Sometimes it’s a bad day. Sometimes it’s receiving bad news. And sometimes you just can’t explain it. Happiness can sometimes be a fleeting feeling. But the more of it we create on our own, the more of it that will happen to us. And I know it can be hard to create happiness. Which is why I made this list of the 3 things that I do that boost my happiness when I really need it.
Celebrate The Little Things
Pretty often we find ourselves being our own biggest critic. So often do I find that people don’t take the time to celebrate their accomplishments, and instead are only aiming for that next big goal or accomplishment. (Myself included.) But in order to create happiness, we need to allow ourselves to take a moment to be proud of getting ourselves to this point. To work on and focus on being present instead of only staying future-oriented.
There’s been times where I wonder why or how I’m not farther ahead in business at this point. I start to get down on myself for the things I don’t know or can’t grasp. But here’s the reality: I do things every day that would’ve taken me multiple to do when I first started. But instead of focusing on that, I let my mind fill itself with self-doubt and convince myself that I don’t know what I’m doing. When I know more than I was doing to begin with and am farther than I was when I started. A cause worth celebrating? Yes!
Look For The Lesson Learned
A lot of times when I find myself getting down, it’s because I’m focused on what (or where or when or why or how) went wrong. But hindsight will always be 20/20! And as odd as it is, these are the times where I find myself staying in a negative mood longer than I want to. So, even though it can be hard, I’ll try to figure out what lesson I can take away from whatever experience is getting me down. And trust me when I say it can sometimes be easier said than done.
And it can apply to any situation in our lives really. Mistakes made, relationships (of all kinds) that went separate ways, and even loved ones lost. The lesson isn’t always easy to see or grasp. In fact, sometimes our gut instinct is to fight against the situation in the first place. But once we allow ourselves to work through our feelings, it becomes easier to look at the situation for what it is. Sometimes it’s a sign that we need a change in our lives, sometimes it’s as simple as people growing apart. Sometimes the lesson is completely different than what it seems to be on the surface. But once we find out what it is, we can use that as fuel and motivation to keep going, do better, and create our own happiness.
Be Happy For Others Happiness
I’m not proud to admit that there’s been times where I’m unhappy due to focusing too much on others happiness. But in the wrong way! Growing up I may not have had the best life, and I let it get to me when it shouldn’t. If one of my friends got clothes or a new phone or car or whatever, I would get upset. My woe-is-me mindset would kick in. I would think, “My life would be better or I would be happier if I had those opportunities too.” But that’s not a way to become happy, ever.
If all I’m focused on is what others have and I don’t, the more it’ll seem others have and the less I do. But it’s all relative! I can have more of something than someone else and they can be upset about it and question it all they want. But it won’t help them. Instead, choosing to be happy for the good things that come to others (whether it be material or spiritual) will help. It will help our brains switch from a negative to a positive mindset. It will help us become more aware of what we really do have. And it will help us feel better when good things come our way because we won’t feel ‘guilty’ about all those times we weren’t happy for the same thing happening to others.
Whatever Works
Look, no two people are the same. Not even identical twins as much as people would like to believe. We each have special and specific things that make us tick, including what makes us happy or upset. So I’m not saying that these 3 things will help everyone out, but they’re definitely a start if you don’t know where else to.
Do you? Do you have anything that helps get you out of a funk? To create your own happiness? Please share in the comments if so! We are in this together, and the more we stick to that mindset, the farther we’ll all get in the long run. We’re all looking for ways to better ourselves in the long run.
As always, thank you so very much for being a part of ETM’s community! I encourage you to join discussions, interact with Mommas and others alike, and be unapologetically yourself! Until next time, I hope I’m able to help make your life as simple as could be. (:
With all my love, Brandolyn – Earth To Momma
