Everybody wants to be happy and have a joyful life but we so often unintentionally find excuses and create obstacles to make sure we never achieve it.
We defer happiness until some fairytale comes true. Or we find reasons not to take the action we know we need to.
We’re conditioned to believe that happiness and joy come from sources outside of ourselves, so we see happiness as a game of chance, to be decided by our ability to successfully achieve a set goal, obtain something material or receive someone’s approval.
Happiness though is not a game of chance. These are my five simple truths to live by, so I can remind myself that my happiness is under my control, always.
Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash
1. If you want to be happy, you must choose to be
It really is a choice. Every day is a process of choosing. What to eat, where to go, what to wear, and most importantly, what to think.
Our emotions are directly tied to our thoughts. Every thought raises an emotional response and we alone are responsible for our thoughts and therefore our feelings.
Nobody else can make you happy. No object or belonging is responsible for your joy. Your overall, consistent happiness is a choice you make daily to be present in your life, be thankful for your life and to see the miracle of your existence.
2. You are enough
There’s nothing wrong with self-improvement as long as it comes with an understanding that you are enough just as you are right now.
Self-improvement is fantastic. I love growth, learning and reaching new levels of understanding of myself and my life.
But perfectionism and comparison are tickets to self-loathing, depression and anxiety.
The motivation behind your desire to do something or achieve something needs to be come from your inner compass – what matters to you – and never based on some need to please or impress someone else.
You are enough, just as you are and where you are.
3. You are in charge
Any limitations we believe we have in our lives are largely our own doing.
We are never truly stuck – we always have a choice to change or to move. Sometimes those choices may be limited, but there is always one to make.
When something isn’t working for us, we are the boss over that – we can choose to make excuses for our lot in life or blame others for our situation, or we can understand that we are in control of our own life and can make decisions for ourselves.
Sometimes it will be painful, or scary or difficult to navigate changes, but we are the CEO of our lives. We always have a choice and it is always ours alone to make.
4. Food matters
What we eat is our lifeblood. You are what you eat, no question.
Paying attention to what we consume should be a priority for us every day.
Realising how disconnected I was from the true impact of what I ate and drank was one of those a-ha moments for me.
What we eat and drink directly affects how we feel, look and act.
5. Today is the only day
Hopes, dreams and plans are fantastic, but there is no other day other than the one you’re living right now.
There are a thousand clichés about living each day to the fullest, and every one of them is true. There is literally no better time than right now.
There is only today, and today is the day to start living life on your terms. Embrace it, enjoy it, savour it, notice it.
