searching for happiness?
In today’s life coaching article, lets take a look at our happiness. Where is our happiness? Is it out there somewhere in something or someone? Will we find it in our job? Will we find it when we get what we want? I was searching for happiness for a long time. Always somewhere outside of myself. I recently made a discovery that has change my life. I found my happiness right under my nose!
W. Beran Wolfe said, “If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator.”
Happiness is right there inside of us always. It never is in the money we earn, or what we buy with the money. It’s not in how well we do in life that determines if we are happy or not, unless we set it up that way…and that had always been my problem. In the past, I made it impossible to feel as happy as I am now, unless something turned out exactly the way I wanted it to. I have found out now, that happiness can be found in living and experiencing everything life has to offer.
Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
Happiness exists readily in each of us. It is natural. Joy is within us all. When we are loved and give love, there is no greater level of happiness that we can feel. Think of how you feel when you see a new born baby or a beautiful sunset or the snow falling on a brisk winter day or the simply gorgeous colors of the tree leaves in the fall. It is absolutely captivating. This is naturally appealing to the human spirit and is simple. Happiness is simple, but we have forgotten that we need not look for it. Happiness is always there if we allow it to be.
Don’t Wait – Be Happy Now!
So why wait to be happy? Please don’t misunderstand. I know we can’t always be happy. There are times in life where it is not going to be possible in that moment. When a loved one passes away or gets sick, we naturally feel sadness and grief. Sadness and grief have a part in life. We do need to be careful that we do not stay in those states more that we need to. That could form a habit that can lead to less happiness down the road.
Back to being happy now…so what are we waiting for? Why do we continue to look for happiness in exterior ways. I looked inside myself and found that for me, when I was able to feel love towards someone and they reciprocated, I felt absolute happiness. When my kids say “Daddy, I love you,” I can’t hear it enough. When I help someone with something and they say “Thank you for all that you did for me,” I feel outstanding. Was this all by choice? Could I have chosen to not feel happy by those things? I thought this through a bit and realized that I do have a choice of how to respond to stimuli in my environment. I can choose to feel great whenever I want because it’s inside. So what if I didn’t impress my boss. So what if I missed the ball game. So what if I didn’t finish in first place. So what if I didn’t reach my goal this time. I can choose to try again and enjoy the journey!
I hope you choose to enjoy your life’s journey.
Key points:
- Happiness can be found right inside of ourselves.
- Life does not have to be “perfect” for us to be happy.
- Happiness is natural.
- Happiness is a choice.
