Today, I had a lovely catch up with an ex colleague and I was pleasantly reminded about how easy it is to work hard at something when you genuinely love what you are doing. We discussed life in general and she commented on how happy I sounded. I responded saying that something just clicked for me, and it felt so right for my New Year's Resolution to be about leading a happy balanced lifestyle - not just for a month or two but for the rest of my life.
In the pursuit of happiness, I have spent the last few months contemplating my life choices and evaluating where my happier moments in life have been. I'm also on a Mind, Body & Lifestyle Transformation Journey, which, not surprisingly, is making it easier to appreciate the times where I am/was at my happiest.
I've made time to think about when I was at my unhappiest and tried to pinpoint areas that were most likely the reasons for creating such negativity in my life. Chasing money definitely took me down a road which cost me my health, as well as trying to keep up with my peers on the corporate career ladder. Sometimes all it takes is a few moments to think and make a list.
Try thinking back to a time where you were really truly happy:
- What were you doing?
- How much time were you investing in it?
- Who were you spending time with?
- Did it feel like a lot of work, or did time fly by?
- Did you resent waking early or finishing late?
- Were you excited or inspired to do more?
- How did you feel about yourself?
- Were you taking care of your mind & body?
- Find a picture of yourself during this time in your life (if you can).
This next part will probably be easier, because we tend to hang onto negative memories more vividly than happy ones.
Now try thinking back to a time where you were really truly unhappy:
- What were you doing?
- How much time were you investing in it?
- Who were you spending time with?
- Did it feel like a lot of work, or did time fly by?
- Did you resent waking early or finishing late?
- Were you excited or inspired to do more?
- How did you feel about yourself?
- Were you taking care of your mind & body?
- Find a picture of yourself during this time in your life (if you can).
In writing my list, I discovered that I lost:
- Time for myself - I was too busy
- My figure - My fitness deteriorated
- Self-esteem - I had self-doubt and constantly needed approval from others
- My energy - I executed poor diet choices which led an excessive unbalanced lifestyle
- Sleep - My unhealthy lifestyle impacted my quality of sleep, which then hurt my diet and motivation
Take both of those mental pictures and place them side by side. Even better, use actual pictures of yourself, one from a happy time and one from a negative time. Use the pictures as motivation to help you become your former happy self, or to prevent you going back to the place where you felt most unhappy.
You can be either one of those people in the pictures. You are in control of who you want to be.
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| Happy & Healthy Vs Unhappy & Unhealthy |
Confronting my own choices and really trying to understand WHY I have behaved in certain ways has helped me rediscover my own road to personal happiness! There are certain people, places, and environments which are just not healthy for me. Removing myself from these influences has already had such a positive impact on my overall self-esteem and attitude towards myself.
I found that the majority of my own actions during my periods of lower self-esteem were
created by my own negative emotions - a vicious cycle that perpetuated the feeling of unhappiness and continued lack of self-esteem.
I only need to look at my pictures above as a stark reminder that my lifestyle choices really do have an impact on my quality of life, how I feel, behave, and of course how I look.
created by my own negative emotions - a vicious cycle that perpetuated the feeling of unhappiness and continued lack of self-esteem.
I only need to look at my pictures above as a stark reminder that my lifestyle choices really do have an impact on my quality of life, how I feel, behave, and of course how I look.
You can sit and watch or stand up and join in.
Some people spend their entire life searching for something that makes them happy. And it seems like just the lucky ones get to make a living out of their passion. But as I'm learning, it doesn't have to be that way.
We are all responsible for our life choices.
We decide if we are going to eat well, exercise, surround ourselves with people who are positive, or stay in environments that are negative. Making a change can be scary. It can be a costly transition too. The main thing to stay focused on is the bigger picture. You will get there. It doesn't matter how many times you try and fail, what matters is where you end up.
When starting out things may be difficult, it may cause some short term stress and it may even set you back financially. But just cast your mind back to your happiest memories and remember why you were passionate about life then, refocus yourself to work towards regaining those 'feelings'. Take a look at that photo, the one where you were happy...
If it was easy to change, everyone would do it. And everyone would be working in a job that they love - and every one would be happy. But then people like me wouldn't have career ahead of them that helps people get back on track and find a healthy, happy life.
Change starts now...
Being active and healthy, using my sense of empathy and motivational skills, collaborating, seeing the bigger picture, utilising my creativity and innovation are things that make me feel happy in myself and happy around others. When I think back to my 'happy' time I was self employed and doing all of the aforementioned activities on a daily basis.
Being healthy and having a fit body motivates me, it fuels my passion to help others lead healthier happier lives. In a few weeks from now I will be launching my part-time career in fitness & lifestyle coaching, which I know will make me a happier more balanced person.
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