.png)
Choosing to be happy can seem rather obvious yet far fetched at the same time, especially when can be bombarded by negativity on a daily basis. It is external factors that have a nac sharing negative stories, which in turn can create a mindset of fear and anxiety amongst general populations. This type of behaviour is typical of newscasters, magazines, social media etc... and what's worse is that we are fed the ideation of perfect lifestyles on social media that seem happy, in reality they, do not reflect the realistic expectations of life... that life is always happy (or at least seem that way in a snap of the day - here look at my new shiny clothes and new car and new hair and all I did was just wake up this way)... yeah not always a realistic image of long term happiness, but a reminder of the things we are not, the things that we desire or the things that we really don't have. But this is the way our news feeds have developed and it is up to us to develop the skills to cope with the ever changing environments we are exposed to.
Unfortunately we live in a world of polar opposites and it seems as though everyone is either on a high or on a low... funny how we rarely hear about the lows huh (especially as lows can build resilience). But that's ok, because you and I as individuals have the choice and the options to change the way we view the news, to change the way we react to the news and to change the way the news influences our behaviours... for example: “oh no the news tells me that romaine lettuce has e-coli so therefore I must never ever eat a salad again, and avoid it from all restaurants (just to be safe or until I am told what to do next)”. We seem to have forgotten how to think conscientiously for ourselves and seem afraid to open up to others through fear of rejection or fear of how we may be perceived. Let's circle this back to the purpose of the this post... reality and happiness. The reality of happiness is subjective and the more realistic you are about your life and the current events in your life, the more realistic and truthful you can be with yourself. The more truthful you are to yourself, the more you will trust others and pertain to lead a happier lifestyle.
Leading a happier lifestyle seems easy in advertisement… eat this and be happy, do this and be happy or even the simplicity of just be happy. Unfortunately it is not as simple as just being happy, you have to rewire the way you think and trust me you can... once you learn the mental skills to influence your own behaviours and put you in control of how you react to events around you, and not the other way round. Owning that sense of control towards your emotions and behaviours will leave you feeling less anxious and therefore allow room for happiness to grow and develop like a blossoming rose.
Here are three tips of free advice to help you get started with using your mind to improve your choices... be mindful, be present and be honest with yourself. If you can stick by these three things then you will be well on your way to starting a happier chapter in your life, simply by being in control and choosing it for yourself. If you are interested in learning more about mental skill training, exercise psychology and or general life training development then please feel free to reach out and send me a message. I would love to connect and help you become a greater version of you.
Sam