Making Choices: How Do You Get Better At It?

William James, the noted philosopher and psychologist, made it clear through his work that regardless of the passage of time, one thing remains relevant today: making choices is one of the keys to happiness.

Happiness is like trying to keep your balance while standing on top of a table. A step forward or back can cause everything to go wrong. Your main goal should be to make the right choices. The choices that will keep you in that perfect, balanced place forever.

However, we know that this is not always easy

There are situations that will push you to go further than you should. These are the moments when you get that nasty feeling in your stomach. Anxiety and feeling like you are completely losing control.

At other times, it’s your thoughts that make you take a step back. Then you get stuck in the past. There too you gradually lose your sense of calm, security and peace.

Tips to make better choices

That’s why in this article, we’ll share five simple tips that will help you make better choices and be happier.

1. A new thought, a stronger emotion

Sometimes few things are as powerful as learning how to change your mind. In this way you can ensure that your emotions and image of reality become more positive.

According to positive psychology, in order to be happy it is important that you first believe that you deserve to be happy. Something that seems so simple at first could end up completely changing your entire daily life.

• This will change your mind to prevent negative or stressful events from forming a wall that you cannot break or large stones that make your way bumpy. If you develop a less fatalistic view of life, you can deal with problems in a more holistic way.
• For example, losing your job can be a very traumatic event. However, sometimes events like this force you to start over. Then you may start projects that turn out to be much more productive.

• Breaking up your relationship, arguing with a family member or losing a friendship… These are all examples of situations that can be very difficult. They force you to endure certain kinds of grief, but at the same time they teach you to be stronger.

Making the choices to continue on your own path and to keep working on your own happiness is the philosophical rock to hold on to in all these cases.

2. The ability to persevere

Perseverance does not mean that you simply have to tolerate everything. Not that you get stuck when you are confronted with adversity. Perseverance also means continuing to fight, mustering up courage and, most importantly, becoming resilient.

• Neuropsychologists explain that the brain is designed in such a way that it needs to analyze all the negative things that happen to us and learn from adversity. You are much stronger than you think and this is something you should never forget.

3. Pay attention, focus on the here and now

Many experts in the field of mental health talk about the benefits that meditation or yoga can provide. If you’re new to these practices, at least make sure you develop simple habits, such as:

• Walking regularly
• Be quiet for a few minutes in a soothing and relaxing environment

As you get used to being centered and calm, you will automatically cling to the present moment. This also gives you a clearer picture of your goals and the path that leads to your happiness.

4. Gratitude and humility are necessary when you have to make choices

To be happy, you have to make choices and often learn to be humble. Longing for things that are outside of your reality and generally not attainable can eventually lead to a lot of pain.

• Taking things for granted and not being thankful for every beautiful thing around you means wearing glasses with dark lenses that interfere with your ability to be happy.
• Your family, a peaceful and harmonious day, the health of your loved ones, the happiness of your children, the company of your pets… these are all things to be thankful for.

5. Being able to give and receive happiness

Sometimes people end up in a kind of ‘materialistic happiness’, in which every strategy, action and thought is aimed at amassing their own happiness. This gradually leads to a selfish lifestyle. And of course this is not the intention.

Happiness is like a kind of energy that increases when it is shared. You must be able to give happiness, and at the same time know how to accept and receive it from others.

• There is nothing more satisfying than making choices where everyone wins and no one loses; where a change that you initiate is beneficial for several people and on the basis of which everyone can see that life is a lot more beautiful when it is shared well in general.

Our greatest wish

One of the greatest wishes everyone has is to reach that subtle yet extraordinary point in life where he can say to himself.

This feeling is a mix of inner peace, personal maturity, well-being and of course happiness.

Never forget to make good choices and listen to your heart.