Filing your tax return is one of the most stressful chores in the calendar year. More annoying than
MOT due dates or doctor’s check-ups that must be kept, tax returns are so easy to get wrong, and
when they go wrong, they go badly wrong! Check out these tips for keeping the tax man happy.

1. Submit your tax return early

Get ahead of the deadline in 2013. A misstep here could be really costly as HMRC have recently
bumped up the costs to a shocking £1,800 if you miss every chance you are given to get your tax
return in. This applies even if the amount of money you owe to HMRC is actually nil. Don’t erode
your bank balance by making this stupid mistake!

2. Talk to a specialist

CIS refunds with RIFT (http://www.riftuk.com/CIS.aspx ) are a stress free solution to the quandaries
of many busy, self-employed people. You will have the luxury of sitting down with an experienced
specialist accountant who can talk you through every element of your tax return and let you know
what you owe and what you’re entitled to.

3. Do your tax return online

Make the taxman’s life easier by filling in your tax self-assessment online. It’s easy to sign up and
do the whole shebang from A to B in a few simple clicks. This way you can avoid missing postal
deadlines and panicking at the last moment.

If your tax return is deducted at the source (via PAYE), then you don’t need to submit a tax return.
However, an estimated 9 million self-employed people do need to get a form and hand it in to their
local post office. You also need to go through this process if you’re a minister, or you represent the
interests of someone who has passed on. Check your entitlements out on an online tax calculator –
you might be surprised.

We’ve put together a list of 15 successful people who failed at first. Our list includes some of the worlds most successful movie stars, inventors and business people! Hopefully this list will inspire you and show you that failures are just part of being successful!

1. Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg was rejected from his dream school (University of Southern California) 3 times! He decided to get an education somewhere else and dropped out to be a director. He now has a net worth of $3.2 billion.

2. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was told she wasn’t pretty enough or talented enough to be an actress and therefore was dropped from Columbia Pictures. She didn’t quit and is now known as one of the most iconic actresses of all time!

3. Vera Wang

Vera Wang failed to make the US-Olympic figure-skating team. She then became and editor at Vogue and gained editor-in-chief position. It wasn’t until she got to 40 years of age until she started designing wedding gowns and today is one of the most sought after designers in the business!

4. Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein didn’t speak until he was 4 years old and couldn’t read until he was 7! His teachers called him “slow” and “mentally handicapped”. Albert just had a different way of learning and he later earned a Nobel Prize in Physics.

5. Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton had the job of running the family farm but failed terribly and was sent off to Cambridge University. He later became a physics scholar.

6. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a television reporter and told she wasn’t fit  to be on TV! She bounced back from this failure to become the queen of television talk shows. She’s also a billionaire too with a net worth of $2.7 billion.

7. Harrison Ford

After his first film Harrison Ford was told he would probably never succeed. He bounced back from this failure and today is the 3rd highest grossing actor of all time!

8. Richard Branson

Richard Branson struggled as a youngster at School as he was dyslexic. By 16 he’d had enough of his studies and dropped out to start his own business. Now he has a net worth of $4.2 billion.

9. Henry Ford

Henry Ford’s first auto company failed and he went out of business. He abandoned his second company because of a fight and his 3rd failed due to declining sales. Despite all these failures he went on to become one of the most successful American entrepreneurs of all time! Henry Ford’s net worth in today’s money would be approximately $199 billion.

10. James Dyson

James Dyson went through 5126 failed prototypes and 15 years of life savings before finally his 5127th prototype was a success! The Dyson is the best selling vacuum cleaner in the USA. James Dyson now has a net worth of $4.2 billion.

11. Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill was defeated in every public office role he ran for. He eventually become the British prime minister at the age of 62.

12. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything! Edison went through 1000 failed attempts at creating the lightbulb before finally making one that worked!

13. The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers were both high school drop outs! They went on to create the worlds first successful airplane.

14. Walt Disney

Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper and told “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas”. He had several more businesses that failed before finally finding success with Snow White.

15. Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was fired from the company he helped build! By the time he re-joined Apple the stock price was only $4! After his return his ideas and creations turned the company around and as of today the stock price sits at $527.

So there you have it… 15 incredibly successful people who all failed at first!

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1. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

2. “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”

3. “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.”

4. “I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.”

5. “Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the “gotta have it” scale.”

6. “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”

7. “If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.”

8. “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

9. “Every choice you make has an end result.”

10. “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

11. “You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.”

12. “If you don’t see yourself as a winner then you cannot perform as a winner.”

13. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”

14. “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”

15. “You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.”

16. “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”

17. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

RIP to Zig Ziglar. He may be gone now but he leaves a legacy that will last forever.

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The 10 hangover cures you find below are not necessarily backed by scientific tests or research (some are) but instead they are the “cures” that many people around the world favour from experience! There are also a few that we here at Love Money Hate Work use after a big night out! We’ve included a list of well known proven cures plus a couple of random and simply WEIRD hangover cures!

1. H2O – Water

Lots of water + time = cured hangover! H2O is a must if you want to cure your hangover quickly. Many people neglect this fact and their hangovers end up lasting far longer. Alcohol is a diuretic and can cause dehydration. That is why when you drink a lot of alcohol you end up going to the toilet a lot too! Easier said than done one tip is to drink 1 glass of water in between every alcoholic drink you have to prevent a hangover! If you don’t feel like doing this just remember to drink lots of water before you go to bed and drink water regularly when you feel hungover.

2. Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are a personal favourite of ours and they work a treat! We’re no scientists but the mixture of energy and vitamins you get from sports drinks work wonders for curing hangovers. If you’re feeling rough we recommend buying 2 of your favourite sports drinks and sipping them until they’re both all gone… you should feel better in no time!

3. A Big Breakfast

In the UK a popular hangover cure is to have a full English breakfast! Our recommendation? Have a full English breakfast (if you’re in the UK) or a cooked breakfast anywhere else combined with some fresh orange or apple juice. Afterwards go grab a couple of bottles of your favourite sports drink. You’ll be feeling great and hangover free in no time!

4. Exercise

You might not feel like exercising if you’re hungover but it could help to cure your hangover! Research has shown that although the old saying “sweat it out” is a myth exercise is still good for curing a hangover as it can elevate your mood and also take your mind off your hangover.

5. Sleep It Off

One way to get rid of your hangover is to sleep it off! Be sure to drink plenty of water before you go to bed to hydrate your body and keep a bottle next to your bed for when you wake up, but if you’ve got no reason to be awake then by all means sleep until you feel better!

6. Hair-Of-The-Dog

In the USA the Bloody Mary is the hair-of-the-dog choice and just might help to take the edge of your hangover! Invented in the 1920′s this drink is a popular “hangover cure” – The “hair-of-the-dog” strategy for hangover cures is controversial though with experts saying although it will provide a numbing effect to your hangover it will only prolong the inevitable.

7. Banana Milkshake

A banana milkshake could be the hangover cure for you! This drink is high in Vitamin B and the drink will also help to replace electrolytes and potassium. Also this is a tasty hangover cure which will leave you feeling fresh too!

8. Eggs Benedict

In 1894, New York socialite Samuel Benedict invented this hangover cure while recovering after a big night out. He asked Waldorf Astoria hotel staff to make him the creation for his breakfast consisting of half an English muffin, topped with bacon (or ham…we prefer bacon), poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce.

9. Dried Bull’s Penis

Not for the faint-hearted, while many of us might opt for the tastier option of a strawberry milkshake, fried breakfast or simply a glass of water the Sicilian’s are famous for eating dried bull penis to cure their hangovers! – Weird isn’t it? Another strange one worth mentioning were the Ancient Romans who swore by scoffing a deep-fried canary.

10. Espresso

A more attractive option than no.9, in Italy the hangover cure of choice is the Espresso! Served as a single or double Espresso in our opinion it’s a much tastier choice of hangover cure than eating a deep-fried canary or even worse a bulls penis!

Thanks for reading!

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Check out our list below and see how different places celebrate!

1. Auckland – New Zealand

Auckland is a great place to bring in the New Year! 1000′s of people congregate at the Auckland harbour to watch the fireworks go off from the city’s Sky Tower (pictured above).

2. Dubai – UAE

Dubai goes all out on New Years and is definitely one of the best places to go. The main attraction is the Burj Khalifa where stunning pyrotechnics cascade from each floor of this magnificent building (pictured above).

3. Barcelona – Spain

In Barcelona you can bring in the New Year with the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes! First started in 1909 the 12 grapes represent good luck for the next 12 months to come. Barcelona has a great nightlife too with many popular clubs and bars to visit!

4. Sydney – Australia

As one of the first places to bring in the New Year Sydney definitely makes our top 10 list. Enjoy the super hot weather during the day at the beach followed by an amazing fireworks display over the Sydney Harbour Bridge at night!

5. London – England

London certainly doesn’t have the hot weather like Sydney however it is still a great place to bring in the New Year. More than 250,000 people gather along the Thames for the annual New Years Eve party. When midnight comes around the iconic bells of Big Ben sound and the spectacular firework display starts on the London Eye.

6. Bangkok – Thailand

Bangkok’s Central World Mall has a 69-foot ball drop at midnight to bring in the New Year! 1000′s of people gather here and party with performances from famous Thai pop stars!

7. Edinburgh – Scotland

Edinburgh is a great place to spend New Year (despite the cold weather!). Edinburgh’s Hogmanay spans over 4 days including events such as a huge street party in the city centre, concerts, a viking-led torchlight procession and then to top it all off the annual fireworks display from the castle!

8. New York City – USA

New York City had to be on our top 10 list! Times Square hosts the annual ball drop and many other events. The nightlife is of course amazing in New York so you can spend the night dancing away in a nightclub or check out the epic fireworks display at Central Park.

9. Paris – France

Paris deserves a spot on our list as one of the 10 best places to bring in the New Year! 1000′s gather on the Champs Elysees to watch the spectacular fireworks display on the Eiffel Tower!

10. Rio De Janeiro – Brazil

Rio De Janeiro takes the last spot on our top 10 list and was recently voted as the no.1 place to spend New Year!

So there you have it… our 10 best places to celebrate the New Year!

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It used to be said that most successful entrepreneurs don’t make their first million until they reach 30 however that couldn’t be further from the truth in recent years! In fact some of the entrepreneurs in our top 10 list have made their first billion before 30!

10. Gurbaksh Chahal – 30 Years Old – $300 Million

Gurbaksh Chahal made over $300 million when he sold his advertising companies ClickAgents and BlueLithium. Gurbaksh is now working on his 3rd advertising company RadiumOne hoping to hit the big time once again. Reports say RadiumOne is currently valued at over $200 million.

9. Daniel Ek – 29 Years Old – $310 Million

Daniel Ek is the founder of Spotify. Daniel has been an entrepreneur for some time now though, serving as CEO for bitTorrent giant uTorrent back in 1997 at the tender age of 14! Daniel managed to secure $15 million in funding from Napster co-founder Sean Parker to start Spotify. Spotify is now rumoured to be worth $4 billion.

8. Arash Ferdowsi – 26 Years Old – $400 Million

Arash Ferdowsi is the co-founder of Dropbox. Dropbox started as a college project between co-founders Arash and Drew Houston but has quickly grown into nearly a billion dollar company. Arash the CTO of Dropbox dropped out of college so he could work on Dropbox full time which has grown to over 45 million members in less than 4 years!

7. Kevin Systrom – 27 Years Old – $470 Million

Kevin Systrom is the founder of Instagram! He recently made $400 million after selling his 2 year start-up to Facebook for $1 billion. Being a smart man he has kept a 40% share of Instagram and his net worth has risen a further $70 million since trading started at $38 a share.

6. Drew Houston – 29 Years Old – $600 Million

Drew Houston is the co-founder of Dropbox (co-founded with no.8 on our list Arash Ferdowsi). His net worth is currently estimated at around $600 million.

5. Adam D’Angelo – 27 Years Old – $680 Million

Adam D-Angelo is the former CTO of Facebook. After growing tired of the social network he left to start the popular question and answer website Quora. Although Adam made a lot of money from Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg’s invention he has still raised millions for Quora which is now valued at over $400 million.

4. Chris Hughes – 28 Years Old – $935 Million

Chris Hughes comes in at number 4 on the list with a net worth of $935 million. Chris Hughes is the 4th co-founder of Facebook (you’ll notice a trend occur here in the top 5). He acted as the company’s official spokesperson until 2007. He was also hired as the lead online organizer for Barack Obama’s 2008 presedential campaign! He owns a 1% stake in Facebook which is valued at over $850 million.

3. Eduardo Saverin – 30 Years Old – $2.7 Billion

Another Facebook co-founder… you might recognize the name from the film The Social Network. Eduardo Saverin initially served as CFO of Facebook with a 34.4 percent stake in the company. Disagreements between Mark and Eduardo forced the former CFO to dilute his shares resulting in a lawsuit and settlement that awarded Eduardo a 5% stake in Facebook and co-founder credit. Unlike other Facebook co-founders Eduardo has not been involved in anymore start-ups and reports say he is now living large with his fortune after moving to Singapore to avoid Capital Gains Tax.

2. Dustin Moskovitz – 28 Years Old – $5.1 Billion

Many people assume that Zuckerberg was the youngest billionaire however it’s actually this guy Dustin Moskovitz. He’s another co-founder and former CTO of Facebook. Moskovitz holds a 7.6% stake in Facebook and left to create his own start-up Asana. Asana has already raised $38 million in start-up capital and is now valued at $280 million.

1. Mark Zuckerberg – 28 Years Old – $10.1 Billion

It’s no surprise that this man comes no.1 on our list. Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder of the worlds most popular social network Facebook which has nearly 1 billion active users. His net worth peaked when the social network went public and due to the share price falling he has recently lost $9 billion however he is still extremely wealth with a net worth of over $10 billion!

We hope you have enjoyed our 10 Richest Tech Entrepreneurs Under 30. Please use the sharing buttons to the left of the page to share this article on popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Reddit and Stumbleupon

Also… be sure to leave a comment below!

Interesting fact for you… if you add up all the money these top 20 athletes made over the past year it comes to $888 Million!

20. Valentino Rossi – $30 Million

Valentino Rossi comes in at number 20 on the list. His salary/winnings brought in $17 million and his endorsements a further $13 million.

19. Fernando Alonso – $32 Million

Fernando Alonso is the highest paid F1 driver earning $29 million from his salary. He made a further $3 million from his endorsements.

18. Alex Rodriguez – $33 Million

Alex Rodriguez comes in at number 18 on our list. His salary paid him $31 million and he made a further $2 million from endorsements.

16. Mario Williams – $33.2 Million

Mario Williams hits the list at number 16 joint with Rafael Nadal. He made $32.9 million from his salary and $0.3 million from endorsements.

16. Rafael Nadal – $33.2 Million

Rafael Nadal is 16th on our list joint with Mario Williams. He made $8.2 million in winnings and a further $25 million from endorsements.

15. Charles Johnson – $34.4 Million

Charles Johnson hits the list at number 15. His salary makes up $34.3 million and make an additional $0.1 million from endorsements.

14. Ndamukong Suh – $36 Million

Ndamukong Suh hits the list at number 14. He made $35.5 from his salary and a further $0.5 million from endorsements.

13. Larry Fitzgerald – $36.8 Million

Larry Fitzgerald takes the number 13 spot on our list. The football star made $35.3 million from his salary and a further $1.5 million from endorsements.

12. Haloti Ngata – $37.3 Million

Haloti Ngata takes the number 12 spot on our list. He made $37.1 million from his salary and $0.2 million from endorsements.

11. Lionel Messi – $39 Million

The football (soccer) superstar makes number 11 on the list. He made $20 million from his salary and a further $19 million from endorsements.

10. Peyton Manning – $42.4 Million

Peyton Manning enters the top 10. He made $32.4 million from his salary and and $10 million from endorsements.

9. Cristiano Ronaldo – $42.5 Million

Cristiano Ronaldo comes in at number 9 on the list with salary earnings of $20.5 million. He made an additional $22 million from endorsements.

8. David Beckham – $46 Million

David Beckham makes the top 10 at number 8. His salary is just $9 million however he makes a huge $37 million from endorsements.

7. Phil Mickelson – $47.8 Million

The legendary golfer Phil Mickelson comes in at number 7 on our list. Similar to David Beckham his salary/winnings were fairly low at $4.8 million however he made a whopping $43 million from endorsements.

6. Kobe Bryant – $52.3 Million

Kobe Bryant is number 6 on our list with $20.3 million made from his salary and $32 million made from endorsements.

5. Roger Federer – $52.7 Million

Roger Federer makes the top 5 with winnings making up $7.7 million and endorsements a further $45 million.

4. LeBron James – $53 Million

LeBron James comes in at number 4 on our list. He made $13 million from his salary and $40 million from endorsements.

3. Tiger Woods – $59.4 Million

Tiger Woods makes the top 3. He made $4.4 million in winnings and a further $55 million from endorsements.

2. Manny Pacquiao – $62 Million

Manny Pacquiao is number 2 on the list with salary/winnings of $56 million. He also made $6 million from endorsements.

1. Floyd Mayweather – $85 Million

Number 1 on the list is Floyd Mayweather. He made 100% of his $85 million from boxing!

So there you have it… the top 20 highest paid athletes!

Their total salaries/winnings plus endorsements comes to $888 million! That’s a whole lot of money!

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Who is your favourite athlete in our list? Please leave your comments below.

1. Tom Cruise – $75 Million

Tom Cruise tops the list with $75 million in earnings. He’s starred in huge movies recently with the biggest being the most recent Mission Impossible.

2. Leonardo DiCaprio – $37 Million

Leonardo DiCaprio comes in at a joint 2nd with Adam Sandler both stars earned a reported $37 million from May 2011 to May 2012.

3. Adam Sandler – $37 Million

Adam Sandler comes in joint 2nd on our highest paid Hollywood actors list. He raked in a reported $37 million from May 2011 through May 2012 thanks to films such as Zookeeper and Jack and Jill.

4. Dwayne Johnson – $36 Million

Dwayne Johnson comes in at number 4 on our list. He earned a reported $36 million starring in films such as Fast Five!

5. Ben Stiller – $33 Million

Ben Stiller comes in at number 5 on our list with reported earnings at $33 million!

6. Sacha Baron Cohen – $30 Million

Sacha Baron Cohen comes in at number 6 on our list with reported earnings of $30 million!

7. Johnny Depp – $30 Million

Johnny Depp is one of few actors who’s films have grossed the $1 billion mark. He comes in at number 7 on our list with reported earnings of around $30 million.

8. Will Smith – $30 Million

Will Smith comes in at number 8 on our list with reported earnings of $30 million.

9. Mark Wahlberg – $27 Million

Mark Wahlberg comes in at number 9 on our list with reported earnings of $27 million. He’s starred in films which have been huge successes lately such as Contraband and Ted.

10. Taylor Lautner – $27 Million

Taylor Lautner hits the list at number 10 thanks to the Twilight movies and also the movie Abduction!

We hope you have enjoyed our Top 10 Highest Paid Hollywood Actors list!

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Who is your favourite actor in our list? Please leave a comment below

Check out our list below and be sure to leave a comment with your favourite!

10. The Presidential Suite – InterContinental – Hong Kong ($15,000 Per Night)

This Presidential Suite costs approximately $15,000 per night and is known for being Asia’s finest suite. The suite offers a wrap around harbour view terrace with a rooftop infinity pool and jacuzzi overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island.

This suite also hosts its own private gym for the lucky guests and comes with a private limo service where you can choose between a Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley or Mercedes!

9. The Royal Suite – Burj Al Arab – Dubai ($18,000 Per Night)

The Royal Suite is situated in the Burj Al Arab costing up to $18,000 per night. The picture above is not the entrance to the hotel either, that is the entrance to your private suite! The Royal Suite is finished to the highest standard, you get your own private dining area encase you don’t fancy dining in 1 of 7 world class restaurants in the hotel, a giant Arabic style lounge, private cinema and multiple bedrooms. You also get your own chauffeur driven Rolls Royce Phantom to take you anywhere in Dubai and helicopter transfer from the Airport to the hotel can be arranged too.

8. The Ritz-Carlton Suite – Ritz-Carlton – Moscow ($18,000 Per Night)

For the price of $18,000 per night you can stay in the Ritz-Carlton Suite in Moscow. The floor to ceiling windows give you an amazing view over Moscow. The suite also has full heated flooring to keep you warm through the blistering weather outside.

7. The Royal Towers Suite – Atlantis – Bahamas ($25,000 Per Night)

The Bridge Suite in the Royal Towers Atlantis hotel is really something special! The attention to detail in this suite would make make a minimalist feel sick. At $25,000 per night the price tag is definitely in the top 10 most expensive hotels in the world and not many are situated in such a unique location inside of the hotel, creating a bridge between both sides!

6. The Royal Villa – Grand Resort Lagonissi – Athens ($34,000 Per Night)

The Royal Villa at Grand Resort Lagonissi in Athens will cost you a massive $34,000 per night! For that you get your own private butler, chef and pianist! There’s an indoor pool and outdoor pool as well as a gym, steam bath and massage room.

5. Hugh Hefner Sky Villa – Palms Resort – Las Vegas ($35,000 Per Night)

The Hugh Heffner Sky Villa comes in at $35,000 per night! For that you get everything Playboy including an indoor pool with a cantilevered spa bath overlooking the strip. The suite is like a fantasy land and is definitely one of the most amazing suites you can go to! The only thing missing is the Playboy bunnies themselves.

4. Ty Warner Penthouse Suite – Four Seasons Hotel – New York ($41,000 Per Night)

The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite covers 400 square meters which is the entire top floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. It gives you a 360 degree view of the Manhattan Skyline and is finished to the highest standard. To stay here you’ll need to come up with $41,000!

3. Penthouse Suite – Hotel Martinez – Cannes ($38,000 Per Night)

The Hotel Martinez has a michelin star restaurant and a private beach! The cost for the penthouse is approximately $38,000 per night!

2. The Presedential Suite – The Raj Palace Hotel – Jaipur, India ($45,000 Per Night)

The Presidential Suite in the Raj Palace is one of the biggest suites in Asia. The suite has a private roof terrace and swimming pool and comes in at $45,000 per night.

1. The Royal Penthouse Suite – Hotel President Wilson – Geneva ($65,000 Per Night)

If you are security conscious you’ll want to stay at the Royal Penthouse Suite in the Hotel President Wilson, Geneva, which has bullet-proof windows and doors! The suite has stunning views overlooking Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. It will cost you $65,000 per night!

So there you have it! The Top 10 Most Expensive Hotels In The World!

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Our favourite is the Hugh Heffner Sky Villa! Comment below and let us know which is your favourite!

“Greatness is not this esoteric thing that only the special among us can achieve… it is something that truly exists in all of us” – Will Smith

I’ve quoted Will Smith on greatness above however that quote also is true for happiness. Many of us believe that happiness is something that will come with more time, more money, a girlfriend, wife or some other event happening. Although becoming wealthier, obtaining a certain possession or getting a partner can make a person happier the truth is that happiness exists within all of us.

In this blog post we share 20 ways to be happy:

1. Treat Others How You Would Want To Be Treated

It’s often easy to be mean or rude however before doing so you should stop and think, would I be happy if somebody treated me like this. If the answer is no then stop and re-think what you were going to say. It has been proven that being kind produces a chemical reaction in the brain that makes us feel happier.

2. Be Kind

This leads on from our 1st point. Being kind has been proven to create a chemical reaction in the brain that makes us happier.

3. Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover

We have all done this one before, judging somebody by how they look, or judging something by how it looks. Although we all do it or have done it at some point in our lives if you stop doing this you will be happier, why? Making a judgement about a person or something such as a film is done on pure gut instant before you know the true facts. Just because a person might look a particular way in your eyes does not necessarily mean they will act that way. If you judge before you know for certain you will most definitely miss out on things that could make you happy.

4. Pick Your Friends Wisely

There’s a saying: “If you hang around with losers you will end up a loser”. This is true and a reason why you should pick your friends wisely. If you hang around with somebody who is depressing and negative about everything they will have an influence on you and there depression and negativity will rub off on you. Hang around with people who are optimistic about life and are happy and their positive influence will rub off on you.

5. Take Control Of Your Finances

Most stress in peoples lives comes from money therefore if you want to live a happy life take control of your finances and eliminate things that are unnecessary to your life. It will be extremely difficult for you to be stress free and happy if you have a big electricity bill or car payment sitting and waiting to be paid. Sit down and assess your financial situation and decide what you need and what you don’t need. Eliminating unnecessary expenses will help get rid of stress related to money.

6. Live Minimally

Most of us desire big houses, new cars and lots of possessions however studies have shown that having lots of possessions can actually make us feel stressed and overwhelmed. This point links into no.5 with your finances. If you have unnecessary items that you don’t need get rid of them. Studies have shown that Europeans are generally happier than Americans even though they tend to life in smaller houses, have less possesions and drive smaller cars.

7. Don’t Worry – Change Something…

If you are stressed and worrying about something then don’t…. there is a reason why you are stressed so instead of worrying change something. There is a saying “Don’t worry because the worry don’t work”. This basically means that worrying about something is pointless because worrying won’t make the problem go away. Instead of putting your energy into worrying out that energy into working out a solution so that you are not stressed.

8. Don’t Compare Yourselves To Others

Comparing yourself to somebody else is something you should never do. This is similar to judging a book by it’s cover because in reality you don’t know all the facts. It is easy to look at somebody who drives a Lamborghini and has a big house and think they must be so happy but the reality could be so much different. That person could be having relationship problems, and they could have huge debts on their home and Lamborghini. Just because from the outside their life looks amazing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is.

9. Don’t Seek Approval From Others

If you have an idea to do something and you think it is a great idea do it! Don’t seek approval from others (unless others need to know for financial reasons perhaps) because the truth is that when you seek approval from others you will be swayed by their opinion. Listen to other people and take advice but ultimately make your decision based on your own feelings, not what somebody else thinks. Often people want to tell you that you can’t do something because it’s unrealistic, but the truth is they don’t want you to do it and become a success because they know that they can’t do it themselves. If you have a dream go and get it, don’t let other people knock you down because if you listen to what everyone else says you will never achieve that dream.

10. See Failures As Positive Things

Don’t dwell on the past and your past failings. Instead see failures as something positive because you can learn from them so they don’t happen in the future. Successful happy people see failures as part of their success. To quote Michael Jordan “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life… and that is why I succeed.”

11. Dream Big

People who have big dreams are more likely to accomplish their goals than people who dream small, or in other words “are realistic”. To quote Will Smith “Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity”. Dream big and you will have more motivation to achieve your goals, plus if you dream big and you “just miss” your goals, you will still have accomplished a lot, instead of dreaming small or “being realistic”.

12. Be Grateful For What You Do Have

No matter how bad your situation might seem the truth is there is always somebody out there who has it worse than you so be grateful for what you do have. Have this positive attitude on life and you will be happier.

13. Be In Control Of Your Own Destiny

If you are looking at life and saying that if it wasn’t for person A or it wasn’t for company B you would be rich and happy then you need to stop and change the way you think. Ultimately you control your own destiny and you should never feel like you are at affect to everything around you. Take control of your life, decide what you want and create a plan to get what you want. This way of thinking will allow you to create your own destiny in life and not be at effect to anything else.

14. Set Goals

You should set goals in your life so that you have a sense of purpose. You can set goals on relationships, money or exercise. Whatever it is you should have goals in your life and create a plan of action to reach those goals. You should set long term goals and short term goals as the short term goals will keep you motivated to achieve the long term ones.

15. Accept What Can’t Be Changed

You should never dwell on the past and you should accept what can’t be changed. Unfortunately life is not always fair and things happen that are completely out of our control. If you accept this you will be a lot happier and you will be able to move forward.

16. Exercise

Research has proven that exercise is good for happiness as it boost self-esteem and gives us a feeling of self-accomplishment. Exercise reguarly and set goals and you will be a happier person.

17. Eat Well

Studies have proven that junk food makes you feel like junk. In other words it makes you feel sluggish and unmotivated. You should eat well as it will make you feel better and give you more energy. It is okay to eat junk food from time to time but on the whole try to eat healthy. Use the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time eat well and 20% of the time indulge yourself with whatever you want.

18. Nurture Relationships

Lonely people are often sad. Be sure to nurture your relationships with friends and family. It is easy to fall out of contact with people who you used to be great friends with. Stay in contact with friends and family and make time to see people. Often seeing a good friend can instantly make you feel happier!

19. Don’t Make Excuses

Don’t make excuses for your failings in life. Instead accept responsibility for your own destiny and move on. Happy people take control and accept that in the past they may have failed but that is not a reason for them to remain a failure.

20. Be Honest & Tell The Truth

Lying creates stress and stress is not what you need if you want to be happy. Telling the truth will set you free and allow you to be happy.

So there you have it… 20 ways to be happy!

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