When was the last time you experienced a truly peaceful moment? In laser sharp fashion you could probably come up with a million things sending you to your happy place. Having a true sense of contentment takes practice. You can either be happy or miserable, this has its variables. Happiness is the lot for anyone who wants it.
A happy feeling can be brought on by an event, or circumstance but flees once the moment is gone. Go deeper than that. I saw a quote, supposedly the words of Abraham Lincoln, in which says, "Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be". Interesting. Finding what makes you really happy may seem like to much work.
Reaching out for support may be the best but not always the easiest step because it feels like you are saying you have failed. Far from it. I run into a lot of folks who have the money, prestige, lifestyle, and still lack joy. Chasing the dream became suddenly boring and the attention span shorter than a five year old with a new toy. The things that you thought you wanted have become mundane. Valuable but not life-affirming. Most agree from a money perspective it's nice to be out of debt, yet the yearnings for real family, real people, really memorable moments...
Take the time to find out what makes you happy. Something you can look back on and be satisfied you had a nugget captured in a heart-tugging, loving snapshot. No one can take it from you. Find the inner strength to be happy without relying on it coming from external places. Others can and certainly will bring a measure of happy times, but what do you want out of life-I mean deep down what you want. Take a lesson from a friend of mine who shall remain nameless, but spent way too much time wishing and not enough doing for her own mind and soul.
A few years back she worked for this big time corporation and instead of climbing the ladder she jumped about ten paces ahead of it. She was/is a smart cookie. Soon the credentials, condos and cars fed into the life she thought she always wanted. She met this great guy and thought she would spend the rest of her life with him. Only one thing stood in their way-she was of a different nationality than him. Both hoping the folks, wanting their babies to be happy, would give the final blessing. Her parents did and sorrowfully his did not. Trying to keep the relationship going was exhaustive but they gave it a go. Three years of hoping, pleading and begging left my friend a shell of her former self. He finally ended the relationship. Bitter, broken, unhappy.
Another five years had gone by and the parents who had been so adamant, now had a crisis. Illness can change the most stiffed-necked person, can't it? His mother was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma and never lived to see her son become a happy human again. Before his dad left the states to return to his homeland, he made one last attempt to visit his son, who he hadn't seen in almost nine years. Instead of a long lengthy letter, there was only a blank card with half a sheet of note paper inside that read, "Son-live happy. That's all that matters. I'm sorry- I finally had to let it go."
My friend nor her ex-boyfriend have ever gotten married-both still single. I hope they can finally let it go. The anger, hurt, frustration, bitterness-all of it. I also hope they can find their way back to each other because the love is still there. Just let the other stuff go-let it go.
Until next time~
A happy feeling can be brought on by an event, or circumstance but flees once the moment is gone. Go deeper than that. I saw a quote, supposedly the words of Abraham Lincoln, in which says, "Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be". Interesting. Finding what makes you really happy may seem like to much work.
Reaching out for support may be the best but not always the easiest step because it feels like you are saying you have failed. Far from it. I run into a lot of folks who have the money, prestige, lifestyle, and still lack joy. Chasing the dream became suddenly boring and the attention span shorter than a five year old with a new toy. The things that you thought you wanted have become mundane. Valuable but not life-affirming. Most agree from a money perspective it's nice to be out of debt, yet the yearnings for real family, real people, really memorable moments...
Take the time to find out what makes you happy. Something you can look back on and be satisfied you had a nugget captured in a heart-tugging, loving snapshot. No one can take it from you. Find the inner strength to be happy without relying on it coming from external places. Others can and certainly will bring a measure of happy times, but what do you want out of life-I mean deep down what you want. Take a lesson from a friend of mine who shall remain nameless, but spent way too much time wishing and not enough doing for her own mind and soul.
A few years back she worked for this big time corporation and instead of climbing the ladder she jumped about ten paces ahead of it. She was/is a smart cookie. Soon the credentials, condos and cars fed into the life she thought she always wanted. She met this great guy and thought she would spend the rest of her life with him. Only one thing stood in their way-she was of a different nationality than him. Both hoping the folks, wanting their babies to be happy, would give the final blessing. Her parents did and sorrowfully his did not. Trying to keep the relationship going was exhaustive but they gave it a go. Three years of hoping, pleading and begging left my friend a shell of her former self. He finally ended the relationship. Bitter, broken, unhappy.
Another five years had gone by and the parents who had been so adamant, now had a crisis. Illness can change the most stiffed-necked person, can't it? His mother was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma and never lived to see her son become a happy human again. Before his dad left the states to return to his homeland, he made one last attempt to visit his son, who he hadn't seen in almost nine years. Instead of a long lengthy letter, there was only a blank card with half a sheet of note paper inside that read, "Son-live happy. That's all that matters. I'm sorry- I finally had to let it go."
My friend nor her ex-boyfriend have ever gotten married-both still single. I hope they can finally let it go. The anger, hurt, frustration, bitterness-all of it. I also hope they can find their way back to each other because the love is still there. Just let the other stuff go-let it go.
Until next time~
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