Finding Happiness: A Journey Within

You’re here because you just want to be happy – or at least, happier. 

I understand because I reached a point in my life where everything that life threw at me just became completely overwhelming and it almost crushed me.

I couldn’t understand why life was one test after another, one tragedy after another, one trauma after another, with no end in sight. 

My breaking point culminated in the destruction of any hope I had left for some relief from what appeared to be “life happening to me”.

This ultimately led me on a journey of seeking a long-lasting remedy that would provide me with the resilience, patience, and courage to overcome the inevitable obstacles to happiness that life puts in my way.

If you decide to come on this journey with me, you can learn more about yourself and the tools you possess already but have yet to utilise in your own search for what seems like elusive happiness.

Let’s start by understanding what happiness is and how we can cultivate it and nurture it to become long-lasting.

What Is Happiness?

Happiness, a state of well-being and contentment, is a pursuit that transcends cultures, ages, and backgrounds. It is the ultimate goal that drives us, influences our decisions, and shapes our lives.

Yet, despite its universal appeal, happiness remains an elusive concept for many.

Happiness is not generally seen as an ever-lasting state but rather a fleeting emotion that arises from a number of factors. 

For many, these are factors such as physical health, wealth, success, appearance, status, or possessions.

The reality is that it is these factors that are fleeting and not ever lasting. It is essential to recognize that happiness is not solely dependent on external circumstances or material possessions.

True happiness comes from within and is cultivated through a combination of gratitude, purpose, community, mindfulness, giving, and compassion.

Feeling and Expressing Gratitude

Let’s look at gratitude and how practising it on a regular basis can be transformative to your well-being. 

Gratitude is a powerful practice that can transform our perception of the world and lead to greater happiness.

By focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, no matter how small, we train our minds to appreciate the abundance that surrounds us.

Keeping a gratitude journal or regularly expressing appreciation to loved ones are simple yet effective ways to foster gratitude.

To wake up every day and bring to mind for a few moments, the elements of your life and current situation that your intellect tells you are undoubtedly fortunate, can instantly create a sense of inner well-being.

Doing the same just before you sleep, and adding in new experiences from your day, recreates that same feeling. It’s important to remember when doing this activity that you avoid comparing your circumstances with anyone else’s, as this invalidates your own true appreciation for your blessings.

Another meaningful display of gratitude is to verbally acknowledge your appreciation to the people in your life that enrich your everyday experience. 

Their relationship to you is not relevant here, the focus is on how they impact your life in a positive manner and what they leave you with after an encounter with them.

The beauty of doing this is that it’s not only beneficial for you but helps to solidify your ongoing relationship and can have an enormous positive impact on their day.

Living With Purpose

Purpose is probably one of the most important aspects to achieving a true sense of happiness in your life. 

It’s a subject that has been debated by philosophers for centuries, but the consensus will agree that to establish purpose for your existence and to remind yourself of it regularly, drastically helps to motivate feelings of joy and the energy to move forward.

Happiness thrives when you engage in activities that align with your values and bring a sense of purpose to your life.

Identifying your passions and integrating them into your daily routines allows you to experience a deeper sense of fulfilment.

Whether it’s a hobby, parenting, volunteering, or pursuing a career that aligns with your values, finding meaning in what you do can elevate your happiness levels.

Connecting With Community

Human connection and social bonds play a vital role in your well-being and happiness. 

Cultivating meaningful relationships with your family, friends, and the community fosters a sense of belonging and support.

Actively investing time and energy in building and maintaining relationships can bring immense joy and fulfilment into your life. 

At many times in your life, you will face adversity or trauma and the network of support you have around you, can play a vital role in your ability to overcome and adapt.

As vital as creating and maintaining this support network is, it is equally important to do a life audit of the people currently in your network that would serve you better by not being in your life.

There is no malice in this, quite the contrary, it is self-care. 

Toxic people have no place in your journey to sustained happiness.

Self-Care is Key

Self-care is not a luxury; it is a necessity for your well-being. Prioritizing self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep allows you to recharge and maintain a positive mindset.

Self-care is not to be confused with selfishness, as at its core, self-care is focused on making you the best version of yourself which ultimately serves others too. 

You deserve the kind of care that you would insist on for your loved ones, were you tasked with improving their levels of happiness.

Prioritising your mental health through meditation and mindful living is the ultimate act of self-care, in the same way that good food and an active lifestyle is beneficial to your physical health.

Mindful Living

Mindfulness, the practice of being fully present in the moment, allows you to cultivate a deeper appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.

By focusing your attention on the here and now, you can let go of worries about the past or future and find joy in the present moment.

Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and immersing yourself in nature are effective ways to develop mindfulness. 

Once you become accustomed to mindful living, you will naturally incorporate it into almost every activity in your life as you recognise and appreciate how it can transform ordinary experiences into moments of clarity, wonder, and sheer joy.

Giving is Receiving

Contrary to popular belief, happiness is not solely derived from receiving; it is equally nurtured through giving. 

Acts of kindness, whether big or small, not only benefit others but also create a sense of fulfilment within yourself.

Volunteering, practicing random acts of kindness, and contributing to causes you believe in are powerful ways to spread happiness and make a positive impact on the world. 

Giving is essential for developing another very powerful emotion – compassion.

Compassion

Compassion is the emotional response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help. 

It involves empathy, where one feels what another person is experiencing, combined with a commitment to take action to alleviate that suffering.

Compassion goes beyond mere sympathy, as it encompasses both the recognition of another’s pain and an active wish to ease it. 

Compassion instills a sense of understanding within you that you are not alone in your suffering and it’s this understanding that allows you time to reflect on how you should react to other people’s behaviour.

What we’ve looked at are just some of the things that you can actively do every day, maybe even every minute of every day, in a combined effort to increase your sense of overall happiness.

What you are not aiming to achieve is a permanent state of delirious excitement and elation. 

No, this is not realistic and not reflective of how life is. Life can be very challenging, and often more so for some individuals than others.

But what you are all capable of doing is establishing a default mode of being, where you are equipped to face those challenges with wisdom, empathy, forgiveness, and acceptance.