Tailor your own happiness!
Did you ever ask yourself why you are not happy? Why your dreams don’t come true? Why your world is not painted in pink? Why others get a fair chance to happiness and you don’t?
At a superficial glance everything seems perfect in everyone else's life. Although you are happy for them it does not seem fair that you have to fight for your dreams. In your case, the more you struggle, further away they get. Could it be that you got the wrong approach?
Let’s see! Here are some tips that you may find helpful:
Define your own happiness!
Sometimes in our quest for happiness we tend to neglect an important thing which is its definition. How do you define your own happiness? Certainly not by comparing with others! We are all unique and there is no one-size-fits-all. Whatever makes your friends happy, won’t work for you. Yes, they may all seem to live a perfect life, but things are rarely pink in any relationship!
Are you getting confused? Point is that YOU need to look for the things that make YOU happy. Don’t let yourself influence by any the things the society says you need! Happiness has a different meaning for all of us. Find your own meaning and then pursue it!
Love yourself first!
If you can’t make yourself happy, no one ever will! You may have heard the saying that happiness comes from inside. It’s not a myth! The moment you understand that you need to make time for yourself and love yourself, that spark of happiness within yourself will get stronger and stronger.
You are in charge!
You have the control over the way you can deal with a situation. You may not change the outcome, but you certainly can adopt a positive attitude instead of blaming others for your own misery. Adopting a surrender mindset can help more than you think!
Enrol in fun and rewarding activities!
Start by writing down a list of the things you enjoy. It can be anything, from reading, drawing, cycling, cooking and so on. Discover your passions and carve out some time from your busy schedule for them.
Share your love!
What better way to keep your mind busy than trying to help others and bring a smile upon their faces? By lending a hand to others you can raise your levels of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, which can lead to your body creating good feelings.
Get enough rest!
A good night of sleep or even a cat nap have the power to unleash your good mood. Getting enough sleep will not only keep you healthier, but also happier.
Cultivate gratitude!
Open your eyes and look around you as if you would find yourself for the first time in that room. Try to see the half full glass instead of being disappointed! Little by little, things will get better once you learn how to appreciate the blessings in your life! Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.
Let go of your past!
Once you decide to drop that big bulky emotional burden you have been carrying for years, it will be much easier for you to enjoy your present which can lead to your happiness!
Live simple!
Having less expectations and even no expectations can pave the road to a happier life. Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.
Take a leap of faith!
If you are afraid of leaving your comfort zone, maybe it is time to take a leap of faith! Believe things will get better and you will see new paths revealing themselves to you.
@lymepoet,
Great post, Lavi.
Here's a strange thing: In comparing ourselves with others, which we all do, we tend to focus exclusively on people who have more (of whatever). It can be an astonishingly enlightening exercise to deliberately compare yourself with others who have less.
You won't have to go far to find them. People choosing between the rent and groceries. Or people with sufficient money but chronic health problems. Or people with sufficient money and good health but whose marriage, and family, is disintegrating before their eyes.
No one escapes life's torments, so pick your poison. You may find that your relative standing in the world isn't as bad as you first thought. Working two jobs is getting you down ... how about the woman next door who was just diagnosed with cancer? Would you trade your problems for hers? Or that woman with Alzheimer's. Or that homeless man whose horizon does not extend beyond where he'll get his next meal and where he'll sleep tonight.
None of this is to say that your problems aren't real or deserving of a bit of self-pity. An eternal optimist's delusions are no more an accurate reflection of reality than those of a perennial pessimist.
But as so much in life, it's a matter of perspective. There are numbers between zero and a hundred for a reason. A 10 lb problem is not the same as a 90 lb problem. Calibration is important.
Quill
Comparing yourself with those who have less is a great exercise that helps cultivate gratitude. It's an eye opener cause you realize how many things you take for granted. yes, calibration is key!
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Such good points! We all need to be reminded from time to time so that we can put things into perspective, resteemed!
Thank you for the read, comment and resteem! Have a wonderful day!
Good post (Y) :) It's hard to do than say!! #practicing
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STOPA very inspiring post !
Upvoted at 100% !
Wow! Each one of your suggestions could spawn a post of their own!
Great advice.
Namaste, JaiChai
Now that you mentioned it, I can only agreed with you. ;-)
Very good advice @lymepoet, we often are our own worst enemies especially when comparing ourselves with others!
It sounds easy to say but it is challenging to do so because we do it involuntarily each time one of our dreams or wishes does not come true.
Very true but it's often a reminder when one looks back that there was a higher hand at work steering us in a better direction, opening new doors we never dreamt of!
I agree with all your points. Regarding the definition of happiness. Everybody is saying to dream big. My opinion is that if you dream too big, you set the expectation too high and you keep striving and striving and you’re never satisfied. My 2 cents.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Expectation is what makes people unhappy. Like you said high expectations!
for sure - our attitude and how we live our lives has so much to do with how happy we feel. I think food choices and behavior choices - like sitting all day instead of exercising - have a lot to do with it.
Oh yes, diet and exercise have a big saying in it! Thanks for adding them to the list! ;-)
You are welcome :) hey, do you ever write poetry using the prompt I put out every day? If you do, please participate in the poetry events at the Freewrite House @freewritehouse. I would love to see more poets participating.
No, I never did. I used to write prompts for one of my friends, another poetess who was active on Twitter. I should give Freewrite House a try. Thank you!