The Pursuit of Happiness

Over the years I have tried many things that I thought would make me happy. What about you?  What would make you happy? Winning the lottery, buying a new house, paying off your old house, a different job (or boss!), living in a different place, losing weight? The list goes on and on, doesn't it! The I'll be happy when virus continues to propagate and sometimes the more we continue to pursue the elusive happiness factor the further away it gets.  This leads to frustration, dissatisfaction and disappointment when we realize that getting the stuff only leads us to wanting more stuff, and still the feelings of being unfulfilled remain.

I have long been fascinated by the stories of people who have overcome tremendous odds and come up on top. I have always wondered what makes some people succumb to adversity and what makes other people overcome it. Working with hundreds of inspiring women has taught me many things not the least of which is the answer to my own question. Happy people, successful people, fulfilled people and people who overcome adversity have simply decided to do so.

Can it really be that simple? Can our pursuit of happiness end right now with a simple decision to decide to be happy no matter what, to embrace our success in the moment no matter what, and to overcome adversity by choosing to see the opportunity it brings, no matter what. Can it really be that simple?

Too much of our time is spent rehashing the problems of our past or worrying about the unknowns in our future. This is truly a waste of our precious energy and time. 

Perhaps we should take a lesson from the King of Bhutan. Where? Bhutan is a tiny country nestled in the Eastern Himalayas where they measure the prosperity of their country by the happiness of their people.  They coined the term Gross National Happiness (GNH) to connect with the Buddhist notion that the ultimate purpose of life is inner happiness.  Who's up for raising Winnipeg's GNH?  It really is simple:

 Ask and hoard less, give and share more
 Complain and criticize less, accept and praise more
 Work and frown less, smile, laugh and play more

You get the idea.

If you are in pursuit of happiness and have been for a long time stop. It doesn't happen, in fact it won't happen when this or when that.  It happens the very moment, the very second, you decide it be so.  Stop waiting for a better time, place or circumstance. You can decide to be happy even while you are pursuing a new direction, even while you are getting out of debt or recovering from a difficult relationship. It is not about creating perfection, it is not about waiting for something or someone to bring you happiness on a sliver platter, it is about accepting and appreciating what you have now.

In your pursuit of happiness, why not decide to enjoy every stage the planning, the journey and the destination.

Stephanie Staples is a professional attitudist who works with individuals and groups who want to elevate their attitude to elevate their lives.  Share how you lift your attitude at www.yourlifeunlimited.ca and she will send you the coaching tool de jour!