How to Be Happy Even Your Life Is Turned Upside Down

Accept the fact that no one can bring your past back to you or send you back into your the past. You cannot change what has been done. It can be very hard to forget the past, but by making a considered decision to put it behind you, you free yourself up to start thinking about deliberately creating a new beginning for your life.

• When bad times roll around, a lot of people lean on reactive emotions. Instead, try facing adversity with a proactive or active mindset.^[1]

Choose to trust the world once again. Think how beautiful life is and how wonderful it is that you've had the opportunity to be part of consciousness. Tell yourself that things are going to move forward and that you will build a happy life again. Much is yet to be discovered, and the way you were following previously has clearly turned out to be an unfulfilling one, so use this as a chance to change direction. There is much in the world which you have not encountered yet and a lot of that is bound to hold forms of happiness for you.

Do not make a decision that the world is against you. It may feel that way but the world is benign and cares neither that you succeed or don't succeed. It is up to you to take back the reins of where your life is headed and regain your sense of control and power. Tell yourself: You have the full right to live happily: that right is yours, no person in the whole world can take that right from you. You are the master of your own life, treat yourself the best.

Travel. It is most probable that there are many places in the world that you have not been yet, too many people you have not met yet. It is very possible that you find the the person of your dreams or the teacher you seek is somewhere out there. Seeing how others live or simply survive can be eye-opening and life-changing.

Get closer to your family. Share your feelings, worries and hopes with your family. Accept the fact that life and family come but once, do not miss your chances. Show your affection to your family and receive their affection with gratitude and love.

Help other people. There is nothing quite like helping others to take you out of your self absorption and losses. Seek to be part of something important, give your time, skills and knowledge through volunteer work, giving to charity or mentoring others. Maybe the thing that turned your life upside down is something you can teach others about and help them avoid a similar situation or learn how to cope better should it happen to them too. Happiness is often found in giving of your time, knowledge and help to other people, charities, nature, animals, etc.

Be the greater person. It's likely that when your world turned upside down, other people were seemingly at the helm of your misfortune. Bosses, lovers, spouses, the financial gurus, whoever the people are who were part of the mess you ended up in, are people you need to let go of. By forgiving others and not hating the people who have acted badly toward you, you stop carrying them in your mind. You release your ties to them and allow yourself to pursue a new pathway, free of their expectations, callousness, thoughtlessness or whatever else motivated their behavior. You are free to start over; in many cases, through your forgiveness, it'll be those people who remain stuck, not you. Leave your own anger and resentment behind.

• When things get tough, you can define who you are as a person and how you're going to get through everything.^[2]

Change your environment. Avoid people who annoy you, socialize with good people who give you respect.