I don’t really have this problem anymore but I used to let my brain think I’ll be happy when … like I’ll be happy when I’m making more money or I maybe I’ll be happy if I retrain as a dancer because that’s what I always wanted to be, or when I’ve found the right person to settle down with, that’s it, that’s the key to my happiness. I was always chasing something to get to somewhere which was going to make me happier.
One day I woke up and had to just slap myself in the face
and remind myself to be aware of all the amazing things I have, which is a lot. I literally must be one of the jammiest human beings on this planet!
It’s crazy that I’d even let myself not be grateful all the time! How did I do that? How could I let my mind warp so much that I couldn’t see what was in front of me? You’d be surprised how easy it is to get sucked down the Alice In Wonderland rabbit hole of needing things you don’t need to impress people who shouldn’t matter to you. I jumped down that hole and surrounded myself with people who counted money and status as important. When that’s your world it’s hard to have a real perspective on life. I’m so grateful to be out of that way of living. Even though I supposedly have “less” now, I know really, I have a lot more.
So now if I ever feel a bit low or down I just write a list of all the things I’m grateful for, I usually only have to write one or two things down before I realise again that I am in fact a lucky bugger with a wonderful life.
Erm, that’s it, my self help tip to myself, if you try this at home, don’t really slap yourself, it hurts!
AN ALTERNATIVE UN-NATURAL BLONDE 
Haha! Loving the pic! 😀 I think I learnt the same really that happiness comes from within. When you are living every inch of your true self, that’s when you find that happiness 🙂 What some people I know do is keep a happiness jar – I quite like it as it’s quite arty like me – they can physically look however you want them to the paper can be any colour/pattern etc too, . Basically in its simplest from, you write something on a bit of paper that has made you happy that day or something that made you smile, something that you have to be thankful for, or a happy event etc and put the bit of paper in the jar. On the days when you are thinking that you need more to be happy or whatever, you take one of the bits of paper out and it makes you remember something good that has happened or remind you of the good things that you have. The old saying that there is always someone worse off than you is true. Find joy in the simplest and smallest things, it’s all there if we look hard enough for it 🙂 Thank you for always posting great blogs which make me think, value and appreciate 🙂
Thank you for writing back!! – LOVE the jar idea… am getting me one of those 🙂 Have a great weekend! 🙂
This post speaks to me so much. I have a hard time sometimes with the adjustment to having less “things” less easily, and to having lost alot of financial security at a time when most people I know were becoming MORE stable and were getting more stuff, and nicer stuff, and “had” more, even as I willingly chose to make decisions that led to me “having” less. But I don’t have less. I have more. I have my freedom, my authenticity, I had the chance to find out who I actually am, and to meet and fall in love with my amazing girlfriend. And I have the pride that I have those things because of my own work, and that’s so priceless.
Being grateful is key. Thanks for the reminder! xx