Finding happiness

The sun is shining & the sky is a lovely shade of blue today. I was expecting some time off this month after the hecticness that was December, but as it turned out, when January rolled around I just hit the ground again.

I’m amazed by how many people don’t realize that having a good mindset makes a huge difference in your attitude towards life. You can actually train your mind to become anything you want. Set your intention to be a more compassionate & caring person, & as time goes by you will become it & end up being a much happier person.

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 Love yourself. You really can’t rely on anyone else to make you happy. If you aren’t happy with yourself; if you don’t really love yourself, you won’t think you deserve affection from others.

 

 Create a healthy environment. This is so important because it can affect your mental strength. Create an environment that relaxes you & makes you happy (+bonus if you include plants for healthy filtered air inside your home). Decorate your home with things that will make you feel relaxed, comfortable & happy when you look around.

 

 Declutter your possessions. The amount of material possessions we own can have a detrimental effect on our lives. They distract you & allows you to ignore the world around you, they take away our energy & attention that could be directed in more beneficial ways. Having a minimalistic life creates more appreciation for the things we have & cultivates a happier mindset.

 

 Start a gratitude journal. You can write down 5 things you’re most grateful for at the end of the day, maybe it’s the morning sunrise or maybe a cup of coffee. Whatever it is, write it down & don’t forget the big things we often forget about: our house, a job & food in the fridge. This trains your brain towards gratitude & reverts it away from stress + worry.

 

 Get outside each day. If you have the option to work outside, definitely take advantage of that. If not, try to go outside at least 15 minutes each day. Nature is so important & this one step naturally helps you feel happier even if things in your life aren’t going as well as you’d like for them to be. Daily exercise is also the best for stimulating brain power, even just walking outside. Do your best to get in at least 30 min of exercise 3 times per week.

 

 Spend time with loved ones. Sometimes, we just need to talk to someone. If you’re not usually one to be social (my fellow introverts will understand this!), then make it an attempt to meet with someone this week to chat. It’s nice to just have a conversation with someone you trust & care about.

 

 Spend more time on your passions. You may love sport or writing, but in fact, you may not be able to spend a lot of time doing these activities. But, you have to! You have to start exploring & follow your passions because that will boost up your confidence, allow you to spend time on yourself & learn new things. I promise life will become more satisfying for you.

 

 Write down your goals. You’re already doing so much at this point, but having goals is incredibly important for finding long-term happiness. Maybe one goal is to spend more time with your loved ones, or maybe it’s to travel to new places.

Two Wolves is a Cherokee legend & illustrates the most important battle of our lives – the one between our positive & negative thoughts. Here is how the story goes:

 

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight & it’s between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, & superiority” He continued, “The other is good – he’s joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, & faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

If we let them, our thoughts can be our worst enemy.  So, which wolf are you feeding? Remember, you have the power of choice…

 

I love you lots, take care!