Pay it forward

I've been thinking about how we can practice "paying it forward" in order to feel happier in life.

We are so used to following certain patterns in life in order to be successful, and with financial and work related success comes happiness, right? Uh, no. I don't think so. Is for example money, a good title, material things, status cars, stressful days things that makes us happy? Or, could it be loving relationships, friendships, helping others, your health, being present, grateful and doing things for yourself things that makes us happy?

I was listening to a podcast the other day and a swedish man who is a very famous lecturer here, said that; I had all the things you are "supposed to" have; I was a millionaire, I had a beautiful woman by my side, I had fame, and I got recognized walking down the streets. And I have never been so miserable and unhappy.
Because those things were just a cover, and things he thought he needed in order to be happy and complete. But he never listened to his real needs.
He sums up his point by saying that if you ask anyone what really matters in life, everyone will say things like; my children, my husband/wife, my health, being with the people I love.

We are all different, and some of us will always care more about the status stuff and having a lot of money, and that's fine. Although, I really believe that all of us can practice "paying it forward" to feel better in life;

In relationships, love feeds on love. You have to give in order to receive love. Therefor, it's very important to pay the love forward and back as you receive it, and not get stuck in only receiving. Show, and be grateful for the love you receive, and give back, because by doing that you will never ever take love for granted. And when you give your spouse love, it will fill them up, and they will go about their days feeling good, and give positive energy to the people they meet.

Same thing goes with friendships, you have to be cautious and keep the friendship in the loving zone. Call or text one of your friends just and tell them what you appreciate about them, I promise you that it will make their day, AND it will make your day as well! Because when we give love, it comes back to us tenfold. Try it, because when you make them happy, they will be able to make others in their surroundings happy by paying their happiness forward.

When you take care of yourself and your health, I am not just talking about working out. Try meditating, light a candle and look at it for a few minutes just to be present, take a walk where you've never walked before to see new things for the first time, and pay your new experiences forward. Not by using social media and show followers that you are "present". Bring a friend on that walk, share what you see, meditate with someone or share the new realization you made with someone. Pay knowledge forward.

I think the ability to be humble is an important key in life. To be able to be proud and talk about ones accomplishments, but to never do it in a way that makes others feel bad. There's a fine line between egocentric bragging and to be proud with humbleness.
Talk about what you are proud of with the intent to inspire others, and pay it forward. Not in order to tell eberyone that you're the best.

When you're happy and content, share it. It's not like happiness only comes in a certain dose that you have to hold on to with dear life, it actually grows when you share it.

Share what you have. Pay it forward, and you will get it back tenfold or more. Trust me.