We all have ruts in our life. We all go through seasons that don’t produce fruit. Do you know what I mean? Life is not going to be a thrill everyday. It’s not meant to be.
However, there is a responsibility that you have to yourself to be happy. It is not your partner’s job. It is not your children’s job. It is not your co-worker’s job. You can be happy in the quiet, uneventful times.
It is your job to know what makes you happy and what makes you mad, sad, upset, bothered, etc. I was recently watching my son play with the neighbor child, who is only 3 years old. The boy said emphatically “I don’t play with dinosaurs! I play with cars! I don’t like dinosaurs!”
I thought about my own dislike of dinosaurs. They’re loud with pointy teeth, sharp claws, and scaly skin. I hate dressing my son in his dino pajamas, so they sit in his dresser almost brand new even though we’ve had them for 2 years. I thought “It’s ok for a grown person to not like dinosaurs.” That was actually a light bulb moment for me. This is a silly example, but it’s true.
Some things will be visually stimulating in a good way and some things will over stimulate your senses to the degree that you are highly uncomfortable. Maybe you used to love loud concerts with a bazillion people in the crowd, but now you don’t. That’s ok!!! But it’s up to you to figure that out.
I’m telling you this because your happiness matters!!! It matters a lot!! Do the little things that make you happy. When you love yourself and focus on what makes you happy, life becomes lighter. And for crying out loud, start saying NO to things that don’t make you happy! Of course we can’t say no to everything, but don’t kid yourself into thinking that you can’t eliminate some things that you detest.
I read a book written by Gene Simmons and it said something to the effect of: we live in a time that anything can be changed, so why be unhappy about things in your life? If you don’t like your name, change it. If you don’t like your hair, change it. If you don’t feel relaxed in your home, redecorate. If you don’t like where you live, move.
You can take small steps everyday to change whatever you don’t like. Don’t feel overwhelmed by making big changes. Maybe today you might call a real estate agent. Tomorrow you might look at your credit score and make sure everything is cool with that. Maybe come up with a plan to start saving some money. All things are possible.
Another important part of being happy is self care. You didn’t think I was going to write an article without including self care, did you?
I have many self care items listed in other articles, but you can also Google them, use Pinterest, get a list from your therapist, etc. Self care can be reading, singing, dancing, learning new things, exercising, writing a list of your positive qualities and many, many, more.
Start doing the things that make YOU happy. Get a babysitter, schedule time for yourself, and do you! It will make you a better mother, friend, lover, and make you feel better on the inside. Remember, Google is your friend. You can search hobbies, cooking classes, guitar lessons in my area, apartments with a swimming pool, how to enjoy life again. Anything you don’t know, you can learn. Any place that your mind wanders, you can explore. Live your life with wonder.
Peace & Love XOXOXO
