#3 of 5: Gyles Brandreth – 7 Secrets of Happiness
Gyles Brandreth, a well-known writer, actor and star of Celebrity Gogglebox emphasises the importance of being happy and in particular making a conscious effort to ensure happiness in today’s digital age. Key to this is living in a shared community, having a common purpose, and being challenged and engaged in society – which he includes in his 7 secrets of happiness.
Gyles’ 7 secrets of happiness
- Conduct an audit of your happiness – make a list of what makes you happy as well as what makes you unhappy. You can then focus on doing more of the things that bring you happiness.
- Live in the moment – ‘Carpe Diem!’ Have a positive attitude and it will bring happiness to you and those around you.
- Be a leaf on a tree – in order to thrive you have to be both an individual with a sense that you are unique, as well as being connected to a bigger organism. A leaf off a tree may float freely but will eventually wither. A leaf that is part of a tree can keep growing. Be attached to something bigger and thrive with it; whether that be a college, a family, a club, a community…
- Cultivate a passion – To be happy you must have something that you enjoy doing. Find a hobby or an activity that you are passionate about to give you a sense of fulfilment.
- Break the mirror – it won’t bring you 7 years bad luck, it will bring you years of longer life. We have all become obsessed with selfies, we need to stop thinking about ourselves. When you ‘break the mirror’ you’ll be a nicer, happier person.
- Don’t resist change - People who are fearful of change are rarely happy. We need to embrace it.
- Be happy – if you want to be happy…be happy. Choose to be optimistic, you’ll feel better.
