Look At Yourself: What Makes You Happy?
When you’re lost, when you feel like you’re missing something and you’re not sure what. When what normally makes you happy no longer does, or when you can’t find that fire, stop for a moment and look at yourself. The best version of yourself is the version that makes you wake up every morning with a smile on your face.
Your body and mind are talking to you. They ask you to stop and look at yourself. Listen carefully and ask yourself: What do I want?
Sometimes we fly on autopilot and don’t have time during the day to stop and really think about what’s happening to us. To think about how we feel, about whether we are really where we want to be.
Of course our daily tasks are important and we should prioritize them, but… do we really spend time on ourselves and what makes us happy?
We must find ourselves in what makes us happy. In that which motivates us to continue to enjoy the opportunities we create through our actions.
It’s the little details that bring us closer to life. A hot shower, a fresh cup of coffee. Listening to music while you walk, have a beer after work, watch a good movie or read a good book. It’s about telling jokes, kissing and being kissed, making people laugh…
If we can gain that awareness, we will be able to stand still and find ourselves. We will be able to turn off the autopilot that just transports us. From the ‘I must’ or ‘I should’ to the ‘Enjoy’ mode. Even if we do the same as always.
Look for exceptions, break your rules
Sometimes we live by strict rules that we impose on ourselves. Rules that feel more like a burden dragging us down.
If I carry a heavy backpack, it will be difficult for me to feel light. It will be harder for me to move forward peacefully and freely. It will be easier for me to be tempted to take the shortcut.
Of course we have schedules and obligations that we cannot avoid. But every now and then it would be good to find a moment to do nothing. To call off a small commitment and give yourself a break or go with the flow. Gather your energy, breathe, and come back with a big smile on your face.
Personal rules and guidelines are also there to break and at the very least to adapt. I make plans, but these are flexible enough that I can change them if things come up (or the occasional whim). To be fulfilled and happy, to be myself. I don’t want to be a standard product, I want to create my own shape.
If something pulls me down, stops me from being myself, doesn’t let me enjoy it, it’s time to change something. Maybe I can’t change the outside world, but I can just change my view of it. Seeking an adjustment will help me free myself and develop a more positive outlook.
See challenges and opportunities
A new job. Travel to a city you’ve never been to. Meeting people from other cultures. See new places. Try out new activities. These are some of the things that can help us escape the void. But they can also help us get to know another side of ourselves and enjoy life.
It is scary to enter a whole new, unknown world. That is why we are often not brave enough to throw ourselves into it. Perhaps the path we need most is the path we fear most. Our fear may well be hiding a treasure trove of happiness.
How would I act or what decision would I make if I were not afraid? This is a good question to ask yourself if you want to open new doors.
When we look at ourselves, we have what we need. Perhaps unexplored areas give us much more than we think and will make us happier.
Seeing challenges and opportunities where others see only pitfalls and setbacks is something we can work on. And which we can even enjoy.
Happiness is in the small, everyday things. Being aware of these things is something we all have to learn on our own. Sometimes we just need to stop and look at all the amazing things around us.
