How do you focus on happiness when your life is not always happy? What do you do when life is taking turns you did not expect or desire? We all know life is not perfect so how do you keep yourself happy even on the bad days?
Is there some special life secret that happy people possess? How do some manage to stay more positive than others? There are some who have perfected “happy” what’s the secret?
There are many ways to work on being happier overall. Your mindset on the subject will be either your biggest asset or your biggest obstacle. How do you handle a bad day on a normal basis? What is your main focus when things go awry? Do you feel the need to tell everyone about your bad day? Does talking about it over and over help?
What happens if you get past a rough morning and get back on track to have the afternoon take a turn? How do you keep going in a positive direction? Can you find the happy place multiple times a day? Do you have an attitude of expecting a bad day to get worse?
Always See the Good
I truly believe in living by example. So let me tell you about my day. Y’all I am not kidding I wrote the first paragraph of this post this morning and then I proceeded to have the following day.
I live in a beautiful studio Airbnb I rent month to month. Unfortunately, it is being put up for sale next month so I have to move at the end of the month. Well, they moved my date to the 25th so I messaged the house I had set up for the 1st to see if they were open for those dates. It turns out the place is no longer available. Oh My….
Okay, no panic I’m grateful I still have 9 days to find a new location. Worse case I may have to drive a little inland until I find the perfect place. I stay in month-to-month rentals so they come available more often than leased homes. Again a positive to be grateful for.
Then comes a message from the landlord of the place I am in now. I have to be out before Monday. What?? Okay, now I just laugh, almost hysterically. You can’t make this kind of stuff up. So now my 9 days is 4 days.
Do not Panic
I take a deep breath and seriously laugh. I shake it off and get a little work done to clear my head. Now I’m ready to do a little searching for a place that I can afford coming into tourist season rents are raising weekly here on the beach.
I find a few places and send out messages and a few prayers. The perfect place will turn up. I truly believe that. My worrying right now will not help. So I get proactive and increase my search to the next cities on each side of me and send messages.
Time to go for a walk and clear my head and count my blessings, which are many. I begin to feel even better. Walking on the beach and focusing on my blessings, my children, and grandchildren, always helps. I am healthy and strong. My spirit is getting recharged.
What You Focus on Grows
What you focus on grows. If you are spending time and energy on it, good or bad, it will grow. I grew up with the Vince Flynn Quote, “no matter how bad you think you have it, someone has it worse.” I took that to heart. No matter what is happening in my life I always focus on the blessings.
It is a lot more common to find those willing to fight for the right to be upset, angry, or negative. You also have the right to protect your happiness. No need to justify it or defend it. You just have to choose happiness and practice choosing it again and again.
I am not saying ignore your feelings. I am just pointing out that staying negative over something is not going to change the situation, and may make it worse. Choosing to be happy and finding your blessings may not change the situation either but it will lighten your stress and improve your overall outlook.
You may not find this easy to do at first but with practice, it will become easier. The more you practice the easier it is to find the silver linings, and blessings in your day. Choosing happiness is a lifestyle. Developing the ability to steer clear of negative people and situations will also help.
Protect your Happiness
How do you focus on happiness? Take an honest look at the negative in your life. Are you surrounded by those who are always talking about negative circumstances? Do you have people around you who are quick to point out the bad aspects of a situation?
Take control of your happiness. You do not have to justify your reasons for being happy. Surround yourself with others who desire to be happy. Happiness is a way of life. You practice finding the good every day.
Having a great support system to help you develop the skill is important. It is easy to find others to complain with you but you need to desire your happiness enough to find others who will be happy with you also.
With practice, you can develop the ability to be happier and more positive every day. You have to make a conscious decision that you are ready to change. Work on it daily. Look for others who also have your desire to be positive and happy. Remove those who do not want happiness.
Dare to be different
Living life from the aspect of happiness is not common. Negative energy is everywhere. In the news, social media, radio. Almost everywhere. You have to choose to be different. You have to choose to find the positive. Practice this daily for the best results.
Being happy most of the time is different. It is not the norm. That does not mean it is not possible. Dare to be different and choose happiness. Positive energy grows and it does spread.
Dare to inspire those you love to choose a positive happy life. Along with happiness comes confidence. Living a confident happy life is worth fighting for. You have a right to a happy life. The choice is in your hands. Practice choosing to find the good. Search for the silver linings.
I do hope you find the courage to keep trying and keep practicing every day. You are worth the work. Your happiness spreads to those you love. So share the love daily.
Have a blessed day, Y’all,
Peggie Sue | The Midlife Dream Life Coach
