Thanksgiving is the one day a year we all give thanks for what we have, and it feels good! But why not extend that happy feeling into the rest of the year and the New Year?

Here are 5 tips (courtesy of Dr. Timothy Sharp from http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com/) to be happy NOW.

1. Make happiness a priority. If happiness is not at the top of your list, then other things will take precedence. If other things take precedence, they may well interfere with your efforts to feel good.

2. Do things that make you happy. Although this sounds obvious, many people forget to do things from which they gain pleasure. Also, do them as often as possible.

3. Be grateful and appreciate what you have. We all have many choices in life, one of which is whether to focus on all the things we don’t have (of which there might be many), or to focus on all the things we do have. There’s no doubt that gratitude and appreciation will significantly increase your chances of experiencing happiness.

4. Weed out unhelpful thoughts. The Dalai Lama has been quoted saying that “The central method for achieving a happier life is to train your mind in a daily practice that weakens negative attitudes and strengthens positive ones.” Learn first to identify your thoughts and then begin to challenge those that are negative and unhelpful.

5. Live in the present moment. The author Henry Miller once said, “Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” The only moment in which we can truly be happy is the present moment. The only moment over which we have control is the present moment.

So be happy now! Because if not now, when?