If you've ever wondered what it takes to be truly happy all the time, this could be the answer. Matthieu Ricard, a Tibetan Buddhist Monk who has been called "the world's happiest man" has shared his top tips for becoming more content – and all it takes is 15 minutes a day.
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Although he admits to being a generally happy person, Matthieu has spent time training his mind to focus on the positive, with incredible results. Now the monk has suggested that others could boost their mood by thinking happy thoughts for ten to 15 minutes a day.
Thinking poisitive thoughts for 15 minutes a day could make you a happier person
Speaking to Business Insider, Matthieu said that all too often our feelings of happiness and love are fleeting and then we move onto the next thought. But if you make an effort to focus on these happy thoughts without distractions for a stretch of time every day, you can start to feel the benefits within just a couple of weeks.
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However it's important not to only think about yourself, but also about other people's happiness too. "If your mind is filled with benevolence, you know – the passion and solidarity… this is a very healthy state of mind that is conducive to flourishing," Matthieu said. "So you, yourself, are in a much better mental state. Your body will be healthier, so [it] has been shown. And also, people will perceive it as something nice."
Don't be put off if you struggle to stay focused on the positive straight away; the monk has explained that it takes time to train your mind through meditation, likening the experience to training for a marathon. "With mental training, we can always bring [our level of happiness] to a different level. It's like running. If I train, I might run a marathon. I might not become an Olympic champion, but there is a huge difference between training and not training. So why should that not apply to the mind?" Matthieu said.
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