Several years ago, I hit rock bottom. Since then, I’ve made tremendous strides to reach happiness – leaving my corporate job after burnout, overcoming depression, and ditching troubling addictions. Through my experiences, I’ve come to realize that being and staying happy is no small feat. Happiness is something we all want, but with life’s pressure and the demands of being an adult, it can be overwhelming at times. That’s why I created the “play with the world” mentality. Play With the World is more than a website—it is a mindset and a refreshing approach to life intended to help each of us stay grounded and focused on living life fully and connected to our best self. In my pursuit of happiness, I found myself even more unhappy and dissatisfied with life. A few years ago I created my own self-love experiment, which was a challenge I gave myself to stop trying to be happy and instead choose love and joy. The pursuit of happy is actually what keeps us from reaching our goals. Instead of trying to be happy, focus on being true to yourself. When you are true to yourself your will naturally becomes more joyful and happy.

If you want to feel more positive in your own life, move past fear with these easy steps:

Clear Out Clutter

Stuff can pile up and add unnecessary stress to your life. Physical stuff, emotional stuff, and even mental clutter can prevent you from moving forward. In my own self-love experiment, the first thing I did was clear out clutter. I went to my closet and removed clothes that no longer fit or I had outgrown. When you clear out clutter it sends an energetic message to the universe that you only want wanted things in your life. Remember, one small change, one step at a time can make a profound difference for you, so as Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, suggests, ask yourself if your stuff brings you joy. If you don’t feel happy, it’s time to chuck it. This includes people, jobs, habits, and objects.

Compliment Yourself

Photo by Septian simon on Unsplash — Photo by Septian simon on Unsplash

Most of us don’t give ourselves any credit for doing good deeds. We need to remember that little victories are important. On our journey to self-love and inner peace, it is essential to wrap ourselves up with love. Do this by complimenting yourself for a job well done. Try looking in the mirror and saying, “I love you; you are beautiful.” The more compassionate you can be to yourself, the happier your heart will be.

See the Journey as the Reward

Whatever your goal is—to lose weight, to travel more, to increase the romance in your life, or even to find your purpose and passion—getting there can only happen when you accept where you are. Enjoying the journey is the sweet stuff of living a real, rich life. Yes, we all have goals and dreams, but the journey to manifesting them is just as rich and juicy as the end result. Enjoy the process and have fun. Life is a dance, so shake your groove thing.

Visit Your Future Self

Visualizing yourself happy and healthy is a key component to manifesting. When I first left my corporate job, I would fall asleep picturing myself as a published author and a travel writer working and writing from all over the world. Today this is my reality. You have to picture it and believe it is possible in your mind before you can achieve it.

I share these tips in my new book

The Self-Love Experiment: Fifteen Principles for Becoming More Kind, Compassionate, and Accepting of Yourself