A Time.. for happiness

Photo by Jakub Tabisz from Pexels

I watched an X-Factor snippet of a young lady fighting Cancer. Other than her singing one of the most beautiful and authentic songs I’ve heard she was wonderfully inspirationally upbeat, big smile on her face and a genuine air of pure gratitude and joy having made it on stage.

I‘ve always had a special cheer of admiration for anyone who has had it hard in life, especially when you find someone has gone through a battle I have undergone myself though with a higher percentage of survival behind me.. I don’t feel it would have made any difference to my outlook on life either had the percentages been swapped. “2% survival rate,“ as she put herself, “is not 0%.”

This quote of hers really struck a chord with hundreds of people..

You should not wait for things to be good for you to decide to be happy - Nightbird

..as it did me.

Should there really be a time allocated for happiness?.. I’ll be happy when..? But what if the ‘when’ is far enough away you need close S.A.S. or Navy Seal training to maintain your course courageously pushing forth.. or perhaps it’s simply about achieving a goal at work, home, etc.. I’ll be happy when I buy this house, get this new job, find my new partner, buy this new watch. Bare in mind those things are all fickle and by that I mean people have their own stresses in life and cannot be there for you 24/7 as they might not be feeling well themselves or undergoing problems of their own and an object can bring you satisfaction but if you are feeling depressed it’s just a quick fix.

Why is that we naturally choose the temporary fixes in our life to the long term real changes within us that provides us with absolutely all the stability and care we could ever hope for?

We tend to go for the tangible, is what I’ve concluded. It’s easier to see someone in front of you than to imagine and believe the universe loves you.. it’s easier to feel joy with a new watch then try to change our outlook on life which is the cause of our shopaholic behaviours, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, always in a relationship and can’t be on your own?

The main point is that we often miss the gems hidden in our present moments when we’re going through tough times and our brains wonder ahead at what the next step is, where our next fix is.. it wonders back to a nostalgic setting when times were easier or at the very least, less complicated.

As much as our brains love travelling about creating scenarios of all the possible scenarios of the future and past we miss out our present moment. I’m guilty of it myself.

I often imagine my past is made up of a series of moments when I was thinking ahead the ‘what’s next’ and hitting target on some major big goals leaving me with the lovely memories I have accumulated in my life but had I incorporated this philosophy of pure enjoyment of the present moment.. how much more satisfying would all these years have been? How much of that would have resolved some of the issues I had that caused problems in my life just by living the moment and not judging myself along the way. And how much more wonderful would nostalgia be!

This isn’t to say I never enjoyed my present moment, in the past.. dancing and singing has always managed to grab hold of my attention with just pure happiness it’s been my source of meditation.

Speaking of meditation most people imagine this to have to focus on a white room and clear your thoughts.. not so. It is, to me, dancing and singing. Just being present not judging not thinking other than to articulate movement and tune. Meditation in quiet is needed for me as well but to live in a meditative state, a state of paying attention to all my daily tasks feels like I’m making the most of my every day regardless of climbing Mount Everest or landing on the Moon, my Saturday past time. Simply enjoy making a cup of tea, tending to my new kitten, enjoying my work, excited my washing machine works again. Yesterday on my way to use the In Post lockers (locker digital return system) I passed by an ice-cream van and before the man made my order up I asked if I could pay on the card as I didn’t have my wallet with me.. his face screwed up, ‘eeeee I don’t’.. then looking around furtively and said, ‘your first order is free’ so I received a free Mr Whippy (soft vanilla scoop ice-cream). It was boiling hot yesterday.. wonderful! And as fabulous as it was that little moment.. I wouldn’t have mentioned it to lots of friends. It was one beautiful moment but joined by many others yesterday even catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while and giving him the biggest hug, then an electrician friend coming to fix a plug that’s brought to life my washing machine as stated before AND my microwave and dishwasher. Supermaaaaaaan!

If you’re going through a difficult time, feel trapped in a perpetually difficult situation in life know that you can find happiness in the smallest of things going on around you.. right now! Seek it out by going for a walk and take a break from your difficulties because there is always something bound to brighten even the dreariest day. Make sure you reach out to your friends, mostly, make sure you talk to someone about all the hardships you are going through. Our friends are a source of cheap therapy.. as soon as you’ve spoken about things it’s always easier to put them into perspective and if you can’t, the ear you’ve borrowed, when they are very good, is always there to see things differently to you.

Point is.. life can take some turns and be dark enough without your brain thinking it as well.. there is always a crack of light just be sure to know it, think it, see it.

But mostly if you find yourself in a situation that is a daily slog.. seek your happy moments now, we just never know what’s ahead! But just as we have bad times we also rise to the good ones which taste all the sweeter if it wasn’t for the contrast of the rough.

Happy Fri-yay!

Love & Light☀️