The Happiness Project has a great list of nine contradictions to embrace for greater happiness and they really are conductive to living a joyous life. Among their best suggestions:
Accept yourself, and expect more of yourself. Use your time efficiently, yet make time to play, to wander, to read at whim, to fail. Take your less seriously—and take yourself more seriously. Often it takes discipline to take pleasure.
Don’t miss the article to read the rest of the contradictions on the list and don’t miss other realistic contradictions in their comments section.