Today I’m sharing with you 10 habits I have observed from the most satisfied people I know.

One thing that has always bothered me a little is that positivity is sometimes considered naïve.  This is strange because choosing happiness is one of the greatest signs of wisdom. It’s much harder to be light than to be heavy. Look around you. How many people are heavy and cynical and slow to smile or laugh? Its takes a little inner work and energy to be cheerful, so most people choose not to do it.

Sometimes I think, when did it become OK for everyone to be so negative? These days it seems as if finding a positive, optimistic soul is more of a rarity than ever.  Which is why it is so awesome if YOU can be one!

Take a moment to think of the happy people you know. Those whose days seem a little brighter, their step a little lighter, their stories and interactions a little more, bright. You can be one of them. And the benefits flow when you decide that you are!

Here are 10 things I have observed that happy people do differently that you can begin to do immediately:

1. They consciously disinvite the negatives.

Lose the complainers. Disconnect with love. These people (and you know who they are) only have the wrong type of impact on you.

2. They talk to themselves kindly.

Listen to every single word you say to yourself for 24 hours. Stop a single unkind utterance in its tracks. Decide to be your own best friend.

3. They don’t focus on crap from the past.

Happy people live in the moment. They don’t spend two hours talking about their ex on a Thursday evening over good wine and bored friends.

4. They manage their anxiety.

Happy people plan, rather than worry. They anticipate good results, and are therefore more likely to get them, as expectation is a very powerful force.

5. They know themselves.

Satisfied people know what serves them. They say no with ease. They make decisions that serve their needs.

6. They don’t strive for perfection.

Perfection is impossible. Excellence is possible. Happy people know the difference.

7. They communicate effectively.

Happy people know how to ask for what they want. They know they are deserving of it and as a result they articulate their needs clearly.

8. They work with passion.

Our work is a large expression of who we are. Working with love is one of the greatest joys you will experience in your lifetime.

9. They forgive everyone, everything.

Forgiveness is the cornerstone of a content, peaceful life. Happy people are very quick to forgive and forget.

10. They give themselves permission to be happy.

This is a big one. Success is a moving target. Make the decision to trust your path and enjoy each step. Even the scary (in fact especially the scary) steps.

Suffering doesn’t skip over happy people. They’re not wealthier, better looking, happily married, in perfect health or any of the things we think that generates happiness. The truth is simpler but deeper. It’s internal. Its up to you!

What else have you noticed that really satisfied people do differently?