From multiple jobs, kids, relationships, bills, finances and beyond, we have a lot going on these days. We keep upping the ante and it seems at no point we are going to stop and say: this is enough. The more we add to our plates, the MORE we want (kind of like sugar ;) ).
Even more so with social media these days, it is so easy to keep looking to the next thing, compare to the next person, and want something more. – You want to own a house, you want more time for yourself, you want to make more money, you want to have kids, you want that bikini body… more more more and then we’ll be happy.
Don’t get me wrong – I love aspirations and intentions to set your sights on, and I am a firm believer in the power of thinking positively.
It’s just that no matter how much energy we put into the things we want to be ‘happy’ or fulfilled, I think it’s important to remember that happiness is something you decide on and starts from within.
And we so easily overlook this…
It can feel confronting to take the responsibility into your own hands.
I’m responsible for my happiness? Yes. Yes, you are.
You have to decide to be happy. It’s starts with you. And you already have everything you need. So you can start right now. There is no mythical day when ‘real life’ will start and everything will go the way you planned it to.
It’s been 6 months now since injuring my knee. With the loss of movement, not being able to walk, dance or exercise for the past (long) 6 months, even the simplest things have been highlighted as a blessing to me. This is not the first time I have had one of life’s very basic abilities stripped from me (as I’m sure you have experienced something dear to you, that you were not able to do anymore) and by now is a lesson I have earned Black Belt status in.
And although the last 6 months have been challenging, mentally as much as physically, those other ‘wants’ that I see people have, sound like a drain of precious energy that could go towards something more positive. (We are all so stretched with responsibilities these days, I think it’d be quite astute to save energy anywhere you can!)
It’s ok to want things. There is no harm in the wanting. But where we get stuck is the requiring that it MUST go a certain way ‘or I will not be happy’. There is a middle ground of healthy non-attachment to whichever way life goes. Sure, have your preferences, but leave them at that. Preferences.
For example:
– I really love how exercise boosts my mood and provides stress relief, but that’s not an option right now, so I gently let myself off the hook and will find alternative solutions to relieve stress.
You see, if I took on the belief that I will not be happy until I can exercise again, not only would it cause me stress resisting the inevitable, but that VERY stress is going to make healing take longer.
See how that works?
I will be the first to say that health challenges aren’t easy or that you should just accept it all and go about your day. But, what I am striving for is a place of peace within myself, to trust that my body is incredibly wise and doing everything she knows best, to look after me. When we drop the ‘shoulds’ and just rest in the present circumstance, coping with life’s twists and turns becomes so much more manageable.
What do you think? Everyone has stuff going on, and life is always presenting us with new circumstances and experiences. Are you currently dealing with something that isn’t really how you’d prefer? (It could be a job, your health, your relationship, your body, anything applies here). Have you tried ‘letting go’ when something just isn’t working out the way you’d like it to? How does it feel? Do you find that social media triggers you to compare? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Love Emily
P.s. If you’ve found this post helpful, or know someone who would benefit from this conversation and community, please share it with your family and friends (you can use the links below). And as always, thanks for being here.
This is the most common sense logic that I have read in a long time .. thank you xx
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts Tanya. Loads of love to you.