation for the little things
I’m religious but this applies to people who aren’t religious too – understanding and coping with the fact that you will never be truly satisfied. Be it emotional, financial, mental or physical, there will always be toil and struggle in your life. No amount of money or luck can avoid this, so I think understanding that the phrase ‘happily ever after’ simply is not possible will definitely make you a little happier, as you won’t be chasing after something that doesn’t exist – pure happiness without any struggles. BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t be content or happy. You should always be grateful for what you have – for example, being able to wake up today. You shouldn’t be greedy and want too much because the more money people have, the more they want. Some really rich people tend to take what they have for granted, and so they’re not as grateful for what they have, so many tend to suffer from mental and emotional issues despite being physically okay. Being religious, I believe that there will come a time where I will be totally happy and satisfied, but that won’t be in this world. Therefore, materialistic things in this world are not of much value to me so it is much easier for me to be content. Understanding that hardships will always come until the day you die and facing them with patience is much better than trying to avoid them – because avoiding them is impossible; understanding that total happiness and living a “carefree” life is not possible will make you happier and more content.
There is just one thing:
Whatever happens happens
Find a self-defined purpose and pursue it.
Goals.
Having goals gives you a track to run on in life. A reason to get out of bed in the morning. A sense of accomplishment. Happiness is not a destination you can reach, it’s more like a flowing stream, which comes from a series of completed activities and goals.