The word happiness gets thrown around quite a bit these days.
But where do you look for happiness? If you are like most people, you often think it’s just around the corner; in the next car, in the new boat, in the bigger house, the promotion, or when you retire.
However, is happiness based on something “out there”? Or is it based on how you act and behave throughout your day,your life, and your world?
Most people wait for happiness to come to them. And most people who take that approach are generally disappointed.
Happiness is something that you need to create for yourself. If you want it, then you have to cultivate it. And cultivating happiness is an ongoing process.
The biggest confusion about happiness is that it is the same as pleasure. Pleasure is often doing something. Happiness is about being something.
Happiness is fundamentally an outlook and a by-product. Happiness is usually productively spending value on what you want to achieve, making your world a better place.
If you really want to cultivate happiness, it’s mostly within your control. You, and only you, can cultivate your mindset. While it may seem difficult at first, it can and does get easier. It takes continual practice. The good news, however, is that it can be done, over and over again.
So what do you focus on? We all have issues from our past and from our childhood that may still run our subconscious minds today. But you can change your mind by changing your thoughts and creating new perceptions.
Here are some things to ask yourself when you are having negative thoughts.
- What kind of story am I creating in this situation?
Take a deep look at the story; what happened and how did you respond? - Tell yourself the truth.
Was your response appropriate? How could you have acted differently? - Let’s look at it from another angle.
If you were an outside observer, does it look different? - Don’t let outside circumstances rule you!
You can make better choices, learn and move on. Change your outlook and view your challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. And believe me, I’m preaching to myself as well.
How do you create happiness in your life? Drop a comment below and share.
il we chat again,
wayne@waynepratt.ca
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