Preserve Your Happiness
Now more than ever, it’s time for people to reconnect with their inner self. Find your happy place, rejuvenating the total you – mind, body, soul and spirit. It’s a mandate if you want to weather your current situation, hopefully finding light at the end of the tunnel. Hope alone will not save the day, and love will not conquer all, as I know all too well. The key to positive outcomes is through motion, action and change.
So many people are losing jobs as a result of a broken economy, which by the way is slowly improving. Many are stressed because they are required to work long hours, leaving little time for family, hobbies and other interests. In addition, there are those performing the job of two without adequate compensation. Some are required to work with coworkers who are performing unsatisfactorily and little is being done to weed them out.
On the flip side, there are people in relationships draining them of their stability, fortitude and compromising their morals and beliefs. Others have acquired homes they can no longer afford and should have never purchased in the first place. Some are plagued with disease, eager for resolution. Doubt has entered their lives, and they know this because of their conversational buzzwords of remission, flare, sobriety, etc. Others are homesick, away due to school or their job, or because they are in the military. Too many miss the stability and familiarity of friends and family.
For some, these scenarios of madness, grief, sadness, uncertainty and panic have lead to negative outcomes of alcohol abuse, excessive weight gain or loss, distance, extremes of overspending or intense frugality, hypochondria, diarrhea of the mouth – talking to anyone who will listen, a return to smoking, and countless other life-altering, misleading, delusional resolutions.
If you find yourself in the words above, take a moment and think about a time when you were happy. Now, think of another. Try your best to think of all the "real" times you were in high spirits. What do they have in common? Relate them to jobs you were confident in or people who inspired you, who were honest, creative and passionate.
We have a habit of looking at the worst of any situation. Many think they will be able to find the good by reexamining every unhappy moment. This is not always the best method. It’s at this time you use your tools of motion, action and change.
Motion is extracting joyful thoughts from your past – sifting through photographs of happy times, reviewing correspondence (cards and letters) of kindness. Action is seeing what this information has in common that made you hopeful. Create a list to get a better idea of the positives. Success is change, putting together a plan than will enable you to develop a stronger more assertive attitude.
It’s seeking out the right job and giving it your all, caring more about a healthy work environment and not the almighty dollar (without being taken advantage of). It’s about being around people who grow your spirit. Yes, there is balance to achieve, but it’s doable through determination, courage and commitment.
A reawakening for the average person who is devoid of deep emotional imbalance or disturbance is about searching for happy moments to reconnect with your inner compass – or as I like to call it, rebuilding your infrastructure.
I consider myself a happy person, but like all of us, on occasion I’ve had a challenge or two to my satisfaction. My body speaks to me and lets me know when change is needed. I also have moments where I refuse to listen, thus lessons to be learned, growth to achieve and information to share.
I resigned from a job I loved and thrived in, a while ago. It was the best thing at the time. A few unforeseeable situations entered my life after the fact. Sadly, I chose avoidance, thus began the lessons. I used walking, yoga and hobbies to put me in a stress-free, quiet place so I could hear myself, thus reemerging stronger and true.
What have I learned? I know it’s important for me to be around creative, active, energetic, organized, fun people who carry a purpose for self and others in their heart. My best relationships are with those I don’t see often, but wish I did. I realize I don’t have time for manipulators, deceivers, liars and those who are unable to communicate one-on-one. People with diarrhea of the mouth, dispensing details of their life with multiple friends instead of sharing matched information with the right personality type don’t interest me. Family (not necessarily blood relatives), friends and neighbors are key to a more fulfilling life. It’s not about quantity, but quality. People who share my hobbies and interests are always a delight to be around. With no uncertainty, individuals who lack the social graces of tolerance, respect and kindness are walking booby-traps for those of us looking to maintain a happy life.
A happy place is key to a healthy life, and a more approachable you. Notice I didn’t say perfect life. There is no such thing. Challenges make us strong, change is inevitable, and motivation is something you should never be without. With a little introspection and the willingness to keep balance, structure and commitment in your world, happiness will surround you forever. Without it you’re vulnerable to all and a target for an unhappy life. Preserve your happiness today by taking a look inside your yesterday, for only then will you find a better tomorrow. – paerki
