Do you wake up every day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world and enjoy the next challenge?
Does your level of happiness stay constant regardless of whether you are headed into a hectic work-week or if you are loading up the car for a very much anticipated vacation?
Do you remain cheerful, upbeat, and positive regardless of what is going on at any given point in your life?
Most people – if answering honestly – would have to say “no” to at least some of those questions. Very few people are able to truly stay in touch with a high level of happiness as they travel down the often bumpy road of life. As much as that point of view can be understood, it still begs the question: What blueprint are you creating for the rest of your life?
- When a very young child does not get their way, and they throw a temper tantrum, do we simply concede and then give that child what they want so that they will stop crying?
- When a spoiled teenager gets into trouble at school or with their friends, do we continue to give them special treatment, thus adding fuel to that fire?
- When a troublesome employee or co-worker makes waves at work, do we bow to their will so that they will stop causing trouble?
The answer to each of those questions is, of course, No. Why, then, do we allow our lives to follow the same self-destructive pattern that we do not encourage in others?
By allowing our level of happiness to be dictated by the circumstances that are going on in our life at any given time, all we are doing is sending ourself the message that our happiness depends on the circumstances!
Sure, it would seem easier to be happy when you just won a million dollars than when you can’t even afford to pay your rent. However, by conceding that fact, you are saying that a certain level of financial abundance is needed in order for you to be happy.
In another example, most people would agree that whenever they are involved in a successful relationship that their relationship status is part of their level of happiness.
Again, that makes sense. However, by saying that your happiness is due – even in part – to your relationship status means that you are also saying that you will always need to be involved in a successful relationship in order to be completely happy.
What about your career status? Does your job or chosen career bring you great joy and satisfaction? If so, then good for you, and keep doing whatever you are doing!
However, what would happen if it all went away? What if your job was eliminated, your company went out of business, or you became physically incapable of doing the work anymore? If you need your career status in order to be happy, then what will happen when you retire? A lot of retirees suffer from depression for this very reason.
In each of these examples, the point is not to say that your finances, your relationships, your career, or the other circumstances of your life should not be valued. They absolutely should, and they should help you to experience a wonderful life!
You should take pride in and experience happiness as a result of everything in the world that brings you joy or a feeling of satisfaction.
However, true happiness is completely internal, and is something that you should be able to experience regardless of your outer circumstances.
You are a magnificent human being who is incredibly adaptive to the myriad of different circumstances that life will throw at you. Don’t sell yourself short by only being happy if your life goes a certain way.
Instead, use your power to find great happiness in life – regardless of what is going on around you.