Happiness has an enemy and you must guard against this enemy. Conditional Happiness.
I will be happy when… we tell ourselves
- I’ll be happy when I go on holiday
- I’ll be happy when the boss leaves
- I’ll be happy when I’m thin
- I’ll be happy when I’ve got a new car
- I’ll be happy when I can run faster
This Is Called Conditional Happiness
It’s like the horizon – you can walk for miles and miles and never reach it.
Eagerly anticipating and passionately imagining life with or without something, looking forward to and not living now – as pleasurable as these activities might seem, they ruin your chance of happiness here and now.
Locate that yearning for more, better, someday and see it for what it is: the enemy of your contentment.
Choose it or your happiness – the two are not compatible.
If you really are stuck in a negative thought pattern then reach out to someone and share these feelings, the trick is to set the intention to acknowledge them and move away from them.
“The struggle ends where the gratitude begins”
Gather a large glass jar, a small notepad, or post-it notes and every night before bed write 3 things you are grateful for. Start with small if you really can’t think of anything.
- The tea you just drank
- The warm water of the shower
- The blue sky
- The bed
- The warm room
Anything.
Pop the notes daily into that jar and whenever you’re feeling a little bit down reach in and take some out – sit with your favourite drink and read them. Ponder them and I guarantee you will sleep better and feel a little happier.
I’m grateful for your support.
I’m grateful for the abundance of connections I have with people
I’m grateful you are here
Check in on a regular basis and see how much better you feel on the days you fill up your gratitude jar.
