William Feather, an author and publisher said, “Plenty of people miss their share of happiness. Not because they never found it – but because they didn’t stop and enjoy it”.
For a lot of people, life is filled with schedules, appointments, endless to-do lists, and rushing here and there. This is often referred to as the “rat race”.
Then you add a little emotional topsy turvy thinking into the mix and your level of enjoyment and contentment seems to diminish and is quickly replaced with stress and unhappiness.
There is a key word that can help you return to happiness and it needs to be added to your vocabulary if you aren’t already using it. The word is “STOP”.
End the inner madness, the negative or catastrophic thinking, the worrying, fretting, complaining, bemoaning, blaming, and sometimes even “woe is me” syndrome.
You just have to say the four letter word “stop”. Sometimes that may mean physically as well as emotionally.
You may have to remind yourself that you do have a choice on how you spend your time. You have options in the way you think and act, as well how you respond or react in situations. You can actually stop the wheel you have been running your thoughts and life by and take a well deserved break from it all.
Life isn’t going to wait for you; you have to make time for life and live it.
You have to respect your time, be kind to yourself, and make yourself and your life a priority.
Happiness is always within and surrounding you even when you think it isn’t.
For each person contentment may mean something completely different. What’s important is that you pause, interrupt what you are doing for a moment, and see how it’s there for you. It is there.
End the “rat race” mentality by halting what you are thinking or doing and take a look at the joys in your life right now.
Find your happy thoughts, your connection to inner and outer happiness, that special moment with your name on it and claim it; it’s yours for the taking!
Whether you are stuck in traffic, having an off-day at work or home, caught up in negative thinking or are with someone who is being negative, or you are in the hospital as a patient or visiting someone, or whatever is going on during your day that has you frazzled or upset, pause for a second and just take things in.
You need to stop and breathe life in and hold a space open for the happiness surrounding you this very moment. It is present and omnipresent.
Remind yourself to break the cycle of negativity and see if you can focus on the positives and the possibilities.
Enjoy the time you have the best you can. Stop and smell the roses rather than stay stuck on the thorns.
Develop a be happy now attitude by pausing in your thoughts and your activities and connecting to the greatest source of happiness there is.
Lean in, and on, what you understand God to be. Stop and listen to your intuition to lead the way back to inner happiness.
The Insight Technique assists you in recognizing how you can stop and return to peace and happiness again.
Kimberley Cohen is the Founder, Facilitator and Personal Insight Coach of The Insight Technique™. She is certified in Body Mind Counselling, 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".