On Happiness
Today's blog is a favor to a friend, and an honor. My friend Linda Joy, the publisher of Aspire, an inspiring magazine for women looking for health and balance in all aspects of their lives, has just published a book Choosing Happiness. Today is the official release of this new book Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Choosing Happiness, which features the soul-inspiring stories of 27 amazing women who share their intimate stories of transformation. I have joined a host of other bloggers to write a special post on happiness today to help Linda promote this new book. Enjoy the blog, and then, if you are interested in checking out Choosing Happiness, click on the link below!
Happiness is…
How many times have we heard that phrase over the course of our lives? Or seen it pinned up somewhere? If you are from my generation, you grew up with that phrase in Charlie Brown cartoons. There seems to be an endless quest for the words to fill in the end of that sentence.
To me, there is a simple answer. Happiness is…living your life as you were meant to.
Huh?? That may sounds simplistic to some, and to others, confounding. To me, it's just the G-d's honest truth.
Well, see, there is a common misnomer out there, and that is that life is supposed to be hard. Hence all the people and pop culture trying to find some happiness and FUN, albeit often superficial, to make up for all the hard. To balance it out, so to speak.
But I do not believe that. Life has its difficulties, yes, its challenges, sure, but I do not need to wake up every morning to tedium. I do not need to get up at the crack of dawn to commute to a job I do not like and work with people that do not nurture me, to run myself ragged trying to juggle seven carpools and gourmet dinners and fancy weekend parties. I can choose to live my life doing things I LOVE TO DO. I can find what fills me with passion and do that for a living. I can choose where I live and who my friends are and who I surround myself with and how I schedule my day. I can choose to sign my kid up for a sport and happily drive him, or I can choose not to send him if it will wear me down and the downside will outweigh the upside. I can find creative solutions to keep the people in my life happy that make sure we are ALL happy. I do not need to be of service until I drop, or volunteer to be on a committee that will take me away from my family. I get to set my priorities, and then live my life according to them.
That, to me, is happiness.
What is happiness, to you?
I think the most important thing here is to find what happiness means to you. Who are you? What do you love to do? What ignites your passion for life? Who do you love to be around? Where do you like to go? One can not honestly and fully answer the question above if he does not first answer these questions.
Life does not need to be hard. It does not need to be difficult. If you find the people and things and career you love, and you surround yourself with them, you can see that this is true, too.
When you are surrounded by everything love (people you love, friends you love, house you love, career you love), you are calm. When you are surrounded by everything love, your inner smile is always present and shines brightly on to your world. When you are surrounded by everything love, serenity and tranquility – still inner waters – reign in your life. When you are surrounded by everything love, you are so supported and buoyed by all the love and happiness and serenity so that when challenges arise, you put your best self forward, and you get through to the other side as an even better version of yourself.
That, my friend, is Happiness. That is Freedom. That is Power. That is living your life as you were meant to live it.
G-d put you here to SHINE brightly. To be the best and brightest self YOU were created to be. Unique. Beautiful. One of a kind. Brilliant.
Be your best self.
Be Happy.
With love, happiness, and serenity,
Devorah
If you are interested in learning more about Linda's book Choosing Happiness, and how you can get over 40 free gifts for a limited time with this book, check out the link, today! http://bit.ly/Happiness_Book
