Here are a few of my favorites:

They understand that happiness is a choice, and consciously and methodically create their own happiness, while others hope happiness will find them.

They have clarity and certainty about what they want and don’t want for their life. They visualize and plan their best reality while others are merely spectators of life. They have identified their core values – what is important to them – and they do their best to live a life which is reflective of these values.

They rarely complain because they know it’s a waste of energy. All complaining does is put the complainer in a negative state of mind.

They are fearful like everyone else, but they are not controlled or limited by their fears – they face them and grow beyond them over time.

While they are not necessarily more talented than the majority, they always find ways to maximize their potential. They get more out of themselves by exercising their talents and their passions. In other words, they use what they have more effectively, which leads to long-term personal achievement and happiness.

While many people are reactive, they are proactive. They take action in pursuit of their goals and the things that make them happy.

While many people are pleasure junkies that avoid pain and discomfort at all costs, truly happy people understand the value and benefits of working through the tough situations that others typically avoid.

They sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term happiness. They are more interested in something being effective than they are in something being easy. While everyone else is looking for the quickest shortcut, they look for the course of action which will produce the best results over the long term.

They aren’t as concerned with what others want for them as they are with what they know is right for themselves. They are happy to swim against the tide, to do what most won’t. They are not people pleasers and they don’t need constant approval.

They are generous and kind, and take pleasure in helping others achieve happiness too. They are happy to make others look good rather than seek their own personal glory – they share the goodness every chance they get.

They practice what they preach. They don’t talk about the theory, they live the reality. They do what they need to do, for themselves and their loved ones – for the sake of long-term happiness and success.

I’d recommend reading them all. Sometimes it’s things like this that serve as great reminders to always understand that life is what you make of it. Enjoy.