What if I told you that you have the option to live a happier and better life if you want it. You’d take it, right? Who wouldn’t want more happiness and a better life?
Well, you DO have that option, and it IS there for the taking. You have the means to own that happier and better life, if only you’ll recognize it.
Live For The Present, Not For The Future
Too often we put our lives on hold and fail to live them to the fullest, happiest or best we could, because we are waiting for something else to happen or to change first. We think we need x to happen before we’ll truly be happy. When y comes to pass, then we’ll have a better life.
We wait our lives away, wasting moments of potential joy because we can’t be satisfied with our lives right now. We refuse to recognize joyful moments as they come. We let them pass us by because we don’t allow ourselves to see them.
We don’t believe we can be happy because we’re still single or unemployed or in debt. We create markers for happiness and then let opportunities to live joyfully pass us by until those markers are met. Those markers are our mind’s tangible proof that then it will finally be time to be happy.
But the good news is that we can have a magical life now. Happiness is a state of mind, not a state of financial success or marital status or home ownership. If you truly want to be happy, you simply have to choose to be happy. You make the conscious decision to live a happy life. That’s all there is to it. And then it actually becomes a happy life. A better life.
Take The First Step Toward Your Happier & Better Life
For anyone in a bad situation, please take the first step toward a better life. Reach out to a volunteer organization, a clergy member, a neighbor or friend. There are kind people in the world who want to help you. Help yourself by taking that first step to ask them.
For the rest of us, a good first step is trying to be mindful of recognizing and appreciating special moments. There are special moments all around us if we pay attention. The sweetness of our children, the flight of a butterfly, an unexpected smile or kind word from a stranger.
Now I’m not saying you can’t occasionally feel sad. I’m saying that an attitude of negativity will not improve your life, but a positive outlook will!
While you may not yet have reached your goals for success, you can still find a good life in the present. There are opportunities all around you for happiness. But it depends on you and your positive attitude.
Follow A Plan
Several years ago I was in a bad marriage and had a terrible job that I hated, and no money of my own. For a long time I kept living day to day wishing life was better. But wishes are for those with genies in magic lamps. I realized I had the power to change my own life if I changed my mindset and took control of my own happiness.
I wish I could tell you that your happier and better life would be instantaneous and painless. But the truth is that it can be very hard work to change your life. You must commit yourself to achieving a better life. Wishing is not going to work.
Develop a plan to get where you want to be. It sounds simple, but I know firsthand it can be daunting. It was terrifying moving out with the children into a skuzzy place I couldn’t even comfortably afford. It was discouraging feeling trapped in that old job I hated.
But I followed a plan I had developed to get to where I wanted. I took free classes online. I improved myself and my job skills. I answered dozens of job listings. And along the way I was grateful and appreciative for every laugh from my children and for every moment of peace in our little apartment.
Move From Misery To Happiness
I felt joy in the love of my children and in our freedom. My attitude grew more uplifted and positive with every step closer to the life I wanted. But I always made sure to enjoy the life we had at the time, in the present, each day. I found free and fun local activities and events for the kids and myself to do together, to make happy memories, to laugh and play. I made the conscious decision to enjoy our life, and that made every day better.
In time I got a better job, and we moved to a better place. My manager told me I was not the most qualified person for that job, but I was hired because of my attitude. They felt that anyone could be trained to learn the job, and it was more important to have someone who would help maintain a positive and upbeat outlook on the team.
I have an even better job and better life now. I’m still far from what I hope to eventually achieve, but I will not withhold happiness from myself till I get there. I live happily and joyfully every day.
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