The latest song by Pharrell Williams has swept the country! Everyone wants to simply be happy. It’s the thing that we want for ourselves, our children and anyone else that we care for. There are formulas for success, tips on how to lose weight and mental exercises to keep the mind sharp. But what about what really matters, the thing that makes us tick? It’s happiness, and finding it can be as daunting a task as any, especially when things happen that can knock us down.

1. Stay busy. Don’t just sit there and wallow in your misery. Find something to do to make the time pass and to take your mind off of whatever threw you off your game. If you are frustrated, do something that will burn energy, such as exercise. You have to distract yourself from whatever it is that made you sad or depressed. Doing nothing won’t help. The sooner you get your mind and body moving again, the sooner you can get back on that path to bliss.

2. Accept it. There’s an old parable about a man that was complaining that he had no shoes, and then he came across a man who had no feet. OK, that’s kind of drastic, but you get the idea. If something has made you sad or depressed, that’s OK. You’re allowed to be sad and grieve. Just don’t overdo it. The first step to getting back on your feet and moving forward is to accept whatever negative happened, whether it’s the loss of a loved one of the loss of a job. Maybe you have even gotten bad news about your own health. So there it is… do what you can about it, accept it and move on. Acceptance gives you closure. And somewhere there is a silver lining, and finding that is key to you getting back on your road to happiness.