“Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne
We all want to be happy. But for many of us, happiness is an elusive, fleeting state that we can capture only for a brief moment, before it floats away like dust in the wind. The truth is that as human beings, almost all of our forward momentum is driven by the pursuit of happiness.
The thing is, what we chase we perceive WILL bring us happiness. In fact, a big part of our struggle with life is figuring out what makes us happy, and perhaps more importantly, what makes us consistently happy.
I see the hashtag, #chasingmyhappy, or variations of that, on social media, and I wonder, how about if we #behappy instead?
Yesterday afternoon, I was having a one-on-one session with one our our trainee Ambassadors, and we were discussing different types of yoga vs. the intention of yoga. People get so caught up with the “style” of yoga that they forget what yoga is about. It’s not about what you do, it’s why you do it, and the intention of yoga is to realise bliss.
You are bliss.
You are happy.
You are a melting pot of glitter moments.
You just need to get rid of the crap that is stopping you from realising that.
So, what can you do?
- Practice gratitude. Each morning and evening, list what you are grateful for. We get so caught up with stuff that we forget what we have. Realise what you do have and how far you have come.
- Consciously make positive memories. Every region in our brains can be strengthened through practice. If our brains are really good at remembering negative things that happen; likewise, we can train it to remember positive things.
- Look for the silver lining. There is always a silver lining; even though some need more searching. Keep looking for the positives to cultivate happiness.
- Mix things up. Get out of the rut and do something different. Meet different people. Read a different type of book. If the cycle you are in isn’t making you happy, mix it up.
- Live your values. When you start to look at your values, you will realise that you know all along what makes you happy. So, get clear on your values and live life on your terms.
- Stay mindful. Sometimes we want to escape. The world seems dark and scary. Practicing mindfulness, we become more fully engaged in our lives.
Happiness is a choice.
Know that you are in control of your happiness, and every day you get to choose to be happy or not.
It’s time to take responsibility for your own happiness.
