You know, when we are younger, we tend to think happiness will come when we attain things or achieve things like gifts for birthdays or holidays or winning an award. Now these things often do give us some joy, yet that joy often quickly fades, and we do become aware of how elusive happiness can be. Then as we move into young and middle adulthood, we tend to get caught up in limiting beliefs around happiness saying things to ourselves such as "I'll be happy when I'm rich and successful" OR "I'll be happy when I'm married to the right person" OR "Landing my dream job will make me happy" OR even "The best years of my life are over and I can't be happy when my relationship has fallen apart". In the past, I myself, have felt I'd be happy when I finished school or I couldn't be happy if a relationship was not going well and that maybe some of the best years of my life actually are over.
The truth of the matter is: Happiness is a choice. If you place all of your focus on something that is not going well or is in the past, you are not going to be happy. If you tell yourself you will be happy when (fill in the blank), that is also a future event and you are denying yourself that happiness right now. Sure, we all go through tough times and experience grief and loss; that is a part of life, and it is healthy to feel those feelings for a time, yet we were all innately born to be happy and we have much of what we need to do so within ourselves!
One of the best gifts from my meditation and yoga therapy trainings as well as hypnosis is the ability to understand and practice present moment awareness or mindfulness. It allows us to simply observe feelings and things without attaching to them. You might imagine every feeling or thought as a leaf floating down a stream. You can observe them all passing by without having to pick any of them up. This does, of course, at times take some practice. Another amazing gift from all of my training is the practice of gratitude, which research has proven actually does change your brain to be more positive. You can journal or do art work on gratitude or simply wake up and/or go to sleep making a mental list of 5 things you are grateful for. It can start your day off on the right foot or end your day in a comforting way. Simply observing nature can also be both grounding and enjoyable. This might mean going for a 10 minute walk, doing some gardening, or my personal favorite right now: watching my kittens play and then petting them while they purr. 😻
There are so many ways we can connect with nature, be mindful, and practice gratitude on a daily basis. I'll also add that volunteering your time to help others can be very uplifting and foster a sense of connection as well. This might mean becoming a volunteer at your favorite charity or simply helping out those around you. Either way, I hope you find a practice that assists you in finding your happiness in this moment because you deserve to feel your best and share your joy with others.
My love for this work and the personal journey of transformation that it had (and is still) providing me is why last month's group hypnosis was all about The Happiness Quotient. If you are interested, you can still get a copy of the trance recording here and/or the eBook here, the eWorkbook here, and an additional eBook on Happiness Blockers here. If you're ready to embrace the things that make you happiest and step into the life you do want to live, feel free to reach out to schedule a consultation. Together, we can explore how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your goals and live a fulfilling life with a sense of peace and freedom. https://www.unwindthemind.com/
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