"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Are you happy and in harmony or are you suffering from the anxiety of discord?
If the forms and substance of your world are spiraling out of synch, perhaps it's time for a Happiness Reset. A Happiness Reset restores personal harmony even as it reminds us to become emotionally empowered beings.
My latest musings on happiness are prompted by images of two people whose verbal expressions and emotional states were recently crying out for help.
I last bumped into this attractive, affluent couple at a social event. As we chatted over wine and cheese, I was struck by their unease. Grappling with recent news reports that challenged their world and its institutions, this otherwise upbeat pair was visibly and verbally upset.
Though I don't know them intimately, I'm sufficiently acquainted with their idealism. Their childlike trust in authorities was being called into question. And they were suddenly seeking external help for an internal problem.
At some level, these two were struggling to come to terms with a revised version of reality. Fear and anxiety brimmed over as they faced feelings of betrayal and the growing awareness that their ordered cosmos possessed some serious chinks. They wanted a stabilizer for their imbalance, a leader to bring order to their vulnerability.
These two people reflected the increasingly shaky sentiments I've encountered from others of late. Confronting a disconnect between forms they'd trusted in and the apparent lack of substance behind them, these individuals are hoping to find a quick salve for their present unease.
3 Tips to a Happiness Reset
We suffer when our established world, the one in which we faithfully believed, begins to unravel or fray. Whether encountered in public arenas or within the confines of our private lives, discordant factors can cause us to feel victimized or motivated toward blame and attack.
But we can alternately use such moments of disharmony as a launching pad. Viewed through a more positive lens, we can employ them as opportunities for personal growth and empowerment.
Here are my three tips for creating internal peace and harmony when the world around us is bifurcating into its latest levels of distress.
1. Focus -- Focus on what you have control over, not what you don't. If you are a reactor to life's curve balls, use your current unease as an opportune time to gain control over your thought life and your outlook. Instead of feeling disempowered, focus on your blessings, your available opportunities and the creation of fresh ideas.
2. Forgiveness -- If you're a blamer, choose forgiveness instead. Most of us avoid looking life squarely in the face. A willingness to open our eyes to neglected areas of life can help us off-load heavy burdens and free ourselves to enjoy greater well being. Take time to reflect upon the sources of your discomfort. Be bold enough to forgive yourself, forgive others and forgive life circumstances, too. Though not easy, your willingness to forgive will return light to your darkness and restore equilibrium to your shifting foundations.
3. Fun -- Fun is your fast track button to happiness. When confronted with fear, anger or frustration, we often react with destructive, rather than constructive, behaviors that keep us in the murky spaces we loathe. Instead, choose to engage in activities that enliven your spirit, remove you from the mire and make you laugh out loud. Find fun in simple things like an impromptu dance, playing a board game with friends or taking a bike ride in the fresh outdoors. When initiated, fun will restore your smile and naturally raise your emotions.
The next time you feel the world around you raging or the cosmos splitting in two, be encouraged and empowered by activating a Happiness Reset.
As Mahatma Gandhi notes above, you'll find personal happiness when what you think, what you say and what you do are all being harmonized within you!
Wishing you a better world from the inside out.
For further discussion about a Happiness Reset, watch this episode of Women Unscripted.
In need of a serious life adjustment? Check out my Foundations of Happiness eCourse.
