By Gabriel Foster
Happiness is a goal that everyone to some degree pursues, with a deep yearning to obtain it. Unfortunately, not everyone is successful in their endeavors, but that does not stop most people from trying repeatedly and often with no change to their strategy. You know, the definition of insanity syndrome.
To begin any journey of happiness, we must start to love ourselves, regardless of our life status. Meaning whether we’re overweight, not being born with certain physical attributes, where we are financially and so fought. That’s a tall order of ale to consume for sure, but without that level of acceptance and self-love, we won’t grow beyond our current status in life. Most people chastise themselves too harshly. Example, “I’m an idiot”, “I’m a failure as a mother or father”, “I deserved to be laughed at and mocked”, “I’m a really bad person for failing to do this or that”, and the self-punishment goes on and on. We all have done something wrong and will again at some point. We have made mistakes, and we will again at some point. These built-in attributes in our design are just us being human and it happens to everyone, billionaires, and peasants alike. Our psyche already takes a toll from other people’s negative remarks about us. You don’t need to add yourself to that crowd with verbal pitch forks chipping away at your mental positivity. Start appreciating you, as often as you can. Example “I made a mistake, but I can correct it”, “Let’s see what solutions I can come up with for my son or daughter”, “They can only truly laugh and mock me, if I give them permission too, and I won’t do that”.
When you’re faced with circumstances that you have control over, like weight gain, depression, and other controllable situations, do something about it. Don’t just think and talk about it. Put a plan into action to start losing that weight, getting help for your depression and other controllable situations in life. If all you do is talk or think of the situation, you’ll never build that bridge that will take you to the other side of your life, that you want and need to be. Write your goals down on paper and follow through with an action plan. Bridges, even metaphorical ones, can’t be found, without that action plan map of the road in front of you. For situations that you cannot change, you must change your attitude towards the situation instead. If you look for the negative, you’ll find it, if you embrace the positive, it will help shine a light in some of the darkened corridors of your life, with happiness.
Reconnecting with nature can and usually does have a profound positive effect on people, including their happiness levels. We are a part of nature, the power battery of our souls.
When we are run down, nature powers us back up. Nature’s the only live broadcast of television of wildlife and plants that we could stare at for hours and not feel drained and washed up like a used coffee cup. There is a reason why most gardeners are happy people, and most pet owners live a much longer life than most. Interaction with nature isn’t just luxury, but a necessity for our wellbeing. Walk through the mud, climb that tree, sit in the stillness of the fresh air, or dine near the waterfront. It all has a positive connection to our happiness levels in our brain and heart. Go out of your way to re-establish that relationship with nature like those that came before us.
Other than nature, take up hobbies or other positive activities that raise your happiness levels. The more pieces of happiness you add to the puzzle of your life, the more you’ll begin to see and feel the entire picture coming together to reveal something priceless and special that you’ve been working hard to create for a long time.
Click on the following amazon link to learn about a book of zen stories that help you find happiness and more.
GF Wisdom | Happiness for some is as easy as smiling at the person in the mirror, for others, it’s as hard to accept the person staring back at you. ~ Gabriel Foster
