Life can be very challenging. I am sure we have all had our share of life throwing us curveballs. But while some people are able to remain happy and cheerful, some people cannot shake off the constant unhappiness.

If you can relate to this, then it is largely either because you have a negative outlook on life or there are certain things that steal your happiness.

So, what are those things? I will be discussing them in this article.

But before I proceed, let me add that although I will be pointing out those things that steal your happiness, I will be focusing more on how to make sure the things that steal your happiness don’t succeed in stealing your joy.

That way, you can watch out for them and live the happy life that you deserve.

So, let’s get to it.

 

  1. Seeing Life Through Negative Lenses

Yes, life can be challenging, nobody has it all rosy. We all go through ups and downs at different times in our lives.

However, we cannot afford to allow the challenges of life to bring us down, we cannot afford to let life beat us down.

And that means looking at life through positive lenses. I mean, some people are so negative that they always find a way to exaggerate even the tiniest challenge they face.

Now, this is not an attempt to invalidate anyone’s feelings. I understand the situation may be bad but if we don’t want to be robbed of our joy, we need to be more optimistic because really, no situation is permanent.

Another way to stay positive is to be thankful. No matter what the issue is, there will surely be something in our lives that we can be thankful for.

Count your blessings always and you will see that very little will be capable of stealing your joy.

 

Also Read: How to Stay Positive in a Negative Situation

 

  1. Surrounding Yourself with Negative People

The Good Book admonishes us to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life.

This simply means that the things we feed on, the things we let into our hearts have a way of affecting our life.

You cannot surround yourself with negative people and find joy in the world; it is an almost impossible feat.

For you to be happy in life, you need to stay away from negative people. You need to avoid people who are always seeing problems and never seeing opportunities or the great things happening in life.

 

  1. Staying in Negative Situations

Very similar to the point above, staying in negative situations is one of the major things that steal your happiness or joy.

You need to stay away from toxic people or things that are stealing your joy. Your happiness and peace should be important and be a priority to you; guard it jealously.

If a situation or a person is exhausting to be around and the situation doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon, protect yourself by moving away.

 

  1. Comparing Yourself with Others

Comparison is a big factor that can take away your joy.

One thing we all need to understand and accept is that we are all unique and have different journeys in life.

Some of your friends will get a job, get a car, get promoted, and get married before you. And you need to be okay with the fact that it will happen for you too as far as you get your life together.

I needed to add that condition because you cannot expect to get a job, for instance, if you are not polishing your skills and actively searching. Or expect to get promoted when you are known in the office as a lazy or tardy person.

I am sure you get where I am coming from. But if you have your life together, the fact that others get it before you doesn’t mean you won’t get yours.

So, stop comparing yourself with others, so you don’t live an unhappy life thinking you are a failure.

Plus, with the age of social media now, there is much more reason to compare. Remember that many people lie on social media and even if they aren’t, not everybody shares their challenges as well, so don’t go around thinking you are the only one with issues.

Be content with what you have and who you are.

 

things that steal your happiness

 

  1. Expecting Perfection from Others and Yourself

Nobody is perfect.

That’s something we all know but not all of us have been able to accept. Some of us are perfectionists and don’t tolerate imperfection from ourselves or others.

But because perfection eludes us as humans, that only leads to frustration.

While we should always strive to be better people, we should also be ready to accept our imperfections.

You are likely going to fail at some things and that’s okay. Learn from the mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.

Don’t hold on to present or past errors, they are simply a sign of your humanity. Forgive yourself instead and just learn from them.

 

  1. Making Someone Your Source of Happiness

You may be asking, “Can someone steal your happiness?

Well, yes, because some of us make the grave error of making someone the source of our happiness. And in most cases, it is usually our spouse/partner or children.

But you cannot afford to make someone your source of happiness; you have to find happiness in and by yourself.

Now, let me explain. Of course, your partner or the people in your life should not be actively trying to hurt and make you unhappy.

But remember when I said, nobody is perfect? That means sometimes, they will offend or hurt you, albeit unintentionally or even intentionally sometimes.

So if you base your happiness on them, you are basically making it possible for someone to steal your joy.

But how do you stop someone from stealing your joy? By not making them the source of your joy. So, when they mess up, it won’t affect or rob you of your happiness.

 

  1. Not Allowing Yourself to Rest

You may be surprised but not giving yourself time to rest is one of the things that steal your happiness.

We are not robots, we are flesh and blood and even robots need to be recharged now and then.

So, there is no way you can or should keep working without giving yourself time to rest and recharge. Not only will it even make you less productive, but you will also soon break down.

And a life of constant work and stress will lead to unhappiness and even depression in some cases.

I know it seems like the work will not survive if you don’t get to it but it will.

So, take a breather, rest, eat good food, stay hydrated, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. All of these will definitely improve your health and disposition.

 

  1. Deriving Happiness from the Wrong Things

You cannot afford to base your happiness on the wrong things, especially material things. This is because man is insatiable, our wants and desires never end.

Today, you want a two-bedroom, you get it and after a while, you start seeking a three-bedroom. And if you base your happiness on wanting and getting everything you desire, you will soon get frustrated.

You need to be contented with whatever stage in life you are at while working towards the next stage but not letting that determine whether you are happy or not.

 

  1. Grudges

You might not be expecting grudges on this list of the things that steal your happiness but let’s look at it and you will understand why it’s here.

You see, when people say forgiveness is for us and not the offender, it might sound like a cliché but it’s not.

Forgiveness really is for us, to give us peace of mind and make our hearts light. There is no way you can be happy if you are holding grudges. Grudges make us bitter and that will definitely rob us of our joy.

The only way you can restore your joy is to let the person go and forgive them. I know it’s not the easiest thing sometimes but it is worth it.

 

Wrapping Up

Trust me when I say there is nobody and nothing worth your happiness. Life is too short to stay or remain unhappy. So if you find things that steal your happiness, it is only right that you do away with them. You deserve to be happy, don’t lose it for any reason.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you can read my article on how to remain happy always.