Happiness Is A Choice

Hello lovely readers!

I’ve always been fascinated with human behaviour. We truly are a unique kind. As it is mentioned in some of my previous blog posts, observing people around me keenly is something I cannot get enough of. Over the last year, I’ve been doing this a lot more. Introspecting and pondering over a lot of which happens in our lives.

A series of startling realisations have unfolded in this exercise. One is the meaning of happiness.
Happiness. Joy. Contentment. It’s all the same. We all know this very well.

In trying to find answers to what or who keeps us happy, we’ve forgotten an important piece of information: “Happiness is a choice.” YOU make the choice. YOU decide whether or not to be happy.

We all deserve happiness way more than we think we do. However, somewhere in this journey, we do not even realise when we have given the reins to the source of our happiness in someone else’s hands.

We go around seeking happiness, but in this hunt, we forget something important. Happiness is not a destination to be reached, it is a journey in itself.

We are wired to have goals and strive towards achieving them. We think that we deserve to be happy only when such goals become a reality. Which is so not true! We can feel happy each and every day, that is if we choose to.

So, how do we feel happy? Seems like a very simple and silly question. Once we introspect do we realise we do not know the answer to it. Here is what I have figured:

1. Be Kind To Yourself: The first and foremost thing we can do is to be kinder to ourself. The self-blame mentality has become such a common sight these days. True that we all have our share of goof-ups, but it is human nature to make mistakes and sometimes unintentionally hurt people. Once we learn to accept our flaws and forgive ourselves for all that did not go as per our plans, we truly feel happiness surging from within.

2. Let Go: We also tend to hold on to past baggage and as each day passes by, the burden just keeps feeling heavier. Easier said than done because I myself am guilty of finding it hard to let go and move ahead. Trust me, nothing feels more pathetic than dwelling on it. You feel drained out of energy and the negative vibes keep building up. It is important that we realise it is okay. Whatever happened has happened and it is pointless to hold on to something which cannot be changed now. When we let go, the imaginary cage where we have imprisoned ourselves in automatically vanishes.

3. Spend Time Doing Things You Like To Do: Of course, this had to make it to the list. Hobbies and passions. When we spend time doing things we feel absolute joy in doing, nothing better than that. It can be anything. For me, I cherish my early mornings. I go for a walk and listen to an inspiring and uplifting podcast (sometimes my carefully curated playlist of music). The feel of the fresh, cool air hitting the face gently is such a refreshing start to the day! I’m very selfish when it comes to my early mornings. The couple of hours that I get before the hustle of the day begins is what I call “me-time”, giving time for a good exercise, reading a good book or journaling. It is what makes me feel great and ready to take on the day.

4. SMILE!: Quite a cliché, but it works wonders! Smile at people. Smile at yourself in front of the mirror and appreciate all that you are. You may feel strange to smile at yourself at first (like those actors in TV commercials 😛) but keep at it. 🙂

Feeling a varied set of emotions is healthy. There will be days when nothing seems right. Nevertheless, we need to make a mental note that even on the hardest of the days, we still are worthy of happiness. To each, his own definition of happiness.

This lovely and upbeat song from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara perfectly sums up what this blog post is trying to convey:

Paate Hum Hai Zindagi Ik Baar
Kyun Na Kare Khulke Hum Isko Pyaar
Jaane Kiska Hai Humein Intezaar
Ke Zindagi Yehi Hai Aur Yehi

(The English translation for Non-Hindi readers:
We get this life only once
Why not love it wholeheartedly?
Wonder whom we are waiting for
Because life is right here.)

It’s time to stop belittling yourself and instead find happiness from within. It truly is liberating.

Do you choose to be happy?

Until next time, stay blessed and stay happy! 🙂

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