Dear Yogis,
In spite of what is happening to the the world, your community, to the family or to you at the moment, actually nothing much has changed. HAPPINESS IS STILL A CHOICE. You may be thinking the your best life is still a long way off… but truly nothing could be further from the truth. Your best life starts today!
You can choose to be happy today, or you can choose to be unhappy and go around all day snapping and snarling like a barracuda, it is entirely up to you. If you make the mistake of allowing your circumstances to dictate your level of happiness then please understand that you are missing out on the abundance that is your destiny.
To live life the easy way, abandon your focus on the future and live one day at a time. TODAY. We often are frustrated because we don’t know how things will work out tomorrow. This uncertainty increases our stress level and creates that gut gnawing sense of insecurity. If you continue down this path, frustration and discouragement are guaranteed.
You can decide not to “sweat the small stuff”. You can decide not to let the little things pile up. However, flip the coin and you really can make a decision that you are not going to make things escalate and you are not going to allow yourself to get upset. It is not a matter of stuffing the upset down, repressing it. It is about just not getting upset. Refusing to be perturbed. Choosing to stay happy.
When negative things happen, no matter how angry you get, no matter how much you rant and rave it is not going to change anything. Life is flying by, don’t waste a moment of it being angry, upset or worried. The Psalmist said “This is the day The Lord has made”. He didn’t say “Tomorrow, after I get through this I will get happy”. This is the day the Lord wants you to be happy. Begin by making someone else happy.
One of my students told me they were “waiting for God to turn the situation around”. That is cute, and I am sure they believed what they said. It sounds faith based, but look closely… it is not your place to wait on God to do what YOU want. God is waiting on you. He has given you the way, now you have to take it. You must learn to be happy within yourself. Be grateful for the blessings you have. Your life may not be perfect, (whose is?) it may not have turned out as planned, and certainly covid is putting a spanner in the works however, the challenge is to be happy in spite of what is happening around you. Learn to bless where you are planted.
Why not be happy right now? Appreciate today. Enjoy life’s journey. THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS. Twenty years from now hopefully you will look back and say “That was a great time in my life”.
In this time of covid it is good to remember that our immune systems are enhanced by happiness. The Bible says “A cheerful mind works healing”. One of the healthiest things you can do is smile more often. Make up your mind that no matter what happens you will smile (not just on the inside – on the outside too).Whatever the situation you are in, you are there for a reason. I do not believe life is random, chaotic. No matter what happens I believe there is a plan. I can’t see the big picture, and frankly I don’t want to. I am busy enough doing what is in front of me today. I have abandoned the continuous questioning and I just get on with the day, trusting that God is in control and directing my steps (because I am not driving the bus).
Break out of your self-imposed prison, the door is unlocked. Start looking at how you can bring happiness to others and you will automatically bring happiness to yourself. Start with small things. You have to start where you are, be faithful with what you have… If you give smiles, you will get smiles from others. If you are generous, and support others in their lives, in their business, God will make happen for you.
Somebody needs what you have to give. As John Bunyan said in Pilgrims Progress, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back”. Learn to give yourself away, and your life will make a difference. Or as the Government says, to rescue the economy – start spending!
For me – I am happy because I am where I am supposed to be (comfortable, or uncomfortable). When something changes, I will let you all know.
NAMASTE. JAHNE