Are you yearning for a greater sense of happiness in your life but feel weighed down by problems? If so, try adopting an attitude of lightheartedness and watch how quickly it can inject an element of fun and whimsy into your life.

Here are three simple ways to do it:

1) Play.

Most of us tend to take life so seriously. Sure, life can definitely be serious at times, and there are certainly things that we should take seriously – but we also don’t need to be so serious ALL the time!

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by Wendy Betterini

Years ago when I rented my first apartment and moved out on my own, my mother bought me a “bluebird of happiness” glass figurine which has held a place of honor in every home I’ve had since.

Over the years, this little glass bird has become a sort of talisman for me. A mere glance at it sparkling in the sunlight on my windowsill reminds me of the journey I’ve taken in claiming my right to be truly happy.

When my mother first gave me the bird, I wasn’t happy. I was excited about living on my own and eager for some new adventures, but I hadn’t a clue what true happiness was.

For more than ten years, this little glass bird sat silently and watched as I struggled to grow into myself, understand my purpose for being, and find the happiness I was meant to know. It witnessed numerous broken hearts, disappointments, loneliness, and despair I seemed determined to repeat over and over again.

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Are you still waiting for your circumstances to change before you’ll allow yourself to be happy? Most of us have preconceived ideas of what would make us happy, and we refuse to be satisfied until those things happen.

The problem is that even once specific things happen in our lives, we’re rarely satisfied with them! Instead, we shift our focus to something even bigger and better, believing “it” will make us happy (or happier). We never allow ourselves to reach a point of contentment. Have you done the same thing to yourself?

The good news is that you can decide to be happy NOW – even if not everything in your life is perfect. Below you’ll find 3 easy ways to do so:

1) Be grateful.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful states of mind that you can adopt. Not only does it make you feel good, it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you DO have, and keeps it there! As you focus more on what you are grateful to have in your life (even the really small blessings!), you worry less about anything that may be lacking. The result? A more pervasive sense of happiness!

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I have four cats that fill my life with laughter. One of the things I love about them is that they are always ready to PLAY!

Even if they’re not feeling well, even if they’re tired, even if they’re in the midst of a great nap – all I have to do is crinkle a sheet of cellophane or drag a piece of string past their noses and they are instantly on their feet and ready for action.

Even better, they don’t wait for fun to come to them; they seek it as often as possible.

If I leave a crumpled ball of aluminum foil on the kitchen counter, it will most certainly travel the entire length of the house and end up under my bed. I constantly find the plastic rings from new milk containers in the oddest places, and every room of our home looks like a mouse massacre took place (luckily these are fake catnip mice, not real ones!).

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