The word happiness gets a bad rap. It has a reputation for being fluffy, sappy, or an easy way out. But I want to paint a different message. What if being happy was your ultimate goal because it meant all aspects of your life were as you desire?
Mike Dooley wrote a book titled Playing the Matrix. It’s a book I go back to whenever I’m feeling a little off in my own life. It teaches me to let go of all the things I can’t control. Like other people’s opinions, all the things I think I “should” be doing, feeling I’m not worthy, etc. It reminds me that we should use happiness as our ultimate goal. The key is to focus on generating the happy feelings associated with your desires, rather than getting too specific and attaching to details as to how they will happen.
When you are happy, you think your life circumstances are favorable, in harmony, and pleasing to you. Because you need to remember if you are happy, aren’t most things going right in your life?
This is what being happy means to me:
- I have loving relationships with my family and friends.
- My work/purpose is fulfilling, and I love what I do.
- There is enough money and abundance to do what makes me happy.
- I can share my gifts and abundance with others.
- My home is safe and brings me joy.
- My body is healthy, and I take care of it.
Notice there are not many specifics and that my list could be your list, but mean completely different things.
Here’s what being happy can do for you.
When you are happy, you will…
- Choose to do things that are in alignment with what you love to do.
- Be grateful for all you have in your life right now.
- Enjoy the little things every day. You will notice other happy people, and you will see more beauty and kindness all around you.
- Do things to increase your happiness. Eat better, exercise more, sleep longer and better, meditate, and make time for self-care.
- Reach out to others to share your happiness. Spread the love. Share your gifts, including your money.
What being happy doesn’t mean.
It doesn’t mean you…
- Won’t run into any challenges. You will! But, when you are happy, you will bounce back faster and learn from the challenge.
- Won’t feel any other emotions. Of course, you will! But when you are happy with your life, you will use emotions to teach you about what is working and not working in your life.
- Don’t want to help others who aren’t happy. You do not live in a bubble. You will always be aware of the injustices going on in the world. But when you are happy, you have more compassion for others who are not. Causes that mean something to you become more important. You will want to help.
- Have reached the ultimate dream. Being happy is how you relate to your life. It is in believing that you are on the right path. It means you love your life and yourself enough to keep reaching for the better. To keep having adventures and to keep discovering all there is to discover in your lifetime.
- Are taking anything away from anyone else. There is enough of everything to go around. We all want different things.
One way to reach your goals and dreams faster is to put your intentions out into the Universe so that the universal energy can work and conspire with you to make them come true.
If happiness is your ultimate goal, that means you want to feel happy about everything in your life. Not just your job or your love life or abundance or health, everything. And the Universe is always ready to give you that.
Focus on wanting to be happy and see what happens in your life.
The meaning of being happy will be different for every person. The details of your life that make it meaningful and fulfilling for you will be totally different from anyone else, which is why happiness is attainable for everyone. It’s because you define what it means.
To give you a little more motivation, I found a few quotes to share with you.
“If you want to be happy, be.” Leo Tolstoy
“Happiness is an inside job. Don’t assign anyone else that much power over your life.” Mandy Hale
“For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self.” Joseph Addison
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln
Related Post: 40 Simple Joys of Everyday Life
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Maya Angelou
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” Audrey Hepburn
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” Charles Spurgeon
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.” William Feather
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” William Morris
Related Post: How to Use the Law of Attraction Every Day
“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” Sydney J. Harris
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how precious the time you have to spend, whether at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” Earl Nightingale
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Happiness does not mean you have settled for less; it signals you are ready for more!” Mike Dooley
One last thing, life is too short not to be happy. What if someone came to you and told you that your life would be everything you desire? Would you choose anything but happiness?
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55 Small Steps Toward Happiness