When was the last time you asked yourself this question? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and asked, “Am I happy with who I am?” We all want to be happy, but sometimes we get caught up in every day life and before we know it, a year goes by…a decade goes by. Have you ever felt like you are just in a raging river struggling to reach the shore, grasping for a branch to help you get out? I know I have. It is a very common feeling and it’s easy to let life take over that way. We become so consumed with what we feel we HAVE to do every day that we don’t actually take the time to figure out what makes us happy.
How Do You Feel On A Daily Basis?
Think about a typical day…how do you usually feel? Are you excited, overwhelmed, happy, or sad? Are you generally happy, or are you just numbed by what life throws your way? Has life hardened you to the point where you don’t even know what happiness is any more and all you want to do is make it through the day so you can get back to bed at night. At least in bed, you hope you can relax. But can you even relax in bed, or are you troubled by the events of the day or troubled by the anticipated events of tomorrow? You finally get to sleep, but do you sleep well? When you do wake up in the morning, do you have a feeling of gratitude or dread? Answering these questions can help you identify where you are and what you need to work on.
What Should You Work On?
If you find yourself dreading each day or lacking gratitude, then you have some work to do. You can’t go on this way…it is not sustainable. Something has to change!!! I have shared before that you need to take time to make a list of the things that bring you happiness. Identify the things that make you happy and try to do those things regularly. One key thing to remember is that joy can only be found within. It is all about how you look at something. If you find yourself always being negative and finding the bad in things, then the main thing you need to work on is YOU. You need to change how YOU see things. You need to be grateful for the things you have in your life, whether they are few or many. A gratitude journal can help you with this. Perhaps you could try writing down three things you are grateful for each morning, and make it a habit to do it every morning. Well, at least the 5and2Guy way.
Final Thoughts
Happiness starts with you. We can’t rely on others to make us happy. We have to take inventory of ourselves and ask ourselves if we are really happy? And if the answer to that question is no, then we are responsible for doing something about it, not someone else. We are responsible for our own happiness and joy. We have to be the ones who stand up and make a change. Throw a wrench in your current life if you find yourself becoming numb to the events of the day. Don’t go through life as a zombie just making your way back to bed each night. Identify what you can do to turn things around and go for them. Remember that YOU are responsible for your own happiness so identify what YOU need to do to put things on the right path. Then walk that path!!!