People make the most of their lives in different ways; there’s not really a universal guide on how to enjoy life. However, we’ve come to realise that a lot of people don’t make the most of their present life due to a number of reasons. The following advice presented by Eevee G is fantastic because she lists 8 common things that we don’t really need, to appreciate our life right now!
It is normal for us, people, to constantly strive to become better, to have more, to do more. But on our lifetime journeys we often forget that what we need in order to be happy, is right in front of us NOW. In our rush to prosper and be successful, we fail to remind ourselves that we are whole, we are enough and that we have this exact moment. Why waste it being grumpy? Why not be happy now? Here are 8 reminders of what you don’t need in order to appreciate the present moment:
1. Worrying about past mistakes
The fact that you have made mistakes in your past is simply another reason to smile and be happy about. Wondering why? Well, if you hadn’t made any mistakes in your life, you wouldn’t have learned the important things you know now. Life has its ups and downs and that’s the beauty of it. Failing is the best way we can learn something. Your past, no matter how hard it has been, shouldn’t get in the way of your future. Why be bothered by what is behind you instead of focusing on what is now and what it could be in the future? Your life is in your hands. Don’t deprive yourself from taking action just because you fear you may fall down a few times. Because what matters most is that you can always get back up and move on.
2. Anything that happens elsewhere or in a different time
All you have is now. For good or bad we don’t have control over the space-time continuum. Focusing on another day and time would most probably ruin the present moment. Have you seen Adam Sandler’s movie Click? The main character there had a cool remote control that would let him skip moments. He end up skipping his whole life and wasn’t very happy about it, he realized that the only thing a person has is NOW and by trying to skip that NOW you are robbing your life of everything it’s made of. Do not let life slip while you have your focus somewhere else. A lot of people are focusing on the prize and when they get it are not very satisfied. The journey to the shiny medal is much more important than the piece of metal you get in the end. So yeah, enjoy the process, harness the good and bad memories and the lessons life gives you, TOMORROW will come anyway, you might as well do something with your TODAY.
3. The perfect moment and conditions
What we often have to remind ourselves is that we don’t need the perfect conditions or the perfect time to start doing something. Same goes for happiness – we don’t need to wait happiness to happen to us, we need to create it for ourselves. And that can happen through changing our mindset and attitude towards life. Expressing gratitude for the little things in life can make a big difference on how we look at things. Cherishing every moment that happens, seeing beauty in the ordinary things will help us realize that not much is needed in order to feel happy every day.
4. Panicking over life’s seasons
Just as the climate has its seasons our lives do, too. If you think about it, in life everything is constantly changing. Nothing stays the same for too long. That goes for us, too. We are not the same as a year or two ago. So next time when you are feeling stressed about something, remind yourself that nothing in life is permanent, not even our worries. Remember that what you are going through is just a period/phase and that by staying strong you can go through it easier. Don’t panic just because you don’t have control over every aspect of your life. Sometimes we are meant to experience something new in order to learn new lessons, to grow and to become stronger. Just because you don’t see the whole picture now, doesn’t mean you will never see it.
5. All the things you don’t have
Just because you haven’t accomplished all the things you’ve set as your goals doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let yourself be happy right this moment. You might think that you will be happy only if you have everything you want but that is a trap. You need to appreciate everything you are and everything you have right now. Be thankful for every moment that you’ve gone through, for every time you’ve fallen down and for every time you’ve got back up, for everyone who is next to you and for everyone who has left you. Gratitude is the shortest way to happiness.
6. Other people’s acceptance
Many people are scared to be themselves around other people just because they think their real faces wouldn’t be as well accepted as their masked personalities. They try to live their lives just to meet other people’s expectations of what they should be doing. Often times these people don’t even realize this until they’ve spent enough time alone with themselves. Making time just for yourself can improve your quality of life. It allows you to gather your thoughts, to set your own priorities and to learn more about yourself. Spending time alone can help you get in touch with your emotions and learn that the most important person in your life is… well, you. So why then worry about what others think of you? Why be ashamed of your true self? Why be insecure about sharing what really matters to you and what you truly want to do with your life? Living up to other people’s expectations won’t make you happy for sure but being true to yourself will definitely make you more confident, stronger and happier.
7. A perfect life
Nobody’s life is “perfect”. In fact, there is nothing perfect in life as a whole. Perfection isn’t something resourceful to strive for. You may think it will make you happy but there is a higher chance that it won’t. Appreciating life as it is- challenging, colorful, interesting, full of obstacles – will open your eyes to the fact that you don’t need a perfect life in order to be happy. Hardships, obstacles, challenges make you stronger and help you realize and cherish the beauty of life. Don’t pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure and appreciate your life.
8. To swim in a pool full of money
Many of us get trapped in the thoughts what money can buy and fail to remind ourselves of what money can’t buy for us. Make sure you keep money in mind but not in your heart. True wealth isn’t a truck full of money. Our blessings make us truly rich. And a shining soul is always better than a shiny car.
Author: Eevee G
Writer at IheartIntelligence.com
