Man, I’ve come to realize a lot of things as of late. Specifically, things about my dreams, my goals, and how it all is impacting my life. Some days it’s impacting it in a really positive and motivating way. Other days it’s impacting it in a negative and self-defeating kind of way. Regardless, the way and kind of impact it is having on my life, is influencing my overall state of being.
It’s crazy to think that I’m approaching my mid-20s, and while I have done a lot with my life, I still have so much more to do with it. So many more goals to reach, so many more dreams to achieve, and so many more opportunities to create and take advantage of. Life is short, but when you spend your life actively working towards something bigger than you, it seems like an endless loop of…happiness?
Happiness…it’s just a word but somehow has so much meaning behind it. It represents an individual state of being and is most certainly something we all individually seek after in life, should we choose to admit that or not. But what if I told you happiness can be and is, so much more than what we have always known it to be?
What if I told you happiness was nothing more than a figment of your imagination? That what we define as happiness is solely how we choose to recognize it in our own lives? What if I told you that happiness is not something you can identify in the presence of others, but instead something that you can only identify in the presence of yourself?
Happiness is a state of being, but it’s the state of being that you choose to live in. Self. Mind. Soul. The three different states of happiness that we as individuals have the opportunity and the power to exist in all at the same time.
Happiness of the self
In this state, your happiness is solely dependent upon how you choose to live your life. Honestly, the way you live your life can say a lot about how you view yourself.
If you live your life surrounded by toxic people, chances are you do not think highly of yourself. Which sucks because we all have something unique, powerful, inspiring, and motivating to give to the world. It doesn’t always have to be good, but it doesn’t always mean that it’ll be bad. It just means there’s always a lesson to be learned, and a message to take away.
If you live your life surrounded by empowering, supportive, and positive people, chances are you think very highly of yourself and are aware of your self-worth. Which is amazing because we all are special in our own way. And while we don’t necessarily need others to bring that light to our attention, I’ll admit that from time to time we need a reminder of all the things that make us special and unique. A reminder of the things that make us, us.
I mean the list goes on and on. The gist of it is, how we feel and see ourselves reflects in the way we live our life.
So when you think of your own personal happiness, think of how that makes you feel as a person. Does it create a flutter of butterflies in the pit of your stomach, so strong that it’s nearly impossible to deny? Or maybe it makes you feel so sick to your stomach, that if you were to spew it all out, it’d be a big pile of rainbows. Or maybe it makes you feel so numb and cold inside, that you easily shut down and begin a chain of lies when asked by someone “how are you today?”
Whatever it may be, being aware of how the happiness you have for yourself, lives within yourself is the key to everything. It’s the key to the lifestyle you will unlock for yourself, the key to the type of people you will allow in your life, and ultimately the key to how you will present and carry yourself throughout your life.
And yes, this can and does change as time goes by. But it always starts with the self. Wherever you allow your own thoughts and feelings about who you are go, is exactly where the winds of happiness will follow.
So think, be, and live positively. Happiness starts with the self.
Happiness of the mind
In this state, your happiness is dependent upon how you fuel your mind. The mind is such a beautiful and powerful thing. Therefore, we should always be mindful of how we treat it.
There are plenty of mindfulness activities you can do to maintain a healthy state of mind. For example, meditating effectively teaches you how to block our any and all negativity in order to focus all your energy on yourself. Meditation isn’t the only way to be mindful of your mental state. Deep breathing exercises are and can be effective, as well as slowly counting up to and down from 50 (or any number of your choosing), and committing to a 15-minute workout.
Whatever you choose to do to keep yourself in a positive state of mind will always have an impact on your mental state of happiness.
It’s very much how the saying goes, “our thoughts turn into our actions”. If we think negatively we are more likely to exhibit negative actions. If we think positively then we are likely to put out positive actions in the world.
Our thoughts and actions go hand in hand. Basically, our thoughts have all the potential to manifest into actions. The best way to release a consistent stream of positive actions is to ensure that you are always thinking positively…or at least to the best of your ability in any given moment.
Which ultimately means to ensure that your state of mind exists within a positive frame of mind.
Happiness of the soul
In this state, our happiness is dependent upon how we feed our soul. In other words, what are we actively doing to ensure that we are setting ourselves up to pursue the best life possible for us?
Souls are a very fragile part of life, and because they are so fragile people tend to be very vague about them. When I say vague I mean people tend to forget that our souls are the root of everything.
Our souls are the root of our thoughts, our emotions, our actions, and our behaviors. They are the root of our childhood, adolescent years, young adulthood, and even later adulthood. They are literally the seed that is planted in us from the very beginning, that will eventually blossom into what we are today.
Our souls are precious and fragile, important and necessary. So we have to treat it to the best of our ability, to be able to thrive in life to the best of our ability.
Happiness of the self. Happiness of the mind. Happiness of the soul.
Three different states of happiness that we can exists in at the same time. Each one holds something special that we should allow ourselves to rejoice in. A special piece of happiness that we can’t find from anyone or anywhere else.
We should be happy and proud of the things that make life worth living. That make life worth the journey. Big or small, wealthy or not, life is not a materialistic world…or at least it shouldn’t be. The truth is those things that make life what it is to us, all start with us and the value we place on them.
They all start with ourselves, our minds, and our souls. So dig deep, be thoughtful and open minded, be kind and generous, and pursue a life of happiness based solely off of your own standards.
And only yours.
-Xo
Kimora