How to Reclaim Your Happiness
And nourish your soul!
Remember how the simplest things in life fascinated you as a kid?
As kids, it didn’t take much to bring a smile on our faces. We were inherently happy and curious about everything. Then something happened …
As we started growing up, the adults around us began to tell us what to do and what not to do. “Keep it quiet; you’re making too much noise.” “Don’t sing, we’re trying to have a conversation.”
Granted, the busy nature of kids can be overwhelming for adults. But after enough soul-crushing lectures, our childhood happiness and curiosity started fading away. We became more cautious about showing off our talents.
Does this sound familiar?
Happiness comes in different forms and shapes for each one of us. What’s your version?
The following steps may help you reconnect with the happiness you once knew.
Reconnect with Your Inner-child Happiness
We were once happy and carefree as children. What happened? Well, life happened!
We’ve forgotten how to feel pure joy.
Studies show that our mind can find and remap to happiness we once experienced in the past. Even if our conscious mind doesn’t remember it right now, taking up a hobby that engaged and amused you for hours as a child can not only help you recall the good memories, but also it can take you back to that pure joy you once experienced.
It can help connect us back to the innocent happiness we felt as kids.
Did you paint as a kid?
Built models?
Bicycled in your neighbor and felt the wind in your face?
Directed plays?
Played drums with pots and pans and felt the rhythm of music?
Whether you choose to take 30 minutes every evening or spend part of your weekend doing what you enjoyed as a kid will reignite your passion and connect you to the happiness you felt. Hence, programming your mind to regular doses of happiness.
Know Your Worth
As adults, we tend to go through the motions of living. Get up every day, go to work, do our job, blah blah blah. It’s possible to do all that with our eyes shut (well, if taking the train to get to work).
But life is so much more than that. It’s time to stop and re-examine our lives. Where are we heading? Without purpose and passion for life, how long can we keep this mundane life going?
Do we even know what we bring to the table? This one question brings the topic of understanding your worth.
Examine what you bring to everyone around you. And be honest with yourself.
What do you bring to your family, your friends, and your work environment?
This examination will sharpen your appreciation for your gifts, your present, and your life.
We tend to get wrapped up in life’s challenges, and we forget how important our existence is to all those around us.
If we know our worth, our happiness will follow because we’ll know that our lives have value. We matter! We make a difference in the lives of others.
We especially matter to those closest to us as their lives are intertwined with our own.
Learn To Be Happy With Less
The society defines success as how wealthy one is. But if you take some time to contemplate what success means to you personally, you may come to a different conclusion about how you want to lead your life.
It’s true that, in modern-day living, we need money to pay for the necessities of life, like food and shelter.
But, you can experience happiness with very little.
Marcus Aurelius, the ancient Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher didn’t say your happiness depends on how much money you have.
He said, “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.”
For parents, you’ll probably agree with me when I say your children will forego the lavish gifts in exchange for more quality time with you.
We’ve forgotten how to enjoy simple moments of happiness without having to spend money on them.
The more money we acquire, the harder we try to purchase happiness.
And the more money we spend, the harder we have to work to acquire it.
Making more money most often means being away from our loved ones for more extended periods, having to work over-time, or taking on more work responsibility to earn more.
And then use that money to purchase fancy vacations, a temporary fix, which often doesn’t mend the holes our absents create in the lives of our loved ones.
It’s a vicious cycle. And a lot of times we don’t see the simplicity of it all until we’ve spent years earning and spending.
Make Time For Self-Care
Caregivers often are told they should learn to take good care of themselves before they can take care of others. The same is true for parents.
How can anyone provide love and care to others when they’ve depleted themselves?
We can’t take the best care of our families if we don’t take care of ourselves first.
We can’t be at our best at work if we don’t take care of ourselves first.
Hence, it’s not only essential, but it’s paramount that we take good care of ourselves before we can be useful to anyone, any cause, or any job.
Keep Good Friends Close
Studies show that people who spend time with family and friends are inherently happier. Why? Because closeness and love have a fantastic effect on your brain and a significant impact on your health and well-being.
The company of good friends helps boost your happiness, improve self-worth and self-confidence.
Good friends can also help you cope with painful times and encourage you to take up healthier lifestyle habits.
And further, increase your sense of purpose and belonging.
So, surround yourself with good friends you love and trust. The quality of your life will improve beyond measure.
Learn To Say NO, Frequently
As responsible adults, we have to juggle a lot of things every day. The responsibilities can be overwhelming without well-defined boundaries. And that means you can’t do everything that everyone asks of you.
You’ll need to preserve your time, focus, and energy to do the things you do well.
That means you can’t say YES to everything. By logic, this is an impossible mission.
So be selective who and what you say YES to.
. . . . .
You Can Feel Happy Again!
Imagine you’re delightfully happy in your home and work life.
Imagine you’re more centered and grounded in your daily life with a circle of caring people around you.
You’ll feel happier and more energized.
Life can be quite sweet if we slow down enough to consciously breathe the air and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. And still be able to work hard and achieve our dreams for a better life of tomorrow.