Happiness.
That’s the destination, right?
We are all desperately seeking happiness.
So let me ask you a question: Are you happy?
I know many people who are happy, but they tell me that they try to downplay it so as not to upset anyone.
Can you imagine? Hiding the fact that you are actually happy?
Really?
How are you? people ask.
Oh, I’m hanging in there, some reply. Others answer by asking the same question back. Americans don’t actually want you to reply. It’s merely a greeting. No one cares how you are.
Let’s pretend I’m the genie in the bottle, and I have the power to make you happy.
So back to my original question: Are you happy?
Well, you reply, I’m sick and don’t feel well. I would like to be healthy again. That will make me happy.
I do my genie thing. BAM! You are now healthy. Are you happy now?
Well, not exactly, you reply. I can’t be happy because I have too many bills to pay. I also have this, that, and the next thing.
Okay, I’ll keep playing. What would make you happy now?
Money, you reply. I would be happy if I had enough money to do this, that, and the next thing.
BAM! You have won the lottery, and all your bills are paid. You have a stunning new house, and your life has all the bells and whistles that you can possibly imagine. Certainly, you are happy now.
No, I’m not because now this and that has happened, but I can be happy if you give me . . .
What is going on?
Your life has certainly changed, but the reality is that although you have moved beyond your old circumstances, your new life has come with its own set of unique problems and circumstances. So your happiness gets pushed to the back, while you deal with the new “stuff ” that has come into your life.
When are you going to be happy? Next year? In ten years? When you’re ninety-five years old?
Now, I’m not suggesting by any means that you should ignore the challenging times in which we live. I’m simply encouraging you to go out into the world with a healthy positive attitude. I’m encouraging you to be a lighthouse for people. Show the world how to do it right by being the example.
Here’s a really crazy thought:
Be willing to give up difficulty so that you can be a shining example of what humanity can be!
Be willing to be happy!
Sound crazy? Sound outrageous? Sound possible?
Now don’t get me wrong here. I have certainly had my ups and downs. I have fallen down thousands of times, and I have made hundreds of mistakes. Yet, incredibly, I am still here. The trick to creating a successful life is to get back up after you fall.
Listen, you are going to make mistakes; things are going to happen; things are going to go wrong. That’s part of life. The important thing to remember is how you greet these things when they happen. It’s your perspective of the events that will make or break you. Do you stay down on the floor in the fetal position, or do you get up and try again?
According to Shawn Achor, author of the incredible book The Happiness Advantage, studies show that only 10 percent of your happiness comes from outside sources. That means that 90 percent of your happiness is actually an inside job. It comes from deep within you.
90!!!
So that means that whatever is in your 90 percent, whether positive or negative, will bleed through your body language. People will see that you are unhappy whether you want them to or not.
It will also directly affect your health. If 90 percent of your body is unhappy and angry, how do you think that will affect your health?
Anger is toxic.
So, exactly how do you be happy in today’s challenging world?
Believe it or not, there are actually people who are living a happy life and are enjoying it. They’re not very loud and vocal about it, but they’re there.
Isn’t it time you were one of them?
Until next time,
Katharine
About the Author: To read more about Katharine, please click here
