This is the first of many posts in the Redefining Happiness series which
will wisely (and sometimes wise-a**ly) explore the ins and outs of
happiness not belly buttons.
There are many, many, many reasons as to why this has had the affect on me that it has. Some healing, some magical, some learning. Mostly though, it's a definitive, "I MADE IT!"
As I sat down to write a post to you, wanting to share all the details of how this came together and why it's such a big deal and how happy I am (insert angels singing), I hesitated. Now, that's curious. Why would I, or anyone, hesitate to share happiness?
It seems ok to share happiness as we recall the past or dream of the future. Yet, to be happy in the here and now seems taboo even though we all strive for it. We tend to relate to each other based on shared struggles and old wounds.
Sharing the good in our lives and having an authentic positive attitude is often seen as unrealistic, pollyanna, and there to be judged or jealous of. Noticing hesitation to share the specifics of my own happiness beyond "Life is good," led to one of my most frequently asked questions - What the heck is going on here?
The conclusion I came to is three-fold:
1) When you are secure in yourself, in your own power and ability to generate the results you want to experience in your life, you become a lot less concerned about how others perceive you. You care about them but never to the extent that they become the compass for your life instead of you.
2) When you are healthy and have a sense of internal balance (emotionally, mentally, and physically), it makes it a lot easier to trust your own decisions, your intuition, and the direction that your heart wants to take you in. You know in doing so, you become a role model for others and your happiness can be their inspiration.
3) How people respond to you is not about you. It's about them. If others judge or act jealous of your happiness, that's because they have either bought into the illusion that they have no power to change their lives (conclusion #1) or their health is out of balance which makes them act wacky (conclusion #2).
I am choosing to claim my happiness. It's something that I feared I wouldn't ever genuinely "have." To have reached this point, to have seen how far I've come, to have bumped around in the dark - for years - banging into walls between conclusions #1 and #2, I simply have to wholeheartedly embrace this. I have made it! It took a lot of courage and really challenging experiences to get here, and it does feel like a threshold that I've crossed. That's an anchor I'm never letting go of.
For months leading up to the big move* we just made, there was a growing feeling of intense happiness. As in perma-grin happiness. Friends kept saying, "I feel like things will all fall into place for you when you get there." That was my vibe too. Sure, anticipation is normal in a transition like this. What I was experiencing was beyond that. I'm talking downright giddy.
There are many, many, many reasons as to why this has had the affect on me that it has. Some healing, some magical, some learning. Mostly though, it's a definitive, "I MADE IT!"
As I sat down to write a post to you, wanting to share all the details of how this came together and why it's such a big deal and how happy I am (insert angels singing), I hesitated. Now, that's curious. Why would I, or anyone, hesitate to share happiness?
It seems ok to share happiness as we recall the past or dream of the future. Yet, to be happy in the here and now seems taboo even though we all strive for it. We tend to relate to each other based on shared struggles and old wounds.
Sharing the good in our lives and having an authentic positive attitude is often seen as unrealistic, pollyanna, and there to be judged or jealous of. Noticing hesitation to share the specifics of my own happiness beyond "Life is good," led to one of my most frequently asked questions - What the heck is going on here?
The conclusion I came to is three-fold:
1) When you are secure in yourself, in your own power and ability to generate the results you want to experience in your life, you become a lot less concerned about how others perceive you. You care about them but never to the extent that they become the compass for your life instead of you.
2) When you are healthy and have a sense of internal balance (emotionally, mentally, and physically), it makes it a lot easier to trust your own decisions, your intuition, and the direction that your heart wants to take you in. You know in doing so, you become a role model for others and your happiness can be their inspiration.
3) How people respond to you is not about you. It's about them. If others judge or act jealous of your happiness, that's because they have either bought into the illusion that they have no power to change their lives (conclusion #1) or their health is out of balance which makes them act wacky (conclusion #2).
I am choosing to claim my happiness. It's something that I feared I wouldn't ever genuinely "have." To have reached this point, to have seen how far I've come, to have bumped around in the dark - for years - banging into walls between conclusions #1 and #2, I simply have to wholeheartedly embrace this. I have made it! It took a lot of courage and really challenging experiences to get here, and it does feel like a threshold that I've crossed. That's an anchor I'm never letting go of.
What about you? Are you ready to claim your happiness? If not, what do you think is standing in your way of doing so? What would it take for you to settle into your life in the most soul satisfying way?
* If you're new here, hubby & I moved to a whole new state last weekend. Very exciting! What new things are blooming in your life?
So glad you have arrived and are settling in your new, happy spot -- internally and environmentally! :)
Posted by: juliana | May 06, 2010 at 06:22 AM
Thanks Juliana! Here's to us all finding that happy spot/inner peace :-)
Posted by: Vanessa Smith, Wellness Coach & Intuitive | May 07, 2010 at 02:03 PM