You can’t plan your entire life perfectly and perfection is impossible. There are billions of unique views and morals and ideas of what an ideal world would be and how you can play your part in it. But the most important world to you is yours. If you’re happy, you are one happy lad closer to making the world a happier place. I can’t tell you what makes you feel good and how to live your life but I think the following nine tips make for a decent track to run on.

• Laugh. Whether it’s with someone, at someone, at something, whatever… laugh your nuts off at any and every opportunity. Why wouldn’t you anyway?
• Whether we like it or not and as cheesy as it sounds, make other people smile and you’ll feel good about yourself. They don’t have to know you’re doing it for selfish reasons, you get yours!
• Make the most of what you’ve got. Not just resources, but attributes. If you’re good looking for example, enjoy it. Don’t let people tell you that looks are somehow not as good as intelligence. It’s just a different attribute. There’s no need to be a jack of all trades, just be the best you can with what you’ve got (which’ll probably turn out to be more than you thought anyway).
• Love stuff. It’s loads better than liking. Love music, love food, love your mates, love partying, love your hobbies, even love your missus… might as well! Do it consciously though, say to yourself “I absolutely effing love this!” Feels really good!
• Have an emotional outlet. Whether it’s some form of art like writing, painting, sculpture or a more physical outlet like sport, exercise or yoga, it will help keep you balanced. Scream if you feel like screaming, but harnessing your emotions and using them to express yourself and grow wins, I reckon.
• Have a sense of humour. Don’t take yourself, or indeed life, too seriously. Serious people are normally boring. You can’t put a price on a good sense of humour. It’s a mega selling point.
• Forget regret. Learn from mistakes and do what it takes to raise the stakes. Poetry.
• Get back up. No I don’t mean hire a squad of gangsters to back your arse up if you get in trouble (might not be a bad idea though, eh?!), I mean if you fall down, get back up, dust yourself off and have a rematch. It worked for Rocky Balboa.
• Count your blessings regularly and put things in perspective. How much do your problems really matter in the grand scheme of things? Most really don’t. Either realise time will do its thing and put the problem to bed early, or take the appropriate action to fix it.

That should just about do it. It’s a shame it only came to nine though… if I was going to add a tenth, I’d have to say laugh a bit more. Word.