Finding happiness in everyday life

Picture taken one year ago - different place, different weather, same aim ♥

Hello blog! I miss you!

I've been putting off blogging for a while now, I just never made time for it until today because I just started my new semester and I'm doing good so far. Even though I was somehow separated from my common peers, I'm glad that I can still doing good, have a bunch of new friends and etc. I take whatever happens to me now as a preparation for my working life soon - hope it helps! I took SEVEN subjects this semester and I hope I could do a major comeback! I even started my semester by joining a volunteering program under YTN. What a productive start!
Today I feel like blogging about something related to the word joy or happiness.
As I'm writing this, I think to myself; "wait, is there any other life on Earth than our normal 'everyday life?'" Sigh.
We are spending most of our time waiting for something to happen - in short, we live in expectations. We spend A LOT of time waiting for the 2 hours class to end soon, for that weekend to come, for vacation, for payday and etc. You can spend your entire life, questioning this: 
I'll be happy if (fill in the blank) - 10 marks
You can spend your whole entire life waiting to start living - and this will never make you feel happy.
 ♥ HAVE A GRATEFUL HEART 
GRATITUDE is the fastest way to change your life. The thing is, it's not about "thinking" about the things you want to feel grateful for. It's about appreciating things around you, today, this minute, now! Practicing gratitude is like training your brain to see and notice constructive themes in your life. So how to feel grateful? You can simply say Alhamdulillah every morning for giving you the chance to live again, say Alhamdulillah for the breakfast you had today, say Alhamdulillah for the sound of nature that you  can hear today and etc. You can even write a journal and state 5 things that you feel grateful for, everyday :) - which I never day. Alhamdulillah is enough :)
♥ LEARN SOMETHING NEW 
Find pleasure in learning new things. You are never too old to earn something  new, it's never too late to try something new. Never too late to do something for a very first time. Be a lifelong learner. It can be from learning a new language or doing the very basic step of Bangtan's dance (okay, not related) to photography, sport and etc. You might discover a new talent or find passion that you never knew you had. Find something that brings you joy and makes you feel happy. It doesn't matter how old you are - it's never too old to learn something new :)
♥ BE PRESENT
A lot of us, not most of us, spend our time worrying about the future or regretting our past. If you think about it, THIS moment, THIS moment right here is never going to repeat itself. So, if you are reading a book, doing your assignments, sipping a cup of coffee, slurping your Gongcha (my fav and I just got them last 2 day, so happy) or doing other stuffs, do your best to be 100% present.
♥ SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE
Gossip, complaining, nagging and negative thinking - these are things that we all do from time to time. I usually okay with people who talk bad stuff about me behind my back or etc but as I grow older, I can stand being around those people who always judge what I do and says those negative stuffs about me - worst case: on my back! 
I literally feel my energy levels drop and I start to talk bad stuff about that person too which I shouldn't do! I notice that if i happen to have an outburst of negativity, it bothers me. It doesn't feel good, it's like I want to just shake it off. I start to shift my focus into something positive. 
REMEMBER: Your life is your story, that's why you should edit it as often as you'd like. You don't have to feel guilty about cutting someone out of your life if they are a negative influence (and cutting someone out doesn't mean you throw them out completely, just maybe they won't be your common peers, but to be a friend who says hello or hi is okay) Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself, with people who smile a lot and laugh a lot, people who want to see the good in others. Trust me, if you're seeing good in people -you'll definitely become a successful person. I see many successful person are those who not selfishly doing his job to be successful, is by having a circle of peers to work together and smell the bliss of success together (aww, so sweet)
Remember to always be grateful every single day - that is the main key to happiness. Till then.
xx