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The key to being happier is...

The key to being happier isn't having everything you want, for that just isn't feasible.

The key to being happier is achieving balance.

 It's recognizing that although every single thing in your life may not be perfect -- your job, your marriage, your relationships with friends and family -- it could be worse.

It's acknowledging that you can work on bettering your life while appreciating what you already have.

There are aspects to our job that we may love -- say, the salary, benefits, and very mission of the company we work for. But we may be less thrilled about the people we work with, starting with our boss.

Your spouse could be helplessly messy and disorganized, and yet they're still a loving partner and parent.

And while you may butt heads with your friends, they may always be there for you when you're in a bind.

Life is all about taking calculated risks. The grass may very well be greener on the other side -- but it may not. We must guard against the impulse to be overly idealistic.

Let's say you decide to quit your dead-end job to start your own business. You may come to love being your own boss, or you may come to miss the routine and structure that come with a traditional 9-to-5 gig.

You may also call a relationship or friendship quits when you feel it's bringing you more frustration than happiness. Sometimes such a move works out for the best -- other times it makes us realize that the person really wasn't as bad as we thought.

Hindsight really is 20/20. Life would be so much easier with a crystal ball that foretells the future, wouldn't it?

Since we don't have one at our disposal, all we can do is make the best decision with the information we have available at the time.

Would our lives be better if we'd made different decisions along the way? Perhaps they would be in some ways, but not others.

But there's no use wondering "what if." The past is the past and we can only forge ahead. Part of life is taking responsibility for the decisions we make.

Life is hard, and it's unfair sometimes. But as I said above, things could be worse. When I feel the urge to grumble, I tell myself that some people in the world have it far worse, and that alone makes the day easier to get through.

I'll conclude this post with these pertinent quotes:

"Life is about balance. Be kind, but don't let people abuse you. Trust, but don't be deceived. Be content, but never stop improving yourself." - Anonymous

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony." - Thomas Merton

"Life is a balance of holding on, letting go, and knowing when to do which of the two." - Anonymous
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