Embracing Happiness & Contentment
This month’s meditation comes from MindfulPeace. For more information, visit their website.
We all want to be happy. But what does it mean to be happy? Does being happy mean achieving your goals, or is it something deeper than that? How do we go about it if we don't have everything we've ever wanted? Let's explore some ways that you can learn how to embrace happiness and contentment in your life.
Choose love over fear.
The first and most important step to embracing happiness and contentment is to choose love over fear. In order to do this, you have to focus on what you can control. You also need to remember that there are always going to be people who don't like or appreciate you, as well as situations in which things don't work out the way that you'd hoped they would. But if we focus on those things instead of what we can control (ourselves), then we'll just end up feeling frustrated and angry with ourselves—and that doesn't help anyone!
Instead, when something goes wrong (or even when something goes right), ask yourself: "What can I learn from this experience?" If someone doesn't like or appreciate you for some reason, try looking at their opinion from another angle: perhaps they're really not aware how awesome YOU are! Maybe if they were more open-minded about other people's differences, then maybe there could be more understanding between all kinds of different cultures/religions/etcetera...and then maybe the world wouldn't seem so full of hate all the time...
Focus on the good.
Try this.
Tomorrow morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are happy, content and grateful for everything in your life. Then spend the rest of the day thinking about what makes you happy. Let's say it's spending time with family or friends; make that a priority today. Or maybe it's getting outside and being active; schedule some time for exercise or playtime with your kids before work. Do whatever will contribute to making this day feel good in an authentic way—but don't allow yourself to think about anything else but how grateful you are for all of these blessings.
Let go of past hurts that you can't change.
You can't change the past. The only way to control your future is by letting go of what happened in the past. If you have regrets or think that you could have done things differently, forgive yourself and move on. Ask yourself: "What is there left for me to learn from this mistake?"
If someone has hurt you and they are still around today, forgive them so that they will stop hurting you in the future. Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting; it means letting go of those feelings so that they don't affect your present happiness.
Be grateful for what you have.
It’s easy to focus on what you don’t have—and it can make you miserable in the process. But if you shift your focus to what you do have, it will help bring a sense of contentment into your life.
Here are some things that might be easy to take for granted:
Your health and fitness (if you’re healthy right now)
The people in your life (whether they are family or friends)
Having food on the table each day
Learn to be happy on your own.
You know that old cliché, “Happiness is a journey, not a destination?” Well, it's true. Happiness and contentment are things you have to work on every day. You can't wait for someone else to make them happen for you—if you want these feelings in your life, they're going to have to come from within.
Now this doesn't mean there aren't people around who will support and help bring out the best in us; of course there are! But we can't rely on others' presence or mere existence as our source of happiness. We need our own internal strength and self-confidence before anyone else can truly make us happy (and likewise with other emotions like joy and contentment too).
Don't compare yourself to other people.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to happiness and contentment is that your journey is unique. Don't compare yourself to others, or their successes or failures. You are a work in progress, and the idea of being able to be completely satisfied with who you are today doesn't exist—at least not for most people!
It’s more important than ever before that we learn how to embrace ourselves as we are right now. This means being kinder towards ourselves when things don’t go according to plan; it means taking time out of our busy schedules each day just for us; it means accepting our bodies at every size they may be because this is what makes us uniquely beautiful (and yes: no one else can do this quite like us!).
Stop consuming so much content online and in the media.
As you are well aware, the internet and media can be full of negativity. It's important to take a step back, stop consuming so much content online and in the media, and focus on what makes you happy. Here are some tips on how to do that:
Stop watching the news (if it's been making you feel bad about yourself). The news is often about things that aren't going well for people—whether it's global political upheaval or someone getting divorced over a catfight on reality TV. We don't need all of those negative stories in our lives; they just make us feel worse than we already do!
Stop reading gossip magazines or sites (if they're not making you feel good about yourself). Gossip mags and sites are especially bad at making us feel like crap about ourselves. Those media sources don't have your best interests at heart—they're just trying to sell advertisements and gain followers/likes. So really think about whether or not these publications add value to your life before picking up another copy or scrolling.
Stop checking your social media accounts constantly. Social media can be a great way to connect with friends and family members, but if it's making you feel bad about yourself or like you need to live up to certain standards, then it's time to take a break (or delete those accounts altogether).
Take the focus off of material possessions.
It's an unfortunate truth that the more we want material possessions, the less happy we are.
We can be blind to the fact that it's not an object or a job title or even another person who will make us happy; it's what these things represent and how they make us feel about ourselves.
It is also important to remember that we are all on different journeys in life and at different stages of our development -- some of us may need more than others at any given point in our lives, but no one has everything they want all at once.
Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself.
One of the best ways to feel happy and content is to surround yourself with people who are positive, supportive, honest and like-minded. Spending time with people who make you feel good about yourself will help you become a happier person.
When I’m around people who are negative or toxic, I tend to get into my own head more often than not. On the other hand, when I’m around positive energy – even if it comes from strangers on the street – I am able to turn those positive vibes into positive energy in my own life for days after!
Accept that things won't always go your way.
Acceptance is the first step to moving on. It’s not resignation, giving up, or giving in. Acceptance means acknowledging that you can't change what happened and it's time for you to move on. This doesn't mean that you don't feel any pain at all; rather, it means acknowledging the pain and finding ways to acknowledge your emotions without letting them control your life.
It's important to know that acceptance does not mean indifference or apathy—it's a healthy way of dealing with negative emotions by allowing yourself space from them so they're no longer overwhelming or overwhelming others.
Don't be angry about getting older.
Aging is part of life, so there's no need to feel bitter about it. You'll feel better about your age once you accept that this is an inevitable part of nature. What are some things people say about aging?
There are many positive aspects to being older, like having a better perspective on life and time for reflection.
It's easier to ask for help or let someone else do something if they offer than when you're younger because you have more confidence in yourself now that you know what's possible.
You don't have to do everything or go everywhere anymore! Being able to confidently say no gives other people the benefit of knowing where their limits are instead of having them guess what might happen if they push too far (and potentially causing avoidable tension).
It's important to learn how to be happy without outer circumstances aligning perfectly for you.
It’s important to learn how to be happy without outer circumstances aligning perfectly for you. This is because happiness is a choice, and not just in its most obvious sense (for example, if you choose not to smile at someone who makes you feel uncomfortable). Happiness also has another layer: it means learning how to find contentment with what you have and where you are in life, even if those things aren't ideal.
If there's one thing that I've learned about being happy over the years, it's that people are much more likely to find contentment when they focus on their own wellbeing than on trying fix a problem or make other people happier. If someone is struggling with depression or anxiety, for example, focusing on their own well-being can help them start feeling better. If someone is struggling financially or has missed out on certain opportunities because of bad luck or circumstances beyond their control (like living in an unsafe neighborhood), thinking about how they could improve themselves—taking classes at night school while working full time during the day; starting a blog while working full time during the day; etc.—can give them something constructive and positive to do with their energy instead of worrying endlessly about what might happen next year if they don't get promoted right now... which would just lead back into negativity anyway! You get my point?
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article on how to be happy and content with yourself. I know it can be hard sometimes. By focusing on the good things in our lives and surrounding ourselves with positive people, we can learn how to live without having everything perfect around us all the time.
