Follow Your Happiness Inside Mindset is Everything

Prioritize Your Priorities

With a million things competing for our attention it seems we sometimes forget to prioritize our priorities. Going to work, cleaning, cooking dinner, family obligations, friends needing help…the list of things we want to do is endless. In the midst of all that we often forget to prioritize the very things that are most important to us.

Working to provide a better life for your family, yet then not being fully present when you are around them. Wanting a better life for yourself, but then using distractions for that little burst of happy after a hard day. You want to prioritize health and fitness but there just doesn’t seem like there is enough time in the day. We all have the same amount of time in each day; however, some people have learned to utilize their time more efficiently by focusing on their priorities each and every day.

For example, if you want to prioritize more quality time with loved ones it may be a good idea to schedule in 15 minutes of undivided attention for each other. Instead of constantly saying I’ll do it when I’m done cleaning, shopping or whatever else is on your to do list for the day. Set the timer for 15 minutes and create a ritual or habit where you do something special with each other during that time.

If you want to prioritize health and fitness focus on the benefits of why you want those things. Why do you want to be healthier or more fit? Could you possibly fit in 20 minutes of an easy strength work out? Or better yet if you love to socialize start creating more events with friends and family that are more fitness oriented.

Another helpful way to focus on your priorities is to remind yourself every day that they are important to you. Schedule them in just like you do your workday, doctor appointments or special events. What three things are your top priorities? Family? Work? Career? Learning a new skill? Once you find what your top three priorities are start creating habits to do them every day.

Why is it so hard to be HAPPY?

We have major advances making our lives better and easier, yet it seems like people aren’t any happier. Humans are living longer than ever before, have access to modern medicine, free education, and ready made food. None of these things however speak to what is in our souls. With all the modern conveniences many of us have lost our purpose, our sense of community. We work jobs that we don’t like in order to survive, not being fulfilled in the work that fills our days.

Many people get stuck in this cycle of wanting more for themselves and their families yet are too scared take a risk to switch to something more rewarding. We distract ourselves with purchases and entertainment, forgetting our worries for a bit. We fail to believe in ourselves. We fail to believe in possible success, so we don’t try. Or perhaps if we do try, we give up too easily.

What makes your heart sing? What things bring you the most joy when you do them? If you could do something to make the world a better place what would you do?

If I could do one thing to make the world a better place I would help people get in touch with what their soul is crying out to do. I would want to teach them how to listen to themselves and follow their heart. Teach them to believe in themselves enough to go after their dreams.

I believe when we are listening to ourselves and following our soul’s calling it makes us happy. What do you believe is the key to being happy?

Done is Better than Perfect

You have probably heard the saying that, “done is better than perfect” many times. This saying is one of the deepest truths I have learned (even though it is often still challenging to follow through on). I believe this is true because often we let fear get in the way of making progress or finishing anything. We fear what people will say and how they will judge us by the things we create and do.

It is important to always do your best, and then learn to let go. We learn best from the mistakes we make. If we don’t finish things and see our mistakes it is difficult to improve. We get paralyzed with perfectionism and then our soul becomes stagnant because we can’t learn. Humans by nature yearn to learn. We get more joy in the pursuit of a goal than from actually accomplishing that goal.

After completing that goal we have a momentary surge of happiness, and then we feel the need to work towards the next thing. To take action, make mistakes and grow. Finishing things enables us to learn and grow and become better versions of ourselves.

What goals are you stuck on because you are waiting for perfect instead of just letting it be done?

You Need to Trust Yourself More

Our choices and decisions seem limitless. With so many options it can be challenging to make a decision. Many of us research and try to find the best choice. We search the internet and ask our friends and family. I have done this many times myself. But often it feels like whatever advice I get doesn’t always feel like it fits me. It does however often help me clarify what I want.

I think it is our need to connect with others and fit in that makes us so dependent on other people’s advice and opinions. I fear that listening too much to others however takes our power away. What most of us need is to go within ourselves and see what we want. Search within.

Once you find what feels right then the next challenge is to be brave and confident enough to stick with what is truly right for you, instead of listening to others who are not you. They do not know what is deep within your soul. They do not know your purpose or desires.

This is one thing I am learning to do more. Trust myself more. I tend to overthink many of my decisions often letting my fears dictate my choices more than what I feel I truly want. Fears that I’m not good enough or that I’m not going to be successful so why bother trying.

Many of us get so caught up in life we forget to check in with ourselves and listen to what we need. When you get clear on what you want do everything you can to maintain your focus on what you want and why you want it. Sometimes the universe will do some of the work lining up a plan to make your desires come true. This has happened to me many times.

Including the universe lining up to help me get back into blog writing after almost two years of putting it off, my main excuse being that I couldn’t remember my password and needed to find it to write my next blog post. The most hilarious thing was as soon as I was set to look for it I found it on the first piece of paper I grabbed…but that is not the most crazy part. The most crazy part is that my password had been saved this whole time so I didn’t even need it to log in to write a new post.

All that wasted time because I thought something was going to be so difficult, but then it was like my fairy godmother gave me a magic key to unlock my website again.

Remembering Your Joy

In the never ending quest to keep improving myself and level up I stopped buying books for ‘fun’ and instead only bought books that I thought would help me level up. Which is kinda funny because reading books for fun is one thing that had got me inspired to become a writing in the first place. I’m not sure exactly where or when this transition took place but it wasn’t until my kid started making me read him a new series that I got back into reading books for joy.

Somewhere along the way I had forgotten how much joy reading ‘fun’ books gave me. There is something about reading a good book that makes me feel alive. Sometimes in our pursuit of our goals we forget to include some of the things that bring us the most joy. What gives joy to someone varies greatly from person to person, however it is always important to remember to include those things in our lives.

Include more of the things that light you up when you do them, the things that make you feel good. Sometimes we even forget how much joy those things gave us. I know I did. I am so happy and grateful for my kid reminding me of the things I love.

What things bring you joy and light you up inside?

Slightly Hysterical (as in Funny)

Started this blog in January 2022 and it’s now August 2023. That is so like me. I get so excited about an idea and get into it but my enthusiasm to follow through is much more challenging. I kept thinking, “I need to write blog posts consistently” but time has a way of getting away from you. By the time I’m finished with my day job I most often come home, eat then just want to go to bed or stare off into space.

I often wonder why when I want to do something it is still such a challenge to follow through with it even though it would probably only take me 20 minutes a day. Most days I’m just happy to have made it through another workday. My dirty dishes pilled up from the past week starting to stink. Little messes here and there. Feeling overwhelmed with life and not knowing how to prioritize or stick with a decision I’ve made. Frustrated with myself I haven’t made progress on my goals.

But I survived another day. I listen, read, and watch things about self help constantly. I think the information sinks in, just very, very, very SLOWLY! So in those moments I try to make one step closer to my goals, even if it’s only once a month, or apparently once every two years!

The things I’m passionate about terrify me the most. Not knowing how to become that version of myself that I want to be. Overthinking and feeling anxious, often paralyzed with indecision and fear. Yet I still have bursts of inspiration of the life I want to live. The person I feel I’m truly meant to be.

Yet I know that if I don’t at least attempt to work towards my dreams in those little pockets I will live a life that for me I will regret. My ambition much higher than my determination. Seeking happiness in each moment as best as I can. Also being okay with not being okay all the time.

2022 Is Going to Be Amazing!

To begin the new year I’m getting back to basics; following my happiness by creating more. It’s funny how we often get more happiness from pursuing our goals then when we actually achieve them. Sure achieving goals feels amazing but as soon as we have accomplished that goal we are always looking for more. We are constantly growing and leveling up, reaching new heights and understandings. After all life would be pretty boring if we did the same thing day after day after day after day.

Happiness comes from inside. No matter the circumstances you can be happy with the right mindset. One key to becoming happier is to start listening to yourself more. Do more things that you find enjoyment in. I enjoy writing, painting, sharing knowledge, creating, learning new things.

What things create both energy and happiness inside you when you do them?