Would you describe yourself as happy? Would you like to be happier? Do you feel like your happiness is up to you?
It’s always fascinated me that more people don’t choose to be happy. Yes, I believe happiness is a choice. I believe it’s an inside job.
Too many people in the world today are angry, sad or anxious. Sometimes all three. They get through the day with minimal enjoyment, go to bed filled with dread because tomorrow is looking like more of the same.
A lot of those people simply don’t know what to do instead. They feel stuck, so they keep on doing what they’re doing. Day after day, month after month, and then wonder where the years went.
A quote that has stuck with me over the years is: “If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten.”
Now I’m not sure who originally said this, because I’ve seen this quote attributed to everyone from Henry Ford and Albert Einstein to Stephen Covey and Tony Robbins. But regardless of who came up with it, the fact that so many highly successful people mention this idea in their writings and speeches tells me there must be something to it.
I do know that Einstein is credited with saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. And he was a pretty smart guy.
If you’re not happy with your life, when are you going to do something about it? Next week, next month, next year? Are you waiting for something better to come along? What if something better never shows up?
If you feel there must be more to life, you’re probably right. But you can’t keep doing the same thing day after day and expect things to change. You have to consciously decide to make it happen. Don’t wait for an opportunity to knock, go ahead and create your own.
The first step is deciding to make a change. You don’t have to figure it all out right now; you just have to commit to yourself that things are going to be different. After all, that’s the only way you’re ever going to get something different.
A Harvard study from the early 80s looked at people who described themselves as happy and found out that they had 2 things in common: they knew exactly what they wanted, and they felt they were moving toward getting it.
The next time you’re talking to someone who seems miserable and is more than willing to share that fact with you (aren’t they all?), ask them what they want out of life. They most likely will not have an answer. Truth is, they don’t know what they want, other than a sympathetic ear to unload all their complaints into. Even if they do have an idea about what they want (or what would make them happy), they have no plan to attain it.
Please don’t be one of those people.
Make a decision to take a different path.
Right now, as you read this, it’s time to ask yourself a few important questions:
Are you happy with your life?
Do you know what you want out of life?
Are you making progress towards it consistently?
Are you determined to make things better, or are you just hoping they will?
Do you truly love what you do?
If not, what are you doing about it? (Note: wishing other people would magically get their act together is not realistic.)
Are you making an impact and living a full life?
If so, how did you do it? Would you please let us know in the comments section? I would love to learn from you.
If you’re not currently in that group of happy, fulfilled people, then it’s time to make a decision. Are you going to keep letting life live you, or are you ready to start living life? It’s not how many years you live, it’s how much life you put into your years.
All I’m asking for this week is a commitment from you to stop sitting still and start moving forward. I’m not asking you to figure out what you’re going to do or how you’re going to do it. I’m asking you to take this week to think about where you are in your life, and if it’s not where you want to be, commit to yourself to make a change.
We are all one decision away from an entirely different life. Happiness starts from within.