10 Ways To Live A Happier Life By NOT Being Normal

by Maurice Lindsay

Living a happier life often seems to be related to attaining as many things — money, accolades, titles — as you possibly can, in order to gain status and acceptance in society — according to most (youths and young adults) people.
Which explains why most people aren’t happy.
True happiness comes from within. When you start searching outside of yourself for happiness, you will always be dependent upon whatever that outside source is to make you happy. And when that source is not available or unattainable, you end up sad and depressed.
But this is the route that everyone seems to be taking these days in search for a happier life (especially our youth). No one wants to stand out, be different, and try something else. Everyone wants to be normal, not realizing that normal doesn’t equal happy. Therefore, we have the blind leading the blind down a path of unhappiness and destruction.
Hopefully, this is not you. But if it is — below I have outlined 10 ways to live a happier life by not being normal. Enjoy!

1. Stop trying to fit in with Everybody.

Normal = Do what everybody else is doing. Get hundreds of tattoos, smoke weed, party every weekend, have sex with multiple partners, and follow the standard rather than following your heart.
You will never influence the world or do anything great in it by trying to be just like it. When you neutralize your uniqueness for others, you never end up reaching your highest potential, because your success comes from being you.

2. Embrace your Insecurities.

Normal = Try to hide them by covering them up with arrogance, drugs, promiscuity, crowds of friends, or by taking on a fake persona, and slip further and further away from your true identity.
The things that you’re the most insecure about is what’s blocking you from living your best life. So instead of letting your insecurities hold you back, let them propel you forward, by accepting how God made you and embracing your uniqueness.

3. Live Within Your Means.

Normal = Spend it as fast as you get it, don’t save a dime, ball till you fall, blow your tax money at the mall, buy everything new, give nothing back to the church, make spontaneous financial decisions and end up in debt for life.
Instead of continuously buying things you don’t need with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t even like… how about saving, investing, and buying used rather then brand new, to make sure your future is better than your now.

4. Get Your Mind Right.

Normal = Listen to shoot-em up, bang-bang music all day, watch degrading & drama-infested reality TV every chance you get, hang around with negative minded people day in and day out, and end up with a toxic mind that produces exactly what it sees and hears.
In order to achieve anything in life, your mind has to be programed to succeed. You can’t feed your mind negativity all day long and expect to produce any positive results from that. Your mindset and your thoughts have to be in alignment with your goals. (Proverbs 23:7) “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”

5. Don’t Accept a Mediocre Life.

Normal = Be content in your current circumstances and follow the unfulfilled path that everyone else around you is on, rather than unleashing the burning desire you that you have deep down in your heart to accomplish something greater than what you see before you.
The first step towards getting somewhere is deciding that you are not going to stay where you are. When you decide to be different and tap into the gifts that God gave you, a whole new world of doors will open up for you.

6. Lose the “Me-Me, what’s in it for me?” Attitude.

Normal = Take, take, take, but never give anything back. Everything is always all about you and anytime something doesn’t seem beneficial to you, you are not interested.
No one achieves great success without helping others do the same. You reap what you sow, so if you don’t give back as well as you receive, then you will most definitely lose what you have. A selfish person will always want, but a selfless person will always have.

7. Expose yourself to New Environments.

Normal = Stay in your own little world, have no optimism, hate on other people’s dreams, persuade others to have no goals like you, proud to have never left the neighborhood, never down to try new things or see new places, and lives a boring, unfulfilled, mediocre, boxed-up life.
One of the most powerful things that can ever happen in your life is for you to be exposed to something greater than your environment because you think the way you think on the basis of what you’ve been exposed to. Life begins at the end of your comfort zones. Very few blessings come to those who don’t believe in change.

8. Stop Fronting about Who You Are.

Normal = Always posting pictures on Facebook of you living this dream life when you’re really broke, constantly lying about who you are and what you do to save face, and spending all your money on things that don’t matter so you can keep up with your so called friends… and then be sad at having to continue living this lie that you created because you’re too afraid to just be yourself.
When you put false images of yourself out their to the public, you will always find yourself trapped in circumstances where you’re expected to deliver what’s not even in you — leaving you exposed, humiliated, and embarrassed. There are plenty of obstacles in your path, don’t allow yourself to become one of them. It is better to be hated for who you are then to be loved for who you are not.

9. Let go of your Attachments to Things.

Normal = Spend the majority of your life chasing money, cars, clothes, and a whole bunch of other disposable things in search of fulfillment and ever lasting happiness that always turns out to be temporary.
You can have all the worldly possessions you want, but don’t stake your happiness on them. Anything outside of yourself can be lost, so if you base your happiness on attaining external things, you will always be on the prowl for happiness. Don’t let your search for a happy ending get in the way of living a happy life.

10. Develop a Personal Relationship with God.

Normal = You think you can do it all by yourself, you got it all under control, you don’t need God, you even question if there is a God, but as soon as something tragic takes place, He is always the first name you call on.
Without God, you are nothing, but with God you are everything. If you truly desire to live a happier life, it’s vitally important that you develop a personal relationship with God. No matter how you go about getting to know him — going to church, reading the bible, listening to gospel, watching sermons on youtube, talking with other believers — just make sure you get to know him. For He is the joy for all your sorrows, the one you can always call on, and the unconditional love you’ve always searched for. No God, no peace. Know God, know peace!