Do You Want To Be Happy? 5 Tips to Make It a Reality.

Do You Want To Be Happy? 5 Tips to Make It a Reality.

Do you ever wish you had a cheat sheet to life, with all the shortcuts laid out for you? We were able to talk with Beth Carvin CEO and co-founder of JamBios, the online memoir website. After she had the opportunity to read memory stories written by thousands of different users she discovered 5 things that the happiest, healthiest men do to get ahead in all areas of life. We indulged her and agree fully. Check out the tips below and let us know what you think.


Strive to continually improve your mind.
The famous Greek philosopher Socrates once said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Here’s a goal that can have incredible value in your life: never stop learning. When you make it a priority to have new experiences, it’s easy to stay fresh, energized, and humble. Getting out of your comfort zone ensures your brain is always working in different ways—tenets to which many memoir-writers can attest. Travel, for instance, is an effective way to learn informally while having fun in the process, as evidenced by this colorful memoir story by artist Richard about his unconventional, nomadic childhood.

Be open to new adventures.
The greatest thing about the unknown is that you never know what doors will be opened for you or what possibilities will come next. For just one instance of this, check out this fun little anecdote from JamBios writer Rudy about how, due to a set of random happenstances, he and a friend stumbled across the motorcade path of President Dwight D. Eisenhower! Have you ever been through something like this—where unexpected circumstances led you somewhere that you couldn’t have predicted? How did that turn out for you?

Keep your competitiveness in check.
The desire to rise above your opponents is understandable, but it’s crucial to remember that it’s not everything—and sometimes comes with undesirable consequences. If you’ve ever been trapped in a sibling rivalry, you might relate to one memoirist’s story of a particularly aggression-fueled encounter with his older brother. It reminds us that there’s far more to life than winning all the time—especially if you don’t want to end up with a broken hand!

Avoid taking life for granted.
This is an adage frequently repeated, but rarely taken to heart. This harrowing account of the 2018 Hawaii missile scare encapsulates how life can be over—or believed to be over—in an instant, out of nowhere. In this JamBios memory story, user Lloyd talks about his experience with the missile scare, how it affected him both physically and emotionally, and how it caused him to truly take stock of his life. Don’t worry; you don’t need to put yourself in a dangerous situation in order to reassess who and what is important to you. After all, there’s truth to the cliché: “Live each day as if it were the last day of your life!” (But not literally.)


Have fun!
Laughter can reduce anxiety levels, boost your immune system, and even lower your blood pressure. So when things get heavy, make sure you leave space in your life for a little laughter. Don’t believe us? Take it from this Jammer, Robert, who in his online memoir spins a yarn of one of the best (or maybe worst!) pranks he ever pulled. While it may be an example of kids being kids, it reminds us that laughter should hold a significant place in our lives—and that looking back on hilarious childhood memories like these can lead to even more.

Ultimately, the lessons from these memory stories teach us that in life, it’s far more rewarding to take the long road—the road to self-improvement, openness, self-control, gratitude, and a continued sense of humor. As you move forward down this road, take a moment every so often to look back at how far you’ve come. You can do this in a physical journal, a blog, or an online memoir program like JamBios. Whatever method you choose, I hope that by taking these five tips from men like you, whenever you do look back—the memories are great ones.

Photo by Elizeu Dias