What does happiness mean for you?
If I have learned anything its that you will go through many different seasons of life…peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys… Its how you learn and grow. Life will always throw a curve ball, or nine, but thats what keeps life interesting.
During a season of frustration you have to decide how its going to affect you. Are you going to get yourself all bunched up and angry or are you going to take a deep breath and move through it gracefully? I will be the first to admit I haven’t always had the best patience, heck, I still don’t. However, I have learned that this is alright, I am who I am, and if I was perfect I would have no reason to grow.
I will say, happiness is NOT the following things: (and likely many other things not on this list, because happiness comes from within.)
-A destination
-A person
-A closet filled with clothes
-Tropical vacations
-Money in the bank
-A vehicle
-A house
-Etc, etc.
Obviously, these things are great, but they aren’t going to sustain your happiness. Something they can do though is create memories. Going on a vacation will provide you with a wonderful memory that you can cherish, and probably a picture or two that you can display. I often frame photos of memories that bring me joy, I love to remember these moments long after they have happened. What I am trying to say is, there is happiness attached to these things, but its not necessarily the item or event itself, its the moments created around them, and its the way you feel during them. Of course, Darren, my family, and friends all bring me happiness, but the difference is they are not responsible for my happiness, I am.
I have pictures in my office of a trip Darren and I took one summer. The joy I feel when I look at the photos does not come from the money we spent to get there, or the cabin we rented, or even the boat we rented. It comes from the memory of how I felt while we were there. I felt relaxed and present. I felt joy when I caught my first fish, and I remember the laughter behind the camera when Darren was trying to capture me holding it. I love to take photos of our experiences because I like to remember the milestone moments. Yes, I will remember these moments naturally, however, there is something special about going through old photos and remembering the small details you may have forgotten about.
I remember my dad always used to say: “you have to learn to be happy in the present before you’ll be happy anywhere else.”
When he shared this wisdom with me I was young, and I was in the middle of deciding who I was as a person. I wasn’t unhappy, but I was in the middle of high school which comes with all its own trials and tribulations. I would have to say this particular conversation is one that stuck with me the most. At the time I probably had some internal dialogue of “ya ya whatever dad, I get it..” because I wasn’t in the season of life that I needed to be in to utilize this wisdom. I remember hearing often as a teen, “use this later”. My dad knew I needed my memory bank to be full of things to go back to when I needed them most. I hate to admit it, but he was right… AGAIN.
Happiness will come from within, and don’t be ashamed if you have to do some digging. Sometimes life shifts, and it shifts quickly. Its easy to spiral into a state of overwhelm when you are trying to keep up with every day life. You might go through seasons of life where you’re not yourself, and this may last longer than you’d like to admit. Life helps you grow, and it helps you become the most authentic version of you, but you have to be willing to go through the frustrations to find the peace.
Happiness to me is feeling grounded and sure. Its knowing who I am, and being honest with myself when I know I have areas of growth. Its allowing myself to shine brightly, and not hide my truest self from the world. Its stepping into my power, and having fear stand next to me, rather than in front. Its affirming that I am genuine, and I am successful. Its knowing down to the core that I am who I am, and to be unapologetically me, because the world needs ME. The world needs what I have to offer, and theres is no one else that matches my finger print perfectly.
Happiness to me is feeling grounded and sure.
I encourage you to shift your perspective. I am not saying you have to stop going on trips, or absolutely loving the opportunity to purchase a new item of clothing, or the excitement of buying your first home. What I am saying is, the happiness isn’t in the item itself, its the memories, the feelings, and the joy around the item, the experience, and the moment. These feelings of joy are coming from within you. I encourage you to live your life on purpose, to live your life in the present moment, so as you grow, you can find your happiness.
What does happiness mean to you?
