It’s true, lifestyle, people, things, success, and money can enhance your happiness, but that’s only half the equation. The other half of the equation depends solely on you.
I am sure you have heard of people, or perhaps you are one of those people, who have everything money can buy and still aren’t happy. Then there are those that are joyous whether they have or don’t have things or partners in their life. Why is that?
People make a choice to be happy, and it’s not just by saying it, it’s truly believing it’s possible.
They have found the joy that comes from within no matter what might or might not be happening in their lives.
They are the believers. They create harmony in their life and trust that whatever they do or wherever they go joy can be a part of it.
How you view life and the things that happen can greatly impact you.
Happiness is a choice and it’s an option that sometimes may seem impossible depending on what is occurring.
You might think, “Sure, when things are going well I’m pretty happy, but when the tables turn, my happiness turns into the opposite right along with it”.
How can you be happy when you are depressed, or are going through a divorce, or have lost a loved one, or you can’t pay the bills, or don’t know what you are going to do?
No matter how tough things might be, you can look to a future that is bright and filled with promise. You can.
Time and time again you will hear or read stories of individuals who have overcome the most earth shattering experiences, yet, their faith and hope have helped them to move through and soar above their setbacks. They choose to be hopeful and happy.
Does that mean that they never felt sad, depressed, angry, defeated, stressed, anxious, doubtful, etc.? No, but what made the difference for them was they recognized what they were feeling and made a conscious choice to be as happy as they could be.
It may be a day, week, month, and for some, even years where you feel unhappy and struggle to pull yourself up out of the depths of despair but you can do it if there is a willingness to push through that darkness into the light.
Problems are only setbacks. They are not the end or be all, there is a solution and you are it!
Think of it this way, when you first learned math you made mistakes which is why the teacher had you use a pencil (brilliant invention) so you could erase the mistakes and start over.
The challenges you face in life are like a mathematical equation. You may make a few mistakes along the way, but you can learn from you mistakes and start over.
Remember how you felt when you “got it”? You were probably happy and proud, perhaps you even felt on top of the world until the next time you felt stumped or defeated again.
You can’t erase what has or is occurring in your life, and sometimes you won’t have the answers, but you can choose to look at it differently and you can be happy again.
So, where does your happiness go during trying times?
Joy doesn’t just disappear, although it may seem like it does, it is only being blanketed over by other emotions.
You have to find the thread of happiness that still remains woven in the tapestry of your sorrows. It is there holding you together, waiting to be sewn into your life again.
Your ego may be determined to keep you believing that happiness is not a choice, that it comes from what is or isn’t happening for you, but when you choose it to be, whether that is today, tomorrow, or down the road, you can return to bliss again.
Next time you find yourself feeling down and out, or faced with circumstances that seem to leave you doubtful or uneasy, or perhaps even “wigging out”, remind yourself that happiness hasn’t left you, it’s within you right here, right now.
If you opt to forgo joy for awhile because of what’s occurring, that’s perfectly fine, but remember it is only part of the equation. You are the other part.
While your heart may seem heavy, it also remains joyous and light. Be a believer in happiness and make a conscious choice as often as possible to heed it.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. Mahatma Gandhi
The Insight Technique assists you in seeing where you are with holding happiness in your life and how to return to it.
Kimberley Cohen is the Founder, Facilitator and Personal Insight Coach of The Insight Technique™. She is certified in Body Mind Counseling, Process Oriented Body Work and Spiritual Psychotherapy. She founded the Insight Technique™ - Your Insight to genuine Happiness, Purpose and Prosperity to assist herself and others in uncovering and discovering their brilliance. To question and understand your thinking so you can transform what blocks and limits you from living the life you desire and deserve. Or "living your dreams".