Constitution of Happiness
My first booklet. It speaks about everyday practical tips for a happier and more satisfying life.
The purpose of the book is that you carry it in your pocket. And that you remind yourself daily, so you can live a full life.
Daily ACTION:
- laughter (at least 1.5 minutes, same for the others)
- shaking
- dancing
- singing
- looking in the mirror and seeing how beautiful you are
- writing positive affirmations
- sport
- breathing exercises
- compliment someone and do a good deed
1. Decision
The decision to be happy.
Everything starts with a decision.
You must see yourself as born under a lucky star.
You must direct your focus on the positive.
Even if this means, at the beginning, a forced attitude. Don’t worry, it will soon become your new standard.
The key is that the decision becomes a daily routine. The brain is physically built, and it takes 3–6 months for new patterns to form. That’s why it’s crucial to practice all the exercises described every day.
And even once the patterns are built, they must be maintained. Just like muscles— even if you’re in top shape, if you stop, you’ll soon decline. The same applies to mental patterns and neural connections.
They need to be built and renewed.
The decision to be happy is, therefore, a decision.
Every day, from today until the last.
2. The Present Moment
You must learn to live in the moment.
This does not mean giving up long-term goals.
Take care of these minutes, and life will take care of hours and years.
3. Gratitude
Every day, be grateful for as many things as possible: the good people around you, the food you eat, the sports that move you.
4. Control
Your life is in your hands. Don’t feel like control—especially over your happiness—is in outside hands.
5. Bad Moments Pass
Don’t get stuck in the mindset that it will never get better. Time heals. After rain comes sunshine.
An excellent exercise for removing bad feelings is shaking. It works simply but very effectively. First, physically throw worries over your shoulder with your hand. Leave them behind you. Then start shaking your body, your arms, your head, shifting your steps. Let your whole body tremble. Do this for at least 1.5 minutes.
6. Strengthen Good Feelings
Whenever you feel good, think about it and strengthen the brain’s pathways of satisfaction.
7. Movement
All studies agree—physical movement fills us with good energy.
Just 90 seconds of body shaking relieves stress and energizes you. Walking also works, rhythmically soothing the heart.
And, of course, all other forms of exercise.
8. Company
The epidemic of loneliness is one of the greatest pains of modern society. Join hobbies. Meet new people. Be open with them and share your vulnerabilities.
9. Laughter
Laughter is half of health. If you have no reason to laugh, you can also laugh forcibly. Take an open posture and laugh out loud. Who cares if neighbors think you’ve gone crazy. Physical laughter will feed back into the brain.
10. Nature and the Sound of Water
There is nothing that fills the depths of the human spirit like nature. Especially recommended is listening to the roar or sound of a river. Don’t be afraid to go into the mountains alone. In nature, you’ll soon feel you are not alone.
Feel that you are part of something infinitely powerful and infinitely lasting.
You need to dive into nature. To become one with it. People once knew this, but we lost touch. Animals sense coming storms and move away in time. People don’t feel it anymore, because we’ve become detached. But the ability is still within us.
For the most intense connection, leave your phone at home, walk part of the path barefoot, hug trees, touch plants, smell flowers, and fully surrender to nature’s embrace.
It’s also scientifically proven that the minutes at sunrise are energetically very powerful. The air is filled with negative ions, while the water in our bodies is dipolar.
11. Good Food
Eat as organic as possible. Avoid processed food. Don’t look at your phone while eating. Concentrate on each bite you chew. Eat slowly. Thank the universe that you have food and don’t live in hunger. Visualize the food traveling into your body and building you.
12. Comparison Steals Happiness
It’s good to have high goals. But comparing yourself with others is a guaranteed road to unhappiness. There will always be people who are better, faster, prettier. Someone will always have more. But other people’s happiness or unhappiness should not affect you. Focus on your own life.
13. Karma
Regardless of your faith. All religions share belief in reciprocity. If you do good and if you’re happy, sooner or later the environment will resonate with your energy.
14. Breathe
The most direct control you have over your body is through breathing. No other system can be consciously controlled to such a degree. Learn daily breathing exercises. They help you stay in the moment.
15. Talk to Strangers
Conversation is healing. It helps solve problems and develops empathy. You will feel the world better. And the world will feel you. Every day, actively start a conversation with a stranger. This will change your life, broaden your view, and open doors. Actively listen—don’t just think about what you want to say. Step into the other’s shoes. Feel their emotions.
16. Spread Love
Regardless of marital status. Even if you are alone. Spread love. Be kind to others. Thank them. Praise them.
17. Thoughts Come and Go
Take a special stance toward thoughts, especially negative ones. Thoughts come and go. Thoughts are not you. Even reason is not you. You are much more. When you have negative thoughts, don’t identify with them. The thought comes and goes. Don’t let it take root. Don’t feed it. Don’t spiral. Don’t get trapped. Simply don’t give it attention. It comes and goes.
18. Positive Affirmations
Repeat to yourself, even out loud, that you are capable and that everything will be fine. Positive affirmations work. Write them on paper. Best is one and the same sentence 10 times. And then again the next day.
An excellent exercise, in our world full of poor self-image, is also to stand in front of a mirror, smile, and say to yourself several times a day: You are beautiful!
19. Dance and Sing
Dancing and singing are healing, even if you do them alone. Make a list of songs that put you in a good mood. The best time to listen is when you are already in a good mood—then they will also lift you up when you hear them in harder moments. The brain will be trained. You don’t need to be a dancer to dance. Let yourself go and feel the rhythm.
20. Make a List of Things That Lift You
Make a list of things that put you in a good mood. Stick it on your front door so you read it every day. Practice makes perfect.
Repetition makes miracles. In bad times, you don’t see the recipe. And this list will empower you.
21. Spread Your Arms and Express Emotion
Just like the song Express Yourself, allow yourself to show emotions. When you speak, use your hands and expressive face. When you’re happy, jump to the ceiling. Amplify good emotions. Let your voice ring out. Laugh ear to ear.
22. You Are Not Alone When It’s Hard
Too often we make the mistake of closing ourselves when we are struggling. Then we expect, or silently hope, that others will hear us. No—actively connect with people when you’re in pain. Express your emotions when you suffer. Every tear held inside turns into illness. I know it’s hard, especially when you’re cornered and on the ground. But you must actively reach out. And ask good friends to call you the next day or two. That way you won’t be alone. And you’ll overcome pain more easily.
23. Be Gentle With Yourself
In today’s society, highly competitive and individualistic, we easily fall into endless cycles of high demands on ourselves. It’s good to have high goals. But stay gentle with yourself.
Be your own best friend.
Stroke yourself often. Touch your face, put your hand on your heart and say: I love myself. I am great.
24. Writing is Healing
When something troubles you—or even when life is beautiful—take 5 minutes and write it in a journal. Write down difficult things and watch how the burden lightens. Write that tomorrow will be a better day. When beautiful things happen, write them too, and thank yourself, the good people around you, and the universe.
25. Joyful Start of the Day
Every day given to you is a gift. It is very important to start it with good energy. The start of the day is very important, because thoughts and actions follow one another. Use all these laws—and your own—and begin the day with good first actions.
26. Focus on the Good
In daily events, you always have two choices: to look for mistakes and bad things, or to look for good and fun. Before you go to an event or start work, say to yourself: it will go great. And consciously look for good aspects. This way your thoughts will be filled with good ideas.
27. Accept Your Physical Imperfections
You know what? Almost no one is Brad Pitt. Only one. And we all have physical flaws. Accept them. Isn’t it a waste to spend a lifetime worrying that you’re too short, too fat, bald, etc.? The truth is this: the moment you stop focusing on others’ flaws and focus on their beauty, your brain will also see you in a more beautiful way.
28. Don’t Get Caught Up With Others
Every time you gossip about others, they actually control you. They live your life. It’s like an alien is living in your head and controlling you. Focus on yourself, not others.
29. Forgive Them
The wise forgive, the happy forget.
I once had a girlfriend whose father was in a lifelong fight with his father. He resented him forever. The background doesn’t matter. What matters is that the grandfather had been dead for 10 years, yet the son still drowned in resentment. The one who caused it had been in the ground for years, but the living still suffered. Forgive. Forget. It doesn’t mean you’re naive. It means you put your own life first and allow yourself to live.
30. You Are a Winner
Like in a movie, with good and bad, winners and losers—you are writing the most important script. Your life. What role will you take? Imagine your life is a film, and you are the ultimate winner.
31. Be Adventurous
Say yes to life! Try new things.
Consciously put yourself in unfamiliar situations. Start new hobbies. Meet new people. Develop talents.
32. Reason is Overrated, Emotions Underrated
Feel. Realize that reason limits you. Of course, life without reason would not work. If emotions are the horse, reason is the rider. But the problem of the modern world is not too many emotions—it’s that we don’t allow ourselves to feel. The problem is that we try to solve everything with reason. If you are unhappy, it’s not because of lack of reason. It’s because of suppressed emotions. Develop and nurture your feelings. Nurture empathy for yourself, for others, for animals, and for nature.
33. Pet Animals
Animals are incredible. Next time you see a dog or another animal, don’t immediately look away. Watch it. Watch its movement. And if appropriate, pet it. Connect. The animal will feel your energy field.
34. Observe People and Imagine a Scenario
Sit in a busy place. Watch people. Like with animals. Imagine a film for each one. Feel them. Imagine being in their shoes. I did this years ago in Rome. For two days, I sat in St. Peter’s Square, watching people from all over the world. From time to time, I also started conversations with strangers who sat nearby. You will feel connected.
35. Find Inspiration
Watch, for example, a great concert performance. Dance, sing, and especially move while you watch. Let yourself be inspired by the energy. Feel it.
36. Compliment Others and Do Good Deeds
Izidor, an older unmarried man, has cared for his 88-year-old mother in a wheelchair for years. Caring for another has become his life’s purpose. He has never felt so deeply fulfilled. The lesson—receiving a gift is wonderful, but giving is just as beautiful. Good deeds, even in the form of kind words and compliments, are the key to feeling connected with others.
37. The Lie That Anger is a Good Motivator
Anger is an excellent motivator—if the goal is to end up unhappier after success than now. Without a doubt, anger combined with fear and revenge is a powerful emotion. But the problem is that it eventually takes over the entire body.
We may say anger will drive us to success, and then we’ll enjoy the results. But years of living in anger will leave strong marks. The body and brain will be dominated by anger pathways. We may end up rich, with a nice car, a huge house, and a vacation home—but there will be no peace inside. It will all seem in vain.
Worse still is the situation for most people who don’t reach their goals. If anger drove them, they end up not only poor but also bitter. That’s why it’s far better to choose positive motivators that carry us through challenges to our goals.
38. Suppressed Emotions Create Illness
Emotions that we don’t allow to live create illness inside us. This has already been proven by many Western medical studies. Especially problematic are suppressed stress and aggression. Emotions must be expressed. Even in healing, it’s proven that people who express emotions recover faster and better.
39. Don’t Set Limits for Yourself
Every self-imposed limit puts your life in a smaller box. Henry Ford said: if you believe you can, or you believe you can’t—you’re right in both cases. This means belief in what you can or cannot do becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
40. Hang Pictures of Smiling People and Listen to Laughter
The environment we are in has a very strong influence on us, even subconsciously. But the subconscious can be guided in the desired direction if we constantly receive positive impulses from the environment. Very important, of course, is who we spend time with and their mindset. But a simple trick is to surround yourself with smiling pictures. Our brains have “mirror neurons,” which reflect what we see into our mental and emotional world. That’s why it hurts when we see someone suffer. And equally, positive symbols work. Smiling faces make us smile. Laughter works wonderfully too. When we hear it, the feeling of laughter awakens in our brain. It’s hard to stay serious during genuine laughter. It can come from the environment or even from a video online.
41. Write Your Own Prayer
Whether you are religious or not, your life is a unique story. You don’t need to believe in anything written or said, even though many teachings are timeless and effective. But in any case, write your own prayer. Let it contain the things you’re proud of, grateful for, as well as affirmations of your goals, values, and identity. Autosuggestion works. The more you repeat it, the more your brain accepts it as undeniable truth.
42. The Subconscious Has Its Will, But You Are Master of Your Thoughts
Most thoughts born in the subconscious are not under your direct control. They appear in the moment. But you are the master of conscious thoughts. When a negative feeling arises from the subconscious, it’s up to you whether you dwell on it and fall into victimhood—or whether you control it and stop it at the root. With work, over time, you can change the flow of your thoughts. And slowly, the subconscious changes too.
