Be Happy

      What is it going to take to make you happy?  Are you still waiting for your circumstances to change before you’ll allow yourself to be happy?  Do you actually think that you WILL be happy if your circumstances were to change?  Most of us have preconceived ideas of what would have to happen before we were happy, and we refuse to be satisfied until those things happen precisely as we envision them taking place!  Nothing else is going to satisfy us until those things take place.

     The problem is that even once those specific things happen in our lives, we’re rarely satisfied with them!  Instead, we shift our focus to something even bigger and better, believing “it” will make us happy (or happier).  We never allow ourselves to reach a point of contentment.  Have you done the same thing to yourself?

     The good news is that you can decide to be happy NOW – even if not everything in your life is perfect. It is going to be a very long time for you if everything has to be perfect in your life BEFORE you become content!  That time will probably NEVER happen for you.  However, there are things that you go do for yourself to make the current situations in your life more enjoyable and happier for you!  Below you’ll find 3 easy ways that will help you do this:

     1)   Be grateful.  Gratitude is one of the most powerful states of mind that you can adopt.  Not only does it make you feel good, it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you DO have, and keeps it there!  As you focus more on what you are grateful to have in your life (even the really small blessings!), you worry less about anything that may be lacking.  The result?  A more pervasive sense of happiness!

     2)   Take time to smell the roses.  If you spend most of your days feeling rushed and scattered, it’s hard to feel happy and content.  In order to be truly happy, you need to make time for yourself to relax, dream, and take pleasure in life’s simpler moments.  Beginning today, make sure to spend time doing things you love on a regular basis.  Read books that stimulate your imagination; listen to great music; take long walks, and generally make an effort to enjoy your life as it is right now.  It’s not a sin to take care of your own needs!  You are probably very busy taking care of the needs of others, but don’t forget about yourself.

     3)   Love the journey.  You have probably been on a vacation at some point in your life.  Often, we feel the “vacation” doesn’t start until we get to the destination we are heading for.  The same is true for other aspects in our lives.  Many of us make the mistake of pinning all of our expectations on some vague, far-off result, like the completion of goals.  We believe that once we “get there” everything will be perfect and we’ll finally be happy.  However, there is much to be gained from enjoying the journey TO your destination!  Make it your mission to revel in every moment that you’re working toward higher goals.  Enjoy the sense of self-mastery and accomplishment you gain with every goal you achieve.  Make it a worthwhile journey and you’ll savor the end result that much more!

     The most important thing to understand about happiness is that it is largely a CHOICE you make from moment to moment.  Though certain serious situations make it difficult to feel happy at times, most often we allow the little things to bother us and block any happiness we would otherwise feel.  Embrace happiness, and it will grow to monstrous proportions in your life!  And never forget, the biggest obstacle for your accomplishing this is the fact that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Show the world you are a REAL rebel,

be happy!"