Doing What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy? Your kids? Your job? Watching videos of highly intoxicated people try and act normal? Yea, that's pretty funny. But, what really makes you happy?

How many people can honestly say they're happy with their life? Bills pile up, kids grow up, problems creep up, and many finally just give up. That's when it's most important to do what makes you happy. Like to sing? Then sing. So what if you sound like a cat in heat, sing. Want to learn to dance? Then take the class. Who cares if you have two left feet, dance. It's about doing something to bring you out of do that funk and into the light.

We all have that one thing we run to when we need a boost...our happy place. For some it's a spot in nature or strolling through a museum. Others need the confines of their room so they can meditate and look inward. Whatever it is, where ever it is, find it and embrace it.

For me, personally, my happy place is when I'm either writing or taking care of others. I'm a professional care giver and one of the few people in this world who can say they truly love their job. I'm also a writer who finds comfort in putting pen to paper or words on a blank screen. It's where I feel in control, as I'm the only person who can take these words and put them into this exact structure. This context.

Daily issues can kill a person's joy in an instant. The trick is to find ways to push those issues to the back while focusing on your happiness. It's important to let go of negative “vibes” so the positive ones can take over. These issues are always going to be there, it's a matter of putting them into prospective. Yes, we have to pay those bills, but we don't have to let them take over our lives. We did what we needed to do to make sure those payments get made. Now make some time to focus on yourself and those around you.

It's been proven that increasing your happiness can increase your life expectancy. Stress and negativity have been linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Finding your happiness can help lower that blood pressure, minimizing the chances of heart related maladies. That doesn't mean you're going to live forever, but you might add a few years to your life.

So, how do we go about finding something to be happy about? Write it down. Make a list of at least 5 things that make you happy. Even if it seems like something insignificant, write it down. Pick one or two of those things and make them happen. For example, if you listed fishing, then take some time and go fishing. You don't have to spend a lot of money and it's a great way to spend some time alone or with the family. Make a day or a whole weekend of it and get your head and heart in the right place.

Another way to be happy is stop worrying about what others might think. Pubic opinion is a huge issue in today's world. We're afraid that we might offend somebody, or they'll think we're not quite right. Now I'm not saying you should go ahead an be offensive, but be happy in the person you've become. I'm an ancient history buff. The further back in time, the better. Many of my friends and family think it's dumb, boring, and useless, but that's okay. They're entitled to their opinions. I still find joy in the subject. It makes me happy.

So, what makes you happy? Where is your happy place? Take the time each day to go there and do more of what makes you happy.